How Harold Simmons Got a Nuclear Waste Dump

He made $620,000 in campaign contributions to Rick Perry, and it got him the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Simmons won a 2-1 vote for his hazardous waste dump in Andrews County over staff objections, then hired its executive director as a lobbyist. For Simmons, who stands to make millions, the price was cheap. For Texas, since Simmons’ dump is over the intersection of four aquafers — when water is the most precious commodity around — the price promises to be very, very expensive.