ustxtxb_obs_1982_06_18_50_00011-00000_000.pdf

ings examiners’ mandate that if the company failed to meet its obligations, enforcement must be “swift and severe.” \(The report also came down hard on the Reaction to the decision was mixed. Barry and his group declared the ruling a victory. No one in recent memory, they say, could recall when an industry had been issued a permit for less than five years. Barry also believes that there is now a committed bunch of people a more sophisticated bunch who will continue to monitor the waters of East Texas and begin to go after other polluters. Richard Harrel and Clean Air and Water still believe that the treatment facility is inadequate and will take a “wait and see” attitude. They want to know that the state will enforce the requirements of the permit even if it means forcing the company to redesign the system. One Enchanted Forest resident, who says the little stream is “a far cry from where it ought to be, but better than when we got started,” is satisfied that the people have the attention of the agencies but believes South Hampton has yet to come to grips with its pollution problems. There is concern among the residents that the reason the stream is less polluted is due to the fact that South Hampton has been operating at less than full capacity. \(There have been lay-offs at the company recently due to the uncertainty of the oil business, company Mrs. Pate, however, is still worried about the water, saying that before the hearings, she felt she could put her faith in the agencies of government, but “if all the other agencies are as lax as [TDWR], we’re in trouble.” During a recent tour of the refinery, Dolezal, who seems to be genuinely concerned about the fears of the community, said that District 6 inspectors had been out six times since January and had found no violations. He is convinced that the company will be able to meet the standards imposed. In fact, that day, the water coming out of outfall 001 looked as clear as tap water. Dolezal does understand that citizens are more concerned these days with what they can’t see in their water. The local Sierra Club believes that a safer method of handling the effluent would be to pipe it past the subdivision directly into Mill Creek, in order to lower any risk to the children and pets in the area. The people in Enchanted Forest say they will bring that proposal up in two years when South Hampton has to reappear before the public to prove they have been a “good neighbor.” Renz says he learned a lot during the process and was surprised at the response of the people. Now he just wants to heal the wounds in the community and prove that his company can ‘be environmentally responsible. In the meantime, the parents in Enchanted Forest will continue to keep their children away from the stream and will demand regular monitoring of their wells, recognizing now that they must ask the state to check for certain pollutants, since normal monitoring procedures only test for bacteria. Betty Brink is a free-lance writer living in Kountze. The Governor’s Budget and Planning Office recently released some politically-interesting \(and otherwise in1980 U.S. Census: Among the findings: Texas grew 27.1% between 1970-80 and now ranks 3rd in population, behind California and New York. Only California topped our 3 million plus population growth. Population growth in Texas over the past decade accounted for 13% of the nation’s growth, and the state’s share of the national population grew from 5.5% in 1970 to 6.3% in 1980. In-migration accounted for 6% of Texas’ growth in the 1960’s and an estimated 58% between 1970 and 1980. Texas added approximately 11 more persons per square mile of land during the 70s. Our population density of slightly more than 54 persons per square mile is still well below the national average of 64 persons per square mile. Harris County added more people between censuses than any other U.S. county, and Loving County ranks last in the nation in size of population at 91. Four out of five Texans live in towns or cities. Among the nation’s cities, Houston ranks 5th in population size, Dallas 7th, and San Antonio 11th. Texas added one new SMSA Victoria as a result of the 1980 Census, and with 26 SMSA’s, Texas has the most of any state. Population in Texas SMSA’s grew by 29.8% almost triple the rate for all U.S. metropolitan areas and half of the state’s growth occurred in two SMSA’s Houston and Dallas-Ft. Worth. In Texas metropolitan areas, the central cities grew by only 19.1%, while areas outside the central cities grew by 48.5%. Average household size for Texas declined from 3.2 in 1970 to 2.82 in 1980, while the average size for the U.S. declined from 3.11 to 2.75 a 12% decrease for both Texas and the U.S. Over one-third of the Texas population is non-Anglo Black, Hispanic, Indian or Asian. Blacks and Hispanics account for almost 45% of the population in the central cities of SMSA’s, while they are less than 20% of the population in areas inside SMSA’s but outside the central cities. Texas ranks 3rd in the U.S. in the total number of Blacks up from 4th in 1970. The proportion of Blacks in Texas de clined slightly from 12.5% in 1970 to 12.0% in 1980. The Texas Black population grew 22.2%, less than the state’s growth of 27.1%. Regionally, Blacks are concentrated in the Southeast and North Central areas – primarily in the Houston and Dallas-Ft. Worth areas. 84% of Texas Blacks live in SMSA’s and 69% live within the central cities of SMSA’s. Comparison of 1980 data with 1970 Census information is difficult due to differences in coverage and identification methods between the two censuses. In 1980, Texas ranked 2nd in the number of Hispanics nationally, only California had a larger Hispanic population. While persons of Spanish origin comprised 6.4% of the population in the U.S., they made up 21% of the Texas population. Over 80% of our Spanish origin population is located in metropolitan areas with 59% in central cities. Over half of the state’s Hispanics live along the Gulf and in South Central Texas. The San Antonio SMSA has the highest percentage of Hispanics in the Nation 44.9%. THE TEXAS OBSERVER 11