Developers Create Environmental Terrorism in Texas; Lone Texan Fights Back
Three Sick People, 15 Dead Sheep, 10 More Not Expected To Live, 2 Sick Horses, radioactive strontium and chemicals in Garlic Creek could make this one man's fight worse than any civilized war.
Buda, TX (PRWEB) May 16, 2006
According to Sam Braswell of Buda, Texas, it's worse than the old west. The bad guys are big land developers with deep pockets and a developer friendly city, county and state governments.
"They cut and destroyed fences; destroyed watershed; uprooted old trees then built a dam, using contaminated landfill across Garlic Creek," Braswell said. "All on our side of the property line and without permission or warning. The City of Buda, according to construction plans showing the encroachment, knew about it and despite the highly protested project by local citizens allowed this invasion to happen."
A Special Investigations Officer of the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) responded to Braswell's call immediately. The Lower Colorado River Authority laboratory analyzed the landfill and found it included Arsenic, Barium, Chromium, Lead, Zinc and Mercury plus Hydrocarbons.
If that wasn't enough, three weeks later on July 6, after a mishap at the dam, they pumped an unknown substance into the creek. The contractor wouldn't identify the substance.
Dead frogs, salamanders, deer, possum, two skunks a wild turkey and two raccoons have been found.
The sheep died a horrible death. Their teeth tightly clinched with their tongues sticking out of the side of their mouths. They were emaciated and losing clumps of hair.
After contacting regulating and enforcement departments from city, county and state levels, the Braswells quickly realized they were on their own. At this point, with no help on the way the Braswells started collecting evidence. About three thousand date stamped pictures create a time line of documentary evidence.
It was discovered through hair analysis that Braswell's daughter has an extraordinarily high amount of strontium within her body. The TCEQ Criminal Investigator detected gamma radiation at the dam. The Investigator's dosimeter registered five roentgens of gamma radiation within fifteen minutes at the site! Will flooding water contaminate the land, pastures, and the creek downstream? Will residents of a very close subdivision downhill be impacted?
Ruben Cortez, safety officer for Texas Department of Health's radiation control branch, was quoted in the Daily Texan as saying he "hasn't heard of levels this high in this part of the country since nuclear testing stopped in the 1960s."
"You can't count on any governmental agency to come to your rescue," Braswell said. Based on his experience, Braswell has written an eBook setting forth details with a "How To" plan for the individual citizen when facing out of control development. "People must know what they are up against and how and what to do about it. Braswell said.
For more information or interview call or visit the web site at:http://www. garliccreek. com (http://www. garliccreek. com)
Sam Braswell
(512) 312-1137
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