Speakers at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Hearing on Coal Mining in Texas Unanimously Agree Dos Republicas Coal Mine at U.S.-Mexico border should not be allowed

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015

All 28 speakers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Public Hearing on Coal Mining in Texas held on Monday, August 10, 2015, in Eagle Pass, Texas, unanimously agreed and requested that the controversial open surface coal mine called “Eagle Pass Mine” on the banks of Elm Creek, which discharges its waters into the Rio Grande River, proposed by foreign-owned Dos Republicas Coal Partnership in northern Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas along the United States-Mexico border should not be allowed to open because it is an environmental catastrophe, will pollute the potable water of all Rio Grande River communities from Eagle Pass, Texas and downstream to Brownsville, Texas on both sides of the border, will pollute the air in Eagle Pass and Maverick County, will increase public health and illnesses in the community, will destroy sacred Native American archaelogical sites within the coal mine permit area, and will destroy the habitat for federally recognized endangered cat species such as the ocelot, jaguarundi, and others.  Not one speaker at the federal public hearing spoke in favor of the controversial open surface coal mine permitted by the Republican-led Railroad Commission of Texas on January 29, 2013.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership-owned open surface coal mine in Eagle Pass, Texas may be expanded from its permitted 6,300 plus acres to over 25,000 acres in the future.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth Region, Acting Commander Clay Morgan was the public hearing officer at the August 10, 2015 federal public hearing in Eagle Pass, Texas.  Morgan limited all public speakers to only three minutes of comment at the federal public hearing, which several speakers openly objected to on the record as insufficient time.  Over 150 persons attended the USACE public hearing in Eagle Pass, Texas.

The first speaker at the hearing was Harry Nimso  of the Comanche Tribal Council from Lawton, Oklahoma who publicly stated that the Comanches were the first environmentalists, had many tribal members buried throughout Texas, their ancestors lived and hunted in a large area from Texas to Louisiana and sacred archaelogical sites lie in Texas.  Nimso stated that the Comanche Nation opposes any destruction of the earth such as coal mining.

The next speaker was Hellen Martinez, Regional Political Affairs Director, of State Senator Carlos I. Uresti of San Antonio, Texas, whose Senate District 19 covers Maverick County and over 800 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, who read a letter from Senator Uresti stating that he stands in solidarity in opposiition with the people of Eagle Pass and Maverick County as well as the City of Eagle Pass, Texas and County of Maverick to the controversial Dos Republicas Coal Partnership open surface coal mine.

The third speaker was Maverick County Commissioner of Precinct 1 Gerardo “Jerry” Morales who spoke on behalf of Maverick County Commissioners Court who totally oppose the opening and expansion of Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s Eagle Pass Mine.

Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu spoke next on behalf of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas and also noted the City’s complete opposition to the U.S.-Mexcio border coal mine in Eagle Pass, Texas by Dos Republicas Coal Partnership citing contamination of the City’s sole potable water supply from the Rio Grande River, which is only one or two miles downstream from the Eagle Pass Mine site on Elm Creek, as well as air pollution emanating from the open surface coal mine.

Maverick County Hospital District Board of Director Dr. Ronald Hixson raised important public health care and illnesses which are certain to increase in an already poor health care community with limited resources as well as the significant costs of the increased public health issues the coal mine will bring to Maverick County citizens outweigh the benefits of the coal mine.  Dr. Hixson stated the increased public health care costs arising from the Dos Republicas coal mine will be borne by the citizens and not the company profiting from the coal mining.

Maverick County Hospital District Chief Executive Officer Terri Contreras-Patlan presented a resolution from the Board of Directors requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to extend the comment and analysis period of the proposed Regional Environmental Impact Statement and noted the local hospital district’s opposition to any coal mining in Maverick County due to the increased public health and illnesses associated with an open surface coal mine.  The resolution notes the shortage of health care physicians and resources in Maverick County to attend current public health care needs and the coal mine will only exacerbate the situation.

The next speaker was Maria Torres, Tribal Chairperson of the Coahuiltecan Tribe, from San Antonio, Texas which stated that the U.S. Army Coprs of Engineers failed to comply with federal laws and regulations which require they seek consultation with Native American tribes regarding preservation of sacred archaelogical sites and antiquities in reviewing coal mines.  Torres stated that the Coahuiltecan Tribe also has a concern with the contamination and pollution of the Rio Grande River water from the Dos Republicas coal mine’s discharge of mining waste into Elm Creek and thence  to the Rio Grande, which the City of Eagle Pass relies on for its sole potable water supply.  Torres noted there are over 100 Native American archaelogical sites within the Dos Republicas coal mine permit area along the banks of Elm Creek.

Cherokee Nation member Dr. Jonathan Hook also spoke against the Dos Repbulicas coal mine and any expansion of coal mining in both Maverick County and the State of Texas and the lack of consultation with Native American tribes regarding the effect of coal mining on Native American archaelogical sites.

Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association Vice-President George Baxter spoke about the community’s opposition to the Dos Republicas open pit coal mine on grounds that it will pollutie the water, air, and increase illnesses within Eagle Pass and Maverick County.

Pastor Paul Bailie of San Lucas Lutheran Church in Eagle Pass presented a Christian perspective on the importance of protecting the environment and Earth for current and future generations as the Earth belongs to God and how humans must protect the Creator’s creation-Earth.  Pastor Bailie noted the community does not need nor want the coal mine.

Dr. Tane Ward of Sierra Club from Austin, Texas spoke against coal mining and fossil fuels in Maverick County and Texas and recommended new and cleaner energy forms such as solar and wind be developed instead of dirty fossil fuels such as coal.

Another 17 speakers spoke uniformly in clear opposition to the Dos Republicas coal mine and the expansion of coal mining in Maverick County and Texas, including, but not limited to, Ricardo Ruiz, Ana Gamez, Martha Baxter, Emma Alvarado, Luis Martinez, Luis Alfonso Ruiz, Moses Castro, Alberto Mejia, Gabriel De La Cerda, Ana Guevara, Seiboni Salinas, and Leticia De La Cerda.

Noticeably absent at the federal hearing was the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Tribal Council of Eagle Pass, Texas, who once vehemently opposed the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership open surface coal mine but surreptitiously withdrew from the contested case hearing before the Railroad Commission of Texas granted the controversial open surface coal mine permit to Dos Repbublicas.