Senator Carlos Uresti has written a letter to the Texas Railroad Commission on behalf of the citizens of Maverick County, urging the Commission to deny the permit application being made by Dos Republicas Coal Partnership to operate an open pit coal mine here. In doing this, the Senator is trying to protect us against the air contamination and the pollution of our drinking water supply which would result if the mire becomes a reality.

If allowed to operate, this mine would be located on Thompson Road, only three miles from Eagle Pass city limits and only one mile from Deer Run Subdivision and Pete Gallego elementary school. It would be 10 square miles in size and would operate 24/7, creating a constant source of dust pollution from the mine itself and off of the 150 car coal train that would pass through the center of town every day, en route to Mexico. The mine would discharge all its wastewater into Elm Creek and then into the Rio Grande, upriver of the city water intake. All the coal mine will be shipped to Mexico to be burned for electric power generation there. Texas will receive no energy benefit from this mine, only all the adverse consequences.

The Railroad Commission is scheduled to make its final decision on this permit application on January 29. In addition to Senator Uresti, Representative Poncho Nevarez and Congressman Pete Gallego have also expressed their strong opposition to this mine.