Forward to Five Friends!
 

Toxic Tank Farm in East Austin

 

There is another toxic Tank Farm threatening a poor community in Austin. These toxic sites in Austin and everywhere else are almost always placed in poor communities.  The first Tank Farm threatened East Austin’s largely Latino and African American residents for more than 35 years. East Austin residents had lived next to several very toxic bulk fuel storage tank facilities (“Tank Farm”) that devastated the land and their community. The successful struggle to close it down was led by PODER (People Organized In Defense of Earth and Her Resources), an Austin environmental group located in East Austin.

 

Now another largely poor Latino community, just to the west of the airport, is being threatened by a Jet Fuel Tank Farm just inside the airport. Again, PODER is leading the fight against it.  The rest of us and our organizations need to join them this time.

News clipping from 1992
 

What You Can Do Now


1 - Easily send one email to the entire city council and Mayor by clicking here.  Here is a letter from PODER and a fact-filled handout that have many good points you can use in your email.

 

Letters of support for the neighborhoods, opposing the proposed site, have come from several organizations including PODER, Govallle-Johnston Terrace Neighborhood Planning Team, La Raza Roundtable, El Concilio, and Mexican American Land Owners of East Austin.

 

2 - Attend a community meeting with Mayor Adler, Council member Vanessa Fuentes, and Jackie Yaff, Aviation Director at Austin-Bergstrom airport

Please plan to attend and support PODER and other environmental justice organizations, as well as those living near the proposed Jet Fuel Tank Farm.  Some homes are less than 500 feet away.

Sierra Club staff's research shows there are over 1600 residential properties and an additional 200+ commercial properties adjacent to the McCall Lane & Seeling Drive neighborhoods, all of which will also be impacted by the Jet Fuel Tank Farm.  Colorado Crossing Subdivision is immediately adjacent to the McCall Lane Neighborhood.  These are properties between Metropolis Drive, McCall Lane and McKinney Falls Parkway.  Onion Creek, McKinney Falls and Richard Moya Park are also in close proximity.

 

The current request from neighbors and community organizations is that the City of Austin Aviation identify another site away from residential areas, perhaps on the eastern edge of the Airport. 

 

In addition to bringing toxins near poor neighborhoods, the proposed Jet Fuel Tank Farm would be on the 183 South property line of the airport, requiring 64 gas trucks per day to enter at the 183 South and Metropolis Drive intersection.  (80-100 trucks per day during peak travel times).  Hundreds of vehicles already commute/travel that segment of 183 South daily.
 

What We’re Doing, and How You Can Help

The Texas Drought Project was formed in the fall of 2008 when we worked on the first big US climate bill called Waxman-Markey. In the following years, we did much-need climate education and then a series of large successful campaigns.

We need only $2500 per month to sustain this critical push to our last best chance for a safe future.  Any donation of $100 or more will be matched!