“Not In Our Backyard,” Eagle Pass Residents Tell Surface Transportation Board at Public Meeting on Green Eagle Railroad Draft Environmental Impact Statement
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
A large gathering of Eagle Pass and Maverick County residents gave an earful to United States Surface Transportation Board Office of Environmental Analysis Hearing Examiner Andrea Poole that they unequivocally do not want the Green Eagle Railroad and Line in their backyard—“NOT IN OUR BACKYARD”—at the two in-person public meetings for comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement concerning the proposed Green Eagle Railroad and Line and the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at the International Center for Trade in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Speaking solely in his individual capacity, local attorney and Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. addressed the Hearing Examiner Andrea Poole with his personal opposition to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and the proposed Green Eagle Railroad and Line and Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project because it will be very detrimental to the City of Eagle Pass, will add a second railroad line to the urban center of Eagle Pass causing congestion, homeowners in the Bass Subdivision will be greatly impacted by having the Green Eagle Railroad constructed and operated adjacent to their newly-built homes, will potentially affect the City of Eagle Pass water supply presenting a potential hazard to the contamination of the City’s water supply, the potential economic benefit are overblown by a paid professional expert, the Green Eagle Railroad will displace the existing railroad (Union Pacific) line in the City, the investors of the project do not live in Eagle Pass and will not be affected by any accidents like the citizens of Eagle Pass will be affected, he has never accepted one penny from Ruben Garibay, and stands against the project.
Tribal Chairwoman Maria Torres of the Pacuache Indian Nation of Texas expressed her tribe’s opposition to the Environmental Impact Statement and the proposed Green Eagle Railroad and Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project because it failed to note her tribe’s opposition to the Environmental Impact Statement and project, her Pacuache Indian Nation have lived in and owned the lands where the proposed project is proposed to be built and operated before any Mexicans, Spaniards, Texans, and American settlers came upon this land, that the project violates state and federal Native American laws because there are sacred Indian burial grounds and artifacts buried in the land that are protected, endangered species in the area will become extinct, and the water may become polluted by hazardous and toxic chemicals transported in the railroad and commercial vehicle trucks.
Retired U. S. Border Patrol Officer and Veteran George Baxter of Eagle Pass stated he opposed the Draft Environmental Statement and Green Eagle Railroad project because it is being proposed upriver from the City of Eagle Pass potable water treatment plant that may contaminate the sole source of water for Eagle Pass and Maverick County, the Draft EIS requires the City of Eagle Pass Water Works to clean up any hazardous spills caused by the railroad and commercial vehicle trucks instead of the perpetrator, Green Eagle Railroad and Puerto Verde, House Bill 74 proposes to grant Puerto Verde eminent domain, and requested the Draft EIS be denied.
Seco Mines resident and teacher, Alicia Gonzalez, stated she has lived on Barrera Street for over 50 years within 100 yards from the proposed Green Eagle Railroad and is concerned that in the event of a hazardous and toxic railroad train accident were to occur the residents would not have enough time to evacuate before being contaminated, her 80 year old mother and neighbors would not have time to evacuate a catastrophic accident due to mobility issues, and cited the dangerous railroad train hazardous accident in East Palestine, Ohio where rescue teams were unable to attend the residents of the community for two days until the toxic chemicals burned out, subjecting the residents to become affected by the toxic chemicals, and local publicly-elected officials such as County Judge Ramsey English Cantu, County Commissioners Olga Ramos, Roberto Ruiz, and Roxi Rios, and State Representative Eddie Morales have failed to represent the best interests of the Seco Mines residents, the project is a threat to the environment of the community, and the project is not being built for the best interests of Maverick County citizens, but rather for private investors from out of town. She requested the project be denied.
Former Maverick County Judge, community advocate, and lifelong resident of Seco Mines Enriqueta Diaz stated she opposed the Draft EIS and the Green Eagle Railroad project because her family has lived in Seco Mines all her life and the residents would be affected, that Maverick County Commissioners Court did not provide proper notice to the residents of their plans to endorse Ruben Garibay’s Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project from the beginning in violation of the law, State Representative Eddie Morales was representing Ruben Garibay, and Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantu did not have the authority to take action without Commissioners Court in violation of the law.
Eagle Pass retired teacher and Rio Grande River advocate Jessie F. Fuentes stated he opposed the Draft EIS and the Green Eagle Railroad project because it presents an impending community disaster, the Draft EIS does not mention what will happen to the Rio Grande River, what will happen to the sole source of potable water for Eagle Pass, and the proposed construction would move millions of tons of earth contaminating the community, and the EIS states if Green Eagle Railroad is built all railroad traffic would be operated through it, and the project presents an environmental threat to the community.
Speaker after speaker spoke against the Draft EIS and the Green Eagle Railroad except for a few speakers who favored the project as bringing economic development and prosperity to the community. One speaker in favor of the project was Juanita V. Martinez, a retired educator and Maverick County Democratic Party Chair, whom stated the project would be beneficial for the community.
The Mayor of Nava, Coahuila, Mexico Ingeniero Ivan Ochoa Rodriguez stated he believed the proposed Green Eagle Railroad and Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project would best be located south of Eagle Pass along the Rio Grande River across Nava, Coahuila, Mexico as it would reduce the mileage for truckers and railroad operators. He vowed to obtain all the necessary Mexican permits to have the project built in his community of Nava, Coahuila, Mexico just south of Eagle Pass. Puerto Verde already has an industrial park in Nava, Coahuila, Mexico.
An estimated 40 plus persons spoke during the two in-person public meetings for comments on April 29, 2025 with about 90 percent of the speakers against the Draft EIS and the Green Eagle Railroad and Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project. Most of the speakers in opposition were concerned the project is being proposed in a densely populated area in the Seco Mines and Hopedale section of Eagle Pass, and that it should be located further to the north or to the south of Eagle Pass where it is less densely populated and presents less environmental concerns. Some speakers proposed it be built north of Seco Mines where the Loop 480 and U. S. Highway 277 North intersection once both are constructed or near the Radar Base, 12 miles north of Eagle Pass.
What was clearly obvious from listening to the speakers at the public meeting was that Seco Mines and Hopedale residents of Eagle Pass are adamant that the project not be built in their backyard in a densely populated area.
