Staff Reports

Despite thousands of people protesting outside Texas Commission on Environmental Quality headquarters in Austin, Texas, the wastewater discharge permit renewal and expansion for the Dos Republicas coal mine were approved.

On Wednesday, July 6, Native groups, elected officials, and environmental and social justice advocates held a demonstration and press conference to show their disapproval of the mine, specifically the pollution of Elm Creek and the Rio Grande River with toxic chemicals and heavy metals that make the water unsafe for drinking and recreation.