Senator Carlos Uresti requests Railroad Commission of Texas to deny Dos Republicas Coal Partnership coal mine permit

By: Jose G. Landa
Eagle Pass Business Journal©

Texas State Senator Carlos Uresti requested the Railroad Commission of Texas to deny Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s application to renew, revise, and expand Permit 42-A, Eagle Pass Mine, in a letter penned on December 6, 2012 to the three Railroad Commissioners. Senator Uresti is the Texas Senator for Eagle Pass and Maverick County, where the proposed Eagle Pass Coal Mine is situated.

Senator Uresti states in his December 6th letter that ” I believe issuance of this permit would result in negative impact not only on the local community, which has been consistently against the mine, but also on air quality in the United States.”

Senator Uresti adds that “the mined coal would be used in high emission power plants just across the U.S. border, and those emissions have been shown to degrade air quality in areas such as Big Bend National Park.”

Senator Uresti further states that “the local community has great concerns about air contamination emanating from from operations at this mine and the fact that the operation’s waste water will be discharged into a tributary of the Rio Grande just above the drinking water intake for the City of Eagle Pass.”

Senator Uresti concludes by stating “I do not believe it would be in the best interests of the State or the local community to issue this permit, and I strongly yet respectfully urge that it be denied.”

The Railroad Commission of Texas has scheduled Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s application to renew, revise, and expand Permit 42-A, Eagle Pass Mine, for final hearing on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. at the William B. Travis Building in Austin, Texas. The public hearing is open to the public.