A concrete batch plant proposed for unincorporated Tarrant County between Burleson and Mansfield will not be built after state regulators denied the company’s air-quality permit, closing out a fight that neighbors waged for nearly three years. J7 Ready Mix had applied to build the plant at 5428 East FM 1187, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ruled to dismiss the application with prejudice, meaning the company cannot refile the same case in the same court.
Brandon McElroy, who lives within 440 yards of the proposed site, said he first grew curious about construction activity near his backyard in September 2023, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. That curiosity turned into a campaign: McElroy went on to found the nonprofit Green Air Solutions, which led the opposition against J7 Ready Mix. Nearby residents began attending meetings as far back as late 2023 to raise concerns about pollutants and air quality, according to the Fort Worth Report.
A Site Close to Homes, Schools and a Future Highway Corridor
Twenty-six homes sit across from the proposed site, which also sat near an event venue, restaurants and an RV park, the Fort Worth Report found in its earlier coverage of the dispute. The Star-Telegram reports the location also sat about 600 feet from a future intermediate school and roughly 2,600 feet from a future high school in the Mansfield school district — proximity that fueled much of the community’s alarm.
McElroy said J7 Ready Mix did not follow proper procedures for publishing public notices or providing the public a copy of its permit application, per the Star-Telegram’s reporting. TCEQ itself found the company’s application deficient over incomplete public-notice steps, the Fort Worth Report noted in its December 2023 coverage, and the company received a notice of violation on Nov. 21 of that year following a state environmental investigation. Separately, the Star-Telegram reports that J7 Ready Mix began construction without a building permit in 2023, according to Tarrant County Fire Marshal Randy Renois.
Years of Fundraising and a Decisive Dismissal
McElroy and his neighbors raised funds to cover legal costs that the Star-Telegram pegs at approximately $100,000, though the Fort Worth Report’s earlier reporting put the nonprofit’s fundraising at more than $30,000 to hire an attorney. State Rep. David Cook also helped residents by locating auction venues and providing other support, per the Star-Telegram’s account…