Investigations ongoing at plant

By Melinda L. Lucas

The rendering plant just outside the eastern Albany city limit continued to dominate discussion at the July 12 meeting of the Shackelford County commissioners, although there was action on a couple of other important items.

Progress on ownership of the Rock Hill School property, which has been in question for decades, is closer to being resolved, according to county attorney Rollin Rauschl, and county judge Robert Skelton reported that the county has received the first half of its portion of the American Rescue Plan’s federal funding.

Rendering Plant

Several local citizens were again in attendance to comment and obtain information about Texas Renewables, the company that reportedly operates a protein conversion facility that “converts animal plasma into a dried protein additive to be used in products such as organic fertilizer and organic pet food.”

Skelton began the discussion by reporting some of his findings over the previous two weeks.

Jim Allison, legal counsel for the Texas County Judges & Commissioners Association, advised Skelton that small counties have no zoning authority.

“At his advice, I contacted Dr. Joel Massey, regional director of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and our local health authority,” said Skelton. “Dr. Massey asked Janet Smith with DSHS in Abilene to conduct an investigation to coincide with the ongoing investigation by Mike Simon with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).”

Both investigations are ongoing, he added. 

Skelton has also contacted State Representative Glenn Rogers and Senator Charles Perry for help.

Rauschl has been actively seeking solutions as well, but he stated that the county has “no jurisdiction” to prevent other companies from locating in the county in the future.

He added that citizens can band together and file nuisance complaints, temporary restraining orders, and injunctions.

“There is no easy fix from a zoning or ordinance prospective,” Skelton said. “We can encourage state investigations and facilitate those.”

Darla Cotter, who has acted as a spokesperson for local citizens, said that an adjacent landowner had reportedly been told by Mike Simon that the company was currently under a “cease and desist order” and that she had seen no activity at the plant since mid-June.

A neighbor, Chris Ary, said he had seen trucks and trailers come in at night, but he couldn’t tell if there had been any production.

“We  hear you, we support you, and we will continue to look for anything we can do to relieve the situation,” said Skelton. “We will give our full cooperation to the state agencies that are working on it.”

Rock Hill School

A quit claim deed has been acquired for the Rock Hill School building, and commissioners authorized Cody Jordan to present it to the Clyde school board.

They also passed a motion to accept the gift of the property if the deed is approved by the CCISD.

Rescue Plan

Skelton reported that Shackelord County has received the first half of its portion of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act in the amount of $317,094.

County treasurer Tammy Brown has placed those funds in a separate account.

No match or payback is required, but the county must find “legitimate ways” to spend the money.

The second half will be received by June 2022.