BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Valley Interfaith is continuing its push to get Milwhite Incorporated moved to a non-residential area because of the haze emanating from its industrial plant.
The group has organized a town hall meeting for the evening of Monday, Nov. 20. It takes place at St. Eugene de Mazenod Catholic Church in Brownsville, starting at 6:00 p.m. Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., and Brownsville City Commissioner Linda C. Macias are slated to attend.
Milwhite, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, mixes specialty, non-metallic minerals such as bentonite clay and barite for animal feed additives, oil and gas, and other industrial applications. It is based at 5487 South Padre Island Highway, Brownsville.
Asked often the haze appears, Adhlemy Sanchez, a Valley Interfaith who lives near the Milwhite plant, said: “Every day. Some days are worse than others. You can see the dust every day but it is significantly more visible at night.”
Asked what hours the plant operates, Sanchez said: “Twenty hours a day. And they have, like, 300 trucks entering and leaving the premises on a weekly basis.”
Sanchez said the local community is working with Brownsville leaders to get Milwhite relocated.
“There was a press conference about two weeks ago stating that the company has agreed to relocate and they're going through the GBIC funding route to help with that relocation,” Sanchez said.
“But that could take anywhere from one to two years. And, in the meantime, we're still suffering the consequences. We're still being affected by their constant operations on a day-to-day basis. Just the other day our neighborhood was covered in haze once again. So we're literally breathing in the dust particles.”
GBIC stands for Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.
Sanchez said Milwhite has had many air quality violations imposed by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). She said the company has also been slapped with $70,000 fine. She said she has invited TCEQ to send a representative to the town hall meeting.
“There is a report from TCEQ stating that the dust particles coming out of Milwhite plant can cause both short-term and long-term effects, such as breathing issues, sinus infections, skin irritations, and, in the long term, can even cause cancer,” Sanchez said.
In a letter sent to state Rep. Erin Elizabeth Gámez of Brownsville on Aug. 15, 2023, TCEQ interim executive director Kelly Keel said the agency’s Harlingen office had conducted an on-site investigation of Milwhite’s facilities.
“The investigation resulted in a Notice of Violation issued to Milwhite, Inc., on June 12, 2023, that documented five violations related to Milwhite’s failure to maintain records and failure to prevent nuisance conditions,” Keel wrote.
She said that since July 26, 2023, 16 additional complaints have been received by TCEQ. So, TCEQ revisited Milwhite’s site on June 13, June 29, July 13, July 27, and July 28.
“The July 13, 2023 investigation documented that the facility did not resolve any of the previous documented violations. An investigation report is pending for continued outstanding violations and additional potential violations of Milwhite’s permit, including failure to water stockpiles and roads and failure to maintain abatement equipment,” Keel wrote.
Valley Interfaith's Sanchez said Milwhite has also violated city codes.
“Their facility is zoned as light industrial. But they are operating as though it is zoned for heavy industry. They're within 100 feet of a residential area, which is our community. We've gathered petition signatures within our community and online to have the company moved.”
In addition to having the company relocated, Valley Interfaith wants the city codes changed.
“We need the area to be rezoned from light industrial to commercial so that another entity does not come in and set up shop and then attempt to do run a similar business to Milwhite,” Sanchez said.
“Also, we don't want them move into an area that has local residents living nearby. We do not want to negatively impact another community.”
The Guardian has called and emailed Milwhite to get their viewpoint. We will post it as soon as it comes in.
Helen Ramirez, city manager for Brownsville, confirmed that the city is working with Milwhite to assist their move to another location. In a recent interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, Ramirez said:
“The City of Brownsville has been working with Milwhite on finding a path forward. What we understand from the company and really from the impact of the residents is, the quality of life has been diminished in and around that area. It is a company that has been here for 100 years, but it’s evolved in a way that that location isn't the right fit for them, which has led to non-compliance with some city codes. And, for that reason, they're willing to come to the table.
“We're working with our economic development partners to find a way where we can maybe, perhaps, find and relocate them for a more permanent solution. And so we're working on short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions. The best being, find a place where they can still stay in Brownsville and grow, but not in the location where they are at because of the proximity to residential, and the impact to the community.”
Ramirez said Milwhite currently has about 20 employees but would like to grow to about 50.
Here is a letter TCEQ sent to state Rep. Erin Elizabeth Gámez of Brownsville about Milwhite:
