MySA.com: Metro | State
As the pile of brush and debris grew to the size of an eight-story building on Henry Zumwalt's property, the state's environmental agency did nothing. When the 80-foot mound ignited in December, Helotes residents erupted in anger as smoke and ash settled into their homes and lungs.
For years, they had warned the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about the fire hazard growing outside Helotes. Why hadn't TCEQ listened? Why hadn't the agency ordered Zumwalt to dismantle the pile?
Because, TCEQ said, it goes by the book. And there's nothing in the book that regulates the size of debris piles.
Sorry.
Now that the fire has been extinguished, TCEQ says it goofed. It shouldn't have ignored a fire hazard obvious to nearly everyone but state investigators.
Sorry.
It took three months and $5.5 million dollars to extinguish! Once again, a little knowledge (aka the heat of decomposition)might have been useful here.
