WHAT TO DO WITH SO MUCH WORTHLESS FERTILIZER?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

This is what remains of the $42,5000 worth of worthless fertilizer bought by the Brownsville Independent School District Maintenance Department Director Cesar Gustavo Lopez and Grounds Supervisor Jaime Mata.  

The rest was dumped in the maintenance yard behind the district's main offices where it remains, leeching its chemicals into the ground. Another batch was dumped at the BISD's Outdoor Encampment located off FM 1421 (Barreda Gardens).

This is the latest scandal that has plagued board of the BISD following BarbacoaGate, three suicides, $1.2 million dollar scoreboards, a trustee that is sent off to federal prison for taking bribes, and lately, a trustee charged with violating the district's nepotism law to get her daughter-in law hired that resulted in the suicide death of a 27-year-old teacher.

Now, this scandal is taking root under the watch of the current board.

  
As we have now confirmed, the members of the board will receive the results of an internal audit where the two Maintenance Department administrators formed a company that sold fertilizer that proved worthless to the district and resulted in citations for dumping hazardous wastes. 

Although the member got an update on the audit report, they said that the audit has not been completely finished and would not release details until they approve to accept it.

Reports from BISD sources indicate the district was fined when crews dumped the the chemical material behind the district's maintenance yard and in the BISD encampment where faculty and students gather for retreats.

(Correction: Board president Eddie Garcia said informed us that there has been no citation issued against the district for the apparent violation of environmental laws. Instead, it has now been clarified tat someone was to file a complaint. We regret the error.)

No one is saying anything – and no one in the district will confirm – but we understand that the audit, once finished, will show that at least two BISD employees –  Lopez and  Mata – formed companies to, in effect, sell fertilizer to themselves. Lopez commands a $89,2650 salary and Mata is paid $45,622 a year.

The scheme had been going on for some time, but so far no one is saying how long they had been self-dealing and how the company was able to thwart the vetting process at the Purchasing Department to profit from the scheme. BISD policy forbids district employees from doing business with the district.

(Since we reported this, a commenter has said that BISD administrators have the authority to make purchases up to $50,000 without having to go through the procurement process That policy, said Garcia, is now under review, as well.)

Reports indicate that the men were paid some $45,200 from BISD general fund. Earlier reports that the funds were federal money from COVID funds have been denied.

The men's names appear in two Limited Liability Corporations, Global Earth Products LLC, which was created June 10, 2019, and was voluntarily dissolved June 24, 2021. Juan Mata is named as a managing member as were Inocencio Erik Gonzalez Garza, Juan Name Pineda, Miguel Cardenas and Miguel Cardenas Ramirez. The LLC's office is listed as 6933 N. Expressway 77, Apt. C, in Olmito. 

The other LLC is Abanti Systems LLC formed June 3, 2016 and is still in existence. It lists Cesar Gustavo Lopez as both member and agent. Juan Name Pineda is also listed as a member as he is listed on the Global Earth LLC. The address listed for the LLC is 2577 Lazy Creek Lane, in Brownsville, the same home address listed for Lopez.

Things began to unravel, according to unconfirmed reports, when the groundskeepers said that the product did not accomplish the results its vendors had promised. When a large amount of the product "spoiled," maintenance crews were sent to dump it at the City of Brownsville landfill where it was turned back because it was considered a hazardous material and did not contain the hazardous chemical information required by federal statutes. Crews then returned and were told to look for some place to dump it.

That, in turn, raised questions of its origin. Was it a recognized U.S. brand, or was it exported from another country, like Mexico? That is also under investigation by the internal auditor, Garcia said.

After the maintenance crews searched for a location to dump the fertilizer without success, they struck on the idea of dumping huge quantities of the chemicals on the grounds of the BISD Outdoor Encampment located off FM 1421 (Barreda Gardens). Another large batch was simply dumped on maintenance grounds behind the BISD main office. It's still there. (See graphic above.)

A staffer at the Cameron County District Attorney's Office could only confirm that investigators have been in touch with BISD administrators on the case and that an investigation is under way.

"This smells like the BarbacoaGate scandal all over again," said a former BISD board member. "They never learn."