Texas Permits Lignite Mine Expansion Despite Water Worries

[riberet19]

The state has issued only two new coal mining permits in 10 years, both to a company with a controversial environmental legacy that worries locals that toxic ash could contaminate drinking water.

Texas regulators on Tuesday approved a 12,000-acre coal mine expansion despite objections from local governments and a river authority concerned about their water supplies.

After a year of  legal proceedings, their final shot to make that case came Tuesday in the Texas Capitol. McMullen county judge James Teal, former manager for a gas pipeline company, presented objections to the mine and ash disposal at the commission’s monthly meeting.

It was the second new coal mining permit issued in Texas in the last 10 years . The other,iin 2018 , went to the same coal mine, run by San Miguel, for a 2,700-acre expansion.

 

[Heatman]

The state has issued only two new coal mining permits in 10 years, both to a company with a controversial environmental legacy that worries locals that toxic ash could contaminate drinking water.

Texas regulators on Tuesday approved a 12,000-acre coal mine expansion despite objections from local governments and a river authority concerned about their water supplies.

After a year of  legal proceedings, their final shot to make that case came Tuesday in the Texas Capitol. McMullen county judge James Teal, former manager for a gas pipeline company, presented objections to the mine and ash disposal at the commission’s monthly meeting.

It was the second new coal mining permit issued in Texas in the last 10 years . The other,iin 2018 , went to the same coal mine, run by San Miguel, for a 2,700-acre expansion.

I don't get why it's always very easy for some drastic decisions to be made without any consideration for the side effects it's going to have in the entire community where that coal mining permits were approved. From just issuing only two new coal mining permits in 10 years to approving 12,000 acre coal mine expansion, it's just crazy.

 

[Debashis]

The recent decision by Texas regulators to grant a 12,000-acre coal mine expansion is deeply concerning. With only two new coal mining permits issued in a decade, both to a company with a questionable environmental track record, the risks are high. Local fears of toxic ash contaminating drinking water are valid, and objections from local governments and a river authority must not be dismissed. It's crucial to prioritize environmental protection and public health over short-term gains, especially when alternative, cleaner energy sources are readily available.