ROBSTOWN, Texas — As questions continue to surface after our original report last Thursday, Gail and Robert Trimble say they are still living with the effects of 48 tons of used blasting sand dumped earlier this year beside their home.
In video recorded at the time, Gail described dust drifting toward their property. “It’s 5 p.m. February 15 and I can smell and taste this in my mouth… it’s another double load,” she said, referring to the back-to-back deliveries they witnessed.
The material, spread across the neighboring lot by L & R Services, was initially treated “like regular dirt,” Robert said. But a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality report later confirmed it contained metal particles.
Since then, the Trimbles say they’ve lost 20 chickens and 12 turkeys. Robert now relies on an inhaler and their horse has also declined sharply. Footage from early this year shows the horse healthy and trotting; more recent video shows ribs protruding and what appears to be muscle atrophy in its hind legs.
TCEQ says dust from spent blasting sand can trigger respiratory issues in people and animals. Owner Roy Martini maintains the material is harmless. “I spent a lot of money on testing… it’s just backfill. It’s like black sand,” he said.
This is not the first time Martini has faced allegations over illegal dumping. In 2020, he was charged with a felony for dumping 200 pounds of material. The charge was dropped in 2023 after he completed a pre-trial diversion agreement.
In this latest case, Martini told TCEQ he hauled the sand on behalf of Arc Energy, an oil and gas equipment manufacturer in Robstown— a claim the company disputes. Arc Energy attorney Michael Johnston told KRIS 6 that Martini was hired to lay gravel and removed only the sand that was already in that area. He also said Arc Energy contributed far less material than what Martini reported to TCEQ.
“You also have 48 tons of sand, and only about ten of it could have come from us,” Johnston said.
Under Texas rules, used blasting sand is considered Class 2 industrial waste and must be disposed of at a permitted industrial landfill — not on residential land. But because the state does not require tracking or manifests, regulators say it is difficult to monitor where the material ends up.
The Trimbles are now seeking help from a veterinarian to determine what is affecting their animals. They also plan to test water in the pond behind their home, where Robert says a new layer of green slime has appeared.
L & R Services has until Dec. 14 to clean up the debris or face possible fines. Martini says the sand is buried four feet deep, and the Trimbles now worry that digging it up could create even more problems.
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