Dos Republicas seeks to expand, revise, and renew coal mining permit
Dos Republicas Coal Partnership (DRCP) of 5150 N. Loop 1604 W. San Antonio, Texas has applied to the Texas Railroad Commission for approval of a renewal, revision, and expansion of its Eagle Pass Mine Permit No. 42A, located in Maverick County, Texas, approximately 5 miles north-northeast from the City of Eagle Pass, Texas.
Dos Republicas Coal Partnership is seeking a five (5) year permit term and the proposed operator of the Eagle Pass mine is Camino Real Fuels, L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of North American Coal Corporation (NACC) of Dallas, Texas.
The permit area lies immediately east of Farm Road 1588 and includes portions of the Elm Creek Watershed, which is a tributary of the Rio Grande River, and a portion of Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1’s Laterals 20 (often referred to as lateral 21 on text and maps) and 26. The Union Pacific Railroad also traverses the permit area.
Dos Republicas Coal Partnership seeks to expand the current boundary of the Eagle Pass Mine Permit 42A of 2,700 acres to 6,346 acres almost tripling the permit boundary size. The coal mining proposed during the five year permit period would recover approximately 2.8 million tons of coal per year and a total for the permit term of approximately 14 million tons from six (6) mine areas within the proposed expanded boundaries of the permit. Dos Republicas Coal Partnership seeks to renew, revise, and expand the original permit area as approved and initially issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas on April 11, 2000.
The Eagle Pass Mine Permit No. 42A was subsequently transferred from Dos Republicas Resources Co., Inc. (DRRC) to Dos Republicas Coal Partnership effective on February 15, 2009. The Eagle Pass Mine Permit No. 42A is operating under a timely renewal application filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas by DRRC on October of 2004.
A copy of Dos Republicas Coal Partnership application to renew, revise, and expand the Eagle Pass Mine Permit No. 42A is available at the Maverick County Clerk’s Office, 500 Quarry Street, Eagle Pass, Texas 78852 and with Ms. Sara Montemayor at the Railroad Commission of Texas, 1701 North Congress, William B. Travis Building, Austin, Texas 78711.
Interested persons, entities, organizations, governmental bodies, businesses, and citizens are invited to submit written comments on the application within thirty (30) days after the last date of publication of a public notice to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks in the Eagle Pass Business Journal , commencing on November 18, 2010 and subsequently on November 25, December 2, and December 9th. Thus, the written comment deadline is January 10, 2011.
Written requests for hearing may be filed within 45 days of last date of publication of the notice. Thus, the written request for a hearing or contested hearing is January 24, 2011. All written comments, objections, or requests for public hearing or informal conference on the application should reference Docket No. C5-0003-SC-42-C and should be directed to: Mary J. Spraggins, Hearings Examiner, Office of the General Counsel-Hearing Section, Railroad Commission of Texas, P.O. Drawer 12967, Austin, Texas 78711-2967.
