April 29, 2004
By Chris Adams
ABC13 Eyewitness News

SWEENY, TX — A small community in Brazoria County is worried that national security concerns could threaten its economic well being.

Plans to close FM 524 to protect a petrochemical plant could mean hardship for the town of Sweeny. Although no date's been set, TxDOT says it will definitely close the road. And if you live in Sweeny, that's a very big change.

It's easy to see why 524 could be the road to success for a terrorist.

It lets drivers roll right through the middle of petroleum and chemical plants operated by Conoco Phillips and Chevron Phillips.

Few people dispute that the road represents something of a security threat or that it could be dangerous in the event there's an explosion at the plant. The problem is that this road is one of the main ways into and out of the town of Sweeny.

For the 5,000 people who live there, closing 524 would mean more than inconvenience.

"If they close that off without giving us a westerly bypass, it cuts off all our trade coming from the Bay City or the west area," said Sweeny Mayor Larry Piper.

Mayor Piper says that would stifle the town's growth and could hamper hurricane evacuation plans.

For businesses like Stewart's Food Store, the road is an economic lifeline.

"We built the store larger than our area called for in order to be ready for the future," said the storeís co-owner, Dwain Stewart.

Stewart says he could lose 20 percent of his business if the road closes.

"It's going to be a hard thing to swallow and hard for us to take if we lose that much percentage," he said. "We're new. We just built this new building and it could mean that we don't make it."

The mayor says TxDOT officials are working with them to try to find a solution that provides for national security and doesn't hurt the town.

(Copyright © 2004, KTRK-TV)
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