Maverick County Hospital District Board approves appeal of Dos Republicas Coal Mine
By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
Joining the City of Eagle Pass City Council to appeal the Railroad Commission of Texas highly controversial decision to grant Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s application to renew, revise, and expand Permit 42-A, now renumbered Permit 42-B, Eagle Pass Coal Mine, is the Maverick County Hospital District as its Board of Directors unanimously approved (3-0) to file an appeal of the Texas Railroad Commission’s decision in a Travis County, Texas state district court at a special board of directors meeting held on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 in Eagle Pass, Texas.
The Maverick County Hospital District is one of three local governmental entities who is a party before the Texas Railroad Commission administrative hearing concerning the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s application, including the City of Eagle Pass and the County of Maverick. In addition, the Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association, a non-profit corporation, and local landowners, farmers, and ranchers are parties to the Railroad Commission proceedings opposing the highly controversial open surface coal mine locally known as Dos Republicas Coal Mine.
Of the three local governmental entities opposing the Dos Republicas Coal Mine, only the County of Maverick remains pending whether to appeal the Texas Railroad Commission’s decision. As of April 3, 2013, Maverick County Commissioners Court has not approved to appeal the Railroad Commission’s decision although it is expected they will address the issue at a future Commissioners Court meeting.
Maverick County Hospital District Board member Ricardo E. Calderon made the motion to appeal the Texas Railroad Commission decision and seconded by Board member and former Eagle Pass mayor, Joaquin L. Rodriguez, and Board Chairman, Juan Manuel “Chuco” Farias joined Calderon and Rodriguez in unanimously approving the motion. Absent at the meeting were Board members Humberto Duran and Rito Valdez, III. Valdez arrived at the Board meeting five minutes before its conclusion and after the agenda item had been approved.
Other business approved by the Maverick County Hospital District Board at its April 2nd special meeting was to enter into a contract to hire physician surgeons with a third-party company to work on-call during weekends at the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center.
Another item tabled to their regular board meeting was to request an opinion from the Texas Office of the Attorney General regarding dual office holding by board members. Maverick County Republican Party Chairman Jose Reyna spoke during the citizen’s communication to request the Maverick County Hospital District Board to seek an Attorney General opinion concerning Board member Rito Valdez, III dual office holding in light of his recent appointment as Maverick County Treasurer by Maverick County Judge David Saucedo.
