Residents fighting against proposed landfill

  By Pooja LodhiaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- Imagine seeing signs reading "proposed landfill site" popping up near your neighborhood. That's what's happening in one Waller County community, and nearby residents are floored and ready for a fight.

Protest signs line the streets all the way to the proposed site.

"Our concerns are the potential environmental impact it'll have on Waller County and the community of Hempstead," said resident Bill Huntsinger, who's protesting against the landfill. "We are also concerned about the traffic and public safety impact it'll have on State Highway 6."

Pintail Landfill wants to build a 250 acre landfill near the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 290. It has agreed to pay the county $1.50 per ton of garbage collected here and has applied for a permit with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.

On Wednesday, Waller County commissioners voted to hire an attorney to look into the proposal.

Waller County Judge Glenn Beckendorff said, "No one wants a landfill in Waller County. At this point it's TCEQ's decision. These people bought land as a real estate transaction. That's something we do not have control over as commissioners."

County Judge Beckendorff says the county wasn't prepared when Pintail applied for the permit last year.

"We did not have an ordinance at the time to prevent them from coming to Waller County," he explained. "We have since produced such an ordinance that would prevent any landfills from coming."

But for now those protesting against the landfill blame both Pintail for wanting to build here and the county commission for letting the project get this far.

"It is kind of a David and Goliath story," Huntsinger said. "We, being the citizens, are having to utilize our own resources, our own expertise to fight the landfill."

Pintail is owned by a Georgia company called Green Group Holdings. They issued a statement reading, "The Pintail site is ideal for this project based on the results of the environmental studies and the site's location on a major four-lane highway away from schools and dense neighborhoods."

The state has not issued any permits at this time, and public input meetings are being planned.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Extra crews search landfill for woman's body

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The search continues for a missing Conroe woman who is feared dead. Authorities are back out at a Montgomery County landfill searching for her remains.

The woman was reported missing more than a week ago. Her husband is now sitting in jail. He used to work at the landfill which is located between the towns of Security and Cut and Shoot.

More search crews and equipment have been brought in as police narrowed the search field at the landfill. We're told they're going nearly piece by piece through the trash as they search for the remains of Martha Jimenez, 44. Police believe she may have been dumped there by her husband.

Conroe police and crews from Texas Equusearch combing through the Security Landfill, where, according to Texas Equusearch, Martha's husband worked as a bulldozer operator.

Police say the mother was reported missing 11 days ago after leaving her job at a convenience store in Conroe and never returning home. Officers have been searching the landfill since Monday.

Police say Martha's husband, Luis Jimenez, 54, has been arrested. Authorities say information led them to believe there may have been foul play. Police add there was an unauthorized entry into the landfill Sunday morning and they believe it could have been Luis.

"We're wanting to move at a little faster pace today," explained Tim Miller with Texas Equusearch. "That's why we brought in more manpower and equipment. We know that time isn't on our side, so the quicker that she's found, the quicker they'll be able to determine the cause of death, hopefully, and move the investigation forward."

Luis Jimenez remains in the Montgomery County Jail. He's charged with tampering with evidence.

Texas Equusearch told us crews hope to recover Martha's body and give the family closure before the Easter holiday.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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Landfill searched for missing woman

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are searching a landfill in Montgomery County, hoping to find clues in the disappearance of a Conroe woman.

Conroe police say Martha Jimenez, 44, has been missing for 10 days. She hasn't been seen since Sunday, April 10, and was reported missing by her children.

Martha's husband Luis Hernandez Jimenez, 54, is charged with tampering/fabricating with evidence. He is in Montgomery County Jail on $50,000 bond. He was arrested on Sunday.

Police have been searching the Security Landfill since Monday. A number of officers were on the scene this morning, searching with rakes and shovels as a backhoe moved larger piles of trash.

A Conroe Police Department investigation is ongoing.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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