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Sierra Club Runs Radio Ads on CAFO Permit
Public Urged to Comment to TCEQ on Proposed Permit
(Austin)--The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club is running radio ads in Central Texas to alert citizens concerned about growing threats to clean lakes and streams posed by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) about an opportunity to make their voices heard by state regulators. The Sierra Club is urging citizens to submit comments on a revised water pollution control permit proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Written comments may be submitted until May 4.
"Up until now, the voices of CAFO neighbors, local residents, and communities
dependent on clean water for drinking, tourism, and recreation have been largely
ignored," said Justin Taylor, the Lone Star Chapter's Water Quality Director.
"We encourage anyone who is concerned about clean water to relay their
concerns and questions to TCEQ by submitting written comments."
Although CAFOs in the Bosque River watershed are required by state law to
get individual wastewater discharge permits, other CAFOs in the state (such
as CAFOs in the Leon River watershed, which includes Lake Belton) would be
able to obtain coverage under the less stringent general permit. Taylor said,
"The proposed general permit has many loopholes that TCEQ must close
in order to have a permit that is truly protective of drinking water and streams."
These problems include the authorization of discharges of highly concentrated
solid and liquid manure into streams and the unlimited application of solid
and liquid waste to fields already saturated with nutrients. "Public
input is critical to get TCEQ to strengthen the general permit before adopting
it," said Taylor.
The proposed permit (TXG920000) can be seen at www.tceq.state.tx.us (the TCEQ website) or by contacting Darrell Williams at TCEQ at (512) 239-4433. More information about the proposed permit as well as sample comments on the permit are available on the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter website at www.texas.sierraclub.org.
Written comments may be mailed to:
Chief Clerk's Office (MC-105)
TCEQ
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, TX 78711-3087