Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Industrial Nuisance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge city to investigate outdoor metal-cutting, smells and late-night operations at Tri State Iron & Metal
Summary
Neighbors told the Texarkana Board of Directors that torch cutting, sandblasting and other outdoor metal work at Tri State Iron & Metal produce fumes and noise that reach nearby homes; residents said operations run into the night and asked the city to investigate permitting, hours and public-health impacts.
Neighbors told the Texarkana Board of Directors on Monday that metal-cutting and related work at Tri State Iron & Metal has repeatedly released smoke and odors that flow through the Iron Mountain neighborhood and into nearby homes.
"There's always metal being cut all the time," said Cecil Cox, speaking for the Iron Mountain neighborhood, describing a persistent smell residents want addressed. Multiple neighbors added that torch cutting and sandblasting take place outdoors and continue into late evening, creating both noise and a visible smoke plume.
One resident described outdoor torch cutting and said, "They cutting it, and as they make the smell coming from what they cutting, it flow through the neighborhood." Residents said the operations sometimes continued until midnight and that the neighborhood has documented the activity on video.
Speakers said they had raised the problem with city staff repeatedly over several years. "We keep coming to ask y'all, what are they violating? What can and what they can't do?" a resident said, asking the board to investigate whether current operations violate local regulations or permit conditions.
Cecil Cox and other neighbors said the planning commission and city staff previously reviewed the business's permissions; one resident said the company told neighbors it would sue if the city attempted to stop operations. Residents said they want clearer answers about which ordinances apply, whether outdoor cutting is permitted under current approvals, and whether hours of operation can be restricted.
Board members and staff acknowledged the complaints and said staff would follow up. A speaker said the city attorney and chief of police had observed smoke while inspecting the area; a staff member (Tyler) said he would take the residents' contact information and follow up.
No formal action or new ordinance was introduced at Monday's meeting. Residents requested a staff investigation into permit conditions, possible limits on hours of operation, and whether outdoor cutting and sandblasting are permitted without additional controls.
The board did not take a vote on regulatory changes at the meeting; neighbors said they are prepared to seek legal counsel if the city does not act.
