Ranches at Hamilton Pool Responds to Slap on Wrist
"Our erosion controls and silt fences were approved by Hays County and were inspected prior to construction and after this disaster," said Cosmo Palmieri, the project manager for Coldwater Development. "We were in full compliance."
I'm going to remember this next time during some consensus process, developers complain that they need prescriptive rules, which, if they comply with those rules, vaccinate them against liability. Fortunately, we don't have such rules in place, and the county should sue their pants off.
Our vigilant sympathizer South Texas Chisme has been following the story:
Apparently, they were under the impression that under Republican regimes, polluters were handed flowers. Hey, this is election season and the 'we make our own reality' party is trying to look like they care a tiny bit about our environment. Hence, the small fine instead of flowers. Take heart: It wasn't a real fine.
Added to Planet HPR!
If memory serves the "disaster' happened BEFORE the main onslaught of the truly unusual July rains. It happened after one heavy rain, the kind we all know about, and the kind that is a regular occurrence. If the rules can't handle the normal "rain event" why bother writing them?
Photos, June 1, 2 and June 4, 2007.
http://homepage.mac.com/kaaawa/Hamilton_Pool_Road/PhotoAlbum112.html
I don't have rainfall statistics handy, but the really heavy rains started late June, like June 26-27.
Those are great photos, Jueri.
Oh, and I don't consider even the heaviest rains an excuse. Strict liability. Build your subdivision, and don't fuck up our pool.
Developer assholes whine about property rights. You never hear them talk about property responsibilities.
I started a fire to clear some land, the wind blew and burnt my neighborhood down, the wind did it.