Months after a massive fire at one of its facilities in Waxahachie, a Texas chemical company has purchased more land in Ellis County.
A massive fire broke out at a Magnablend Inc. plant near State Highway 287 and Interstate 35E on Oct. 3 during the production of a wastewater treatment product.
Magnablend announced Tuesday that it had bought the site of the now-defunct Superconducting Super Collider.
“The Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) site offers us an ideal location to preserve local jobs, make a previously vacant property viable and productive again, and provide Ellis County with additional tax revenue and economic development as we keep pace with the increasing demand from our customers and continue to grow our business,” CEO Scott Pendery said in a press release.
But some residents said they are not happy about the news.
“I think they should give us what they're going to be handling," Cindy Williams said. "What's going to happen? How much is this road going to be used? I have horses. And my neighbors, they have cows. ... This is just something we're not really happy with."
“It's a nice quiet road -- it's wide -- and now we're going to have, basically, toxic chemicals running up and down in front of our house,” said Thomas Jefferson, who lives about 500 yards from the site. “I'll be 75 next week. I was hoping to live out the rest of my years in peace and quiet of the country. We love it out here.”
A Magnablend spokeswoman declined to comment when the company was asked what kind of chemicals would be used at the facility and what was being done to address residents' concerns.
Magnablend, a privately held company, manufactures, blends and packages custom chemicals for various industries, primarily agriculture, oil and gas and water treatment.
It began in Waxahachie in 1979 and also has operations Pennsylvania, Wyoming and North Dakota.
