GUADALUPE COUNTY — City leaders of Seguin and Schertz say the regional water supply could be at risk after a proposed landfill in Guadalupe County is causing public outcry over potential health hazards.

If the permit is approved, the landfill would be built on the outcrop of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer recharge zone.

An area known for oil rigs and cattle country could soon have a new neighbor. The proposed spot for the Post Oak MSW Landfill is about 25 minutes East of Seguin, but there's a road block.

"Basically it's within the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer recharge zone and gives a direct path for contamination,” said Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation General Manager Alan Cockerell.

Seguin's mayor Don Keil said it became a serious worry after a permit hearing in Austin back in January.

"The only thing between our main water source and this toxic landfill is a piece of plastic. Liners have been proven to leak,” Keil said.

That aquifer supplies water to places like Schertz, Seguin, and San Antonio. It will soon provide water for the Vista Ridge pipeline. Those who oppose the project say they understand the need for landfills, but not near aquifers. Mayor Keil said Guadalupe County Commissioners recently named several other potential sites.

"If the water source is spoiled by something like this, it could wreck the lives of a whole lot of people,” said Keil.

Time Warner Cabe News reached out to the landfill's parent company, Post Oak Clean Green Inc, but requests for comment have gone unanswered. At this point the state is reviewing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's preliminary approval for the landfill permit. Administrative judges are expected to issue their recommendation this summer.

According to Post Oak Clean Green Inc.’s website:

“The costs of permitting, constructing and operating solid waste disposal facilities throughout the United States increased dramatically since the emergence of Subtitle "D" regulations in 1991. Specifically Subtitle "D" required that all landfills located in an area that receive over 25 inches of average rainfall per year, and accept a waste flow greater than 20 tons per day must abide by the following criteria:

Because of these regulations, the era of building and operating "Dumps" was over. The EPA regulations required sound and proven methods of disposing of our solid waste streams in order to protect the environment.

· Municipal landfills cannot be located close to airports. Siting in ecologically valuable wetlands or areas subject to natural disasters (floodplains, fault areas, seismic zones, etc.) is restricted.

· Landfills must keep out hazardous wastes; apply daily cover; control disease vector populations; monitor methane gas; restrict public access; control storm water runoff; protect surface water from pollutants and keep appropriate records.

· Municipal Solid Waste Landfills must be designed with a composite liner made of synthetic material covering a two foot clay liner.

· All landfills must have monitoring wells to detect any groundwater contamination. If groundwater is contaminated, the owner/operator is required to clean it up to acceptable standards.

· When a landfill stops accepting waste, it must be covered to keep any liquid away from the buried waste. Once the landfill is closed, the owner/operator is responsible for maintaining the final cover, monitoring groundwater and methane gas, and continuing leachate management for 30 years.

· Landfill owners/operators must show that they have financial mechanisms to cover the costs of closure, post closure care, and any needed cleanup from releases for a period of 30 years