Staff

-Eagle Pass

Senator Carlos Uresti has written a letter to the Fort Worth District of the US Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the citizens of Maverick County, urging the Corps to hold a public meeting in Eagle Pass.  The purpose of this meeting would be to explain the Corps of Engineers' proposal to write a Regional Environmental Impact Statement that would facilitate the expansion of existing surface coal mines all across Texas. In Maverick County, the proposal is to expand the existing Dos Republicas mine permit area from the existing 6,346 acres (10 square miles) to 25,000 acres (40 square miles) in the next 15 years- an area about six times the size of Eagle Pass itself. "Senate District 19 spreads over a vast area of South and West Texas that could be affected by such mining operations," stated Uresti, "More than 35,000 square miles covering all or part of 17 counties, and it is crucial that my constituents be kept informed and have a role in this process." The lawsuit by Maverick County, the City of Eagle Pass, the Maverick County Hospital District and the Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association against the Railroad Commission of Texas is proceeding in State District Court.  The court is being asked to reverse the decision of the Railroad Commission to grant Dos Republicas Coal Partnership a permit to operate its mine.    The hearing on this case will be held on February 25, 2014 in Austin. "Unfortunately, many who live in Maverick County did not receive timely notice for this meeting in Uvalde (On December 3, 2013).  This is an important issue for the people of Maverick County, where the imminent reopening of the Dos Republicas Mine threatens to bring water and air pollution challenges, and their voices deserve to be