Maverick County Hospital District Board approves appeal of Dos Republicas Coal Partnership open surface coal mine permit

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors held a special meeting on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at the District’s Second Floor Conference Room, located at 3406 Bob Rogers Drive in Eagle Pass, Texas, approving to appeal 261st District Judge Darlene Byrnes’ decision to affirm the controversial Railroad Commission of Texas’ January 29, 2013 decision to grant a permit to construct and operate an open surface coal mine to Dos Republicas Coal Partnerhsip in Eagle Pass.

Over 10 Maverick County citizens attended the special meeting to express their opposition to the proposed open surface coal mine by Dos Republicas Coal Partnership.

Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association member George Baxter addressed the MCHD Board of Directors telling them that the proposed Eagle Pass Mine by Dos Republicas Coal Partnership on the banks of Elm Creek is bad for Eagle Pass and Maverick County, discharging its coal mining waste water and storm waters into the Rio Grande River only a mile or two upstream from the City of Eagle Pass’ Roberto Gonzalez Municipal Water Treatment Plant on the Rio Grande and potentially contaminating the City of Eagle Pass’ only source of drinking water as well as contaminating the air in the community with the coal mining activities’ dust, coal dust, and the daily 150 railroad cars transporting the coal through Eagle Pass into Mexico near local public schools such as Pete Gallego Elementary, Seco Mines Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Glass Elementary, Kennedy Hall, and Robert E. Lee Elementary.

The MCHD Board of Directors went into Executive Session to discuss the pending litigation regarding the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership open surface coal mining permit. Upon the Board’s return into Open Session, Board member Joaquin L. Rodriguez made a motion to authorize the MCHD’s General Counsel to file a Notice of Appeal with the Texas Third Court of Appeals on behalf of the MCHD regarding District Judge Darlene Byrnes’ March 27, 2014 decision affirming the Railroad Commission of Texas’ controversial January 29, 2013 decision to grant Dos Republicas Coal Partnership a permit to construct and operate an open surface coal mine in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas and Board Secretary-Treasurer Humberto Duran seconded the motion. The Board unanimously approved the motion. Absent from the meeting was Board Vice-President and Maverick County Treasurer Rito J. Valdez, III.

According to recent scientific studies in West Virginia and other Appalachian states, “the accumulating body of research on this topic demonstrates that surface coal mining leads to severe, persistent and far-reaching degradation of water quality and biodiversity….There are good reasons to be concerned about the water quality implications of surface coal mines.”

“Coal mining in Appalachia,…is associated with a set of serious public health problems, including higher cancer rates, higher heart and lung disease rates, higher kidney disease rates, higher birth defects, and higher levels of impaired functioning due to health problems,” said Dr. Michael Hendryx, a noted scientist studying the public health consequences of coal mining.

Dr. Hendryx has also written that “Data shows that the economic costs of health problems in Appalachian coal mining areas are more than 5 times greater than the economic benefits from mining.”

The vision statement of the Maverick County Hospital District is “to promote the improvement of health and quality of life of the people of Maverick County.” The MCHD mission statement provides in part to “promote public and personal health through mutual assistance and cooperation between” the local medical community, county, state, and federal health authorities.

The public health consequences and effects of open surface coal mining are significant and most severe in communities where amounts of mining are greatest. Health problems associated with the effects of open surface coal mining occur during mining, reclamation, and post-reclamation periods.

On other business, the Board unanimously approved to reschedule the interview of candidates for the vacant Chief Executive Officer position to a special meeting to be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 5 P.M.