Senator Carlos I. Uresti requests U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold public meeting on Dos Republicas Mine in Eagle Pass

By: Jose G. Landa
Copyright 2013 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

Texas State Senator Carlos I. Uresti, District 19 (D-San Antonio), wrote a letter to Mr. Darvin Messer, Project Manager of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District, on December 12, 2013, requesting that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hold a public meeting regarding the Regional Environmental Impact Statement concerning the potential impact of future U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit decisions for future surface coal and lignite mine expansions within the Fort Worth District’s area of responsibility, including the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s Eagle Pass Mine in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas, during the latter part of January 2014.

Senator Uresti states in his December 12th letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that he wishes to thank the USACE for conducting a public meeting in Uvalde, Texas on December 3, 2013 to gather citizen input for the Regional Environmental Impact Statement on future coal and lignite mine expansions in Texas.

Senator Uresti further states that “Senate District 19 spread over a vast area of South and West Texas that could be affected by such mining operations–more than 35,000 square miles covering all or parts of 17 counties–and it is crucial that my constituents be kept informed and have a role in this process.”

Uresti adds that “unfortunately, many who live in Maverick County did not receive timely notice for this meeting or were unable to travel to Uvalde. 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 heard.”

Senator Uresti further states that “Therefore, I am formally requesting the Corps hold a public meeting in Eagle Pass during the latter part of January 2014 to receive the insights and concerns of local citizens. And to ensure that all my constituents have the opportunity to participate. I further request that the Corps extend the deadline the deadline for public comment from December 20, 2013 to January 20, 2014.” Senator Uresti is a member of the Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee. Senator Uresti is awaiting a response from Mr. Davin Messer, Project Manager of the USACE-Fort Worth District.

Until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reply to Senator Uresti’s letter, the current deadline to submit public comments regarding the Regional Environmental Impact Statement concerning the future expansion plans and potential impact of the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s Coal Mine is Friday, December 20, 2013. George Baxter, Vice-President of the Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association, a non-profit organization opposing the Dos Republicas’ Eagle Pass Mine, recommends to Maverick County citizens interested in submitting public comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers do so by Friday, December 20th, through email at the following person and email address: Mr. Darvin Messer, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, P.O. Box 17300, 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, email address: Darvin.Messer@usace.army.mil.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Scoping Announcement regarding the Regional Environmental Impact Statement for Surface Coal and Lignite Mining in Texas issued October 2013, the “Approximate Total Acreage in Study Area” for Study Area 6, including the Dos Republicas Eagle Pass Mine, is “252,300” acres and the “Total Estimated Disturbance Acreage under Anticipated Requests for Future Authorizations” is “25,000” acres. In other words, the Dos Republicas Eagle Pass open surface coal mine may request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for future permits to expand up to “25,000” acres. In comparison, the initial Railroad Commission of Texas permit granted to Dos Republicas for the Eagle Pass Mine is approximately little over 6,700 acres for the next five years, which is currently on appeal by the City of Eagle Pass, County of Maverick, Maverick County Hospital District, Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association, and George Baxter in state District Court in Austin, Texas.

In a Letter to the Editor/Opinion to the Eagle Pass Business Journal, native Eagle Passan Dr. Roberto R. Calderon noted that the proposed Dos Republicas Eagle Pass Mine at the permitted 6,700 acres would be almost one and a half larger than the current size of the City of Eagle Pass city limits. The City of Eagle Pass city limits currently comprise 7.4 square miles compared to the permitted 6,700 acres Dos Republicas Eagle Pass Mine would be 10.5 square miles. Dr. Calderon further notes that if the Dos Republicas Eagle Pass Mine would expand in the future to the 25,000 acres reported in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Scoping Announcement of October 2013, then it would be 39.1 square miles–almost five and a half times larger than the current City of Eagle Pass city limits.

Any Maverick County citizen, governmental entity, organization, group, or individual have only until Friday, December 20, 2013, to submit their public comments regarding the Regional Environmental Impact Statement of the Dos Republicas Eagle Pass Mine to Mr. Davin Messer, Project Manager of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, by email at: Darvin.Messer@usace.army.mil.