Council approves municipal-setting designation for contaminated site with independent testing and buffer conditions
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Summary
After a contentious hearing, Fort Worth approved an MSD for a 57.5-acre Bear Holdings site with council-mandated independent testing, quarterly community updates and a proposed 14-acre buffer donation to address arsenic, lead and manganese concerns.
Fort Worth City Council approved a resolution supporting a Municipal Setting Designation (MSD) for a roughly 57.5-acre industrial tract owned by Bear Holdings LLC, while adding several community-protection conditions after lengthy public testimony.
Environmental Services Director Cody Wittenberg told the council MSD status “is a deed restriction for the use of groundwater” and that the site’s groundwater and soils show heavy metals including arsenic, lead and manganese. Wittenberg outlined the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) voluntary cleanup process and said the MSD is part of that state-regulated pathway. He also said city staff had contracted Friesen/Friese Nichols for independent oversight and noted the developer offered to donate about 14 adjacent acres as a buffer.
Bear Holdings’ representative Harrison Smith said the company completed debris removal and 25 additional soil samples, and has proposed a soil-management plan and ongoing independent confirmation testing. Neighbors and environmental advocates told council the area has a history of industrial dumping, high local health burdens and insufficient transparent data; NAACP and neighborhood leaders urged the council to deny the MSD until full independent testing and community access to results were provided.
Council Member Chris Nettles moved to approve the MSD with added requirements: city-funded independent third‑party testing before, during and after construction; quarterly or semiannual updates to the Highland Hills Neighborhood Association for two years after completion; city monitoring of developer compliance with remediation and site maintenance; and a commitment to convene a roundtable including TCEQ, the developer and community representatives. The motion passed.
Why it matters: The MSD would limit groundwater use at the site and allow redevelopment under state oversight, but residents fear soil and dust disturbance could spread contamination without strict, verifiable safeguards. The council’s added conditions aim to increase transparency and independent monitoring.
Next steps: The developer will continue TCEQ discussions and must share testing results; the city will coordinate independent oversight via a contracted firm and provide community briefings as results become available.
