Yet another massive breach at the Hallett mine has remained open

BobRehak Touche :
What is all that land clearing to the west of Sorters road at Northpark? Is that going to be another subdivision? And how close is Sorters to the river?

BobRehak :
I saw the drainage ditch that runs from the middle of Nortpark to behind the businesses, Firestone Tire & others, was to the top on Wednesday morning.

ForestFinds :
Yep, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when !

BobRehak :
So is this matter in the courts yet?Thanks for keeping us informed. Your photos are very telling.

billcherie2 :
They sell the sand to people who make concrete.

NeverPayRetail Touche :
That land at the end of Northpark is called Northpark South. It's by a Colorado developer. Most of the land is low and a lot of it was classified as wetlands. The entrance being built to the subdivision was under 8 feet of water during Harvey. I've been posting a lot about it. Here's a story that sets the stage. reduceflooding.com/2 023/11/11/northpark- south-starts-clearin g-wetlands-floo

BobRehak :
Did any regulators file an incident report? Texas did enact laws about 10 or so years ago to regulate sand mines which previously operated unfettered. Appearance and estimates of the size of the discharge are telltale signs but how about direct measurements, field and lab tests, etc. How do lawsuits filed in response to Harvey have any bearing on how courts handle new lawsuits? I just don't understand all the tie-ins and why a major breach that pollutes the city's water supply isn't a new, documented legal matter.

StumpDigger :
Sorry. I've been blogging about the mines (among other things) for six years now. Incidents like this one contributed to all the damage during Harvey by creating a sediment dam behind the dam. As water slows down where it meets a standing body of water (i.e., Humble/Kingwood), sediment drops out of suspension. After Harvey, the Army Corps found the West Fork was 90% blocked with all the sediment. Dredging is expensive. And the mines don't pay for it. Thousands of homeowners have had lawsuits against the minds floating around in the courts for years and they're still in discovery. Since prevention is better, cheaper, easier and more humane than correction, I periodically talk about how prevention hasn't really worked with the sand mines. Hope that helps.

BobRehak :
What are the potential ways to remedy this? Does the govt have to sue them? What organization would actual sue?

Com@Joe :
First, complain to the TCEQ. You can file a complaint through their website. Depending on the resolution you get there, you may also want to write some of your representatives, like State Rep. Charles Cunningham. Beyond that, I might complain to Houston Public Works. They are responsible for water quality and they have a little more clout with the state than you or I do. In an ideal world, the TCEQ would fine Hallett or file a lawsuit. I'm aware of one such case. I am also aware of hundreds of citizen lawsuits that have been consolidated into three class actions and ultimately one "multi-district litigation" case. Neither A nor B have sped through the court system. The sand miners have delayed them for years. They're major political contributors.