Plans for a proposed rock mining operation in Hoover Valley prompted a contentious gathering Sept. 1 of concerned Bur- net County citizens.
A facility by Asphalt Inc., LCC is proposed to be located at 3221 Farm to Market Road 3509 in Burnet County, just out side Burnet.
The company applied for a permit from the Tex as Commission on Envi- ronmental Quality with
a "notice of issuance" on Aug. 20. The notice kick-started a public commenting protocol with TCEQ.
The notice was posted in the Burnet Bulletin on Aug. 28, which prompted formation of a new group to combat the proposed aggregate operation.
“The attendance was extraordinary. They had between 175 to 200 peo- ple on such short notice," said Fermin Ortiz of Tex ans for Responsible Aggregate Mining (TRAM).
"That tells you how many people are opposed to the industrialization of our Texas Hill Country."
In the process so far, the application was submitted to the TCEQ on July 3. The entity "deter mined the application was technically complete on August 20." From that date, anoth - er 30-day process begins with the agency accept ing written and emailed comments from the pub- lic about the proposed project.
Calls to Asphalt Inc., based in Austin, and Westward Environmental, engineers submitting the application for the compa- ny, were not returned by deadline on Sept. 5.
"Everyone should be concerned because it's go - ing to affect anyone who's trying to go to Inks Lake because the water runoff and sediment at the plant will be running off into Inks Lake," Ortiz told The Highlander. "There will be blasting to break up the ground to get the rock crushing material, which could or could not – we don't have a geologist yet – cause issues with Longhorn Cavern which is just a couple of miles away.
"Water quality and the water availability in the area are going to be affected. Camp Longhorn is next door. They're bring - ing children where there's going to be silica in the air," he added. "[T]hey're coming to be contaminated with silica and particulate matter from a rock crushing plant."
A joint letter signed by state lawmakers, State Sen. Pete Flores (SD-24) and State Rep. Ellen Trox - clair (HD-19), followed the community meeting.
The correspondence implored TCEQ to host a "public meeting" for the community to air their concerns.
"We respectfully re quest that this public meeting be held in Burnet County, with suitable no tice to local residents and stakeholders," the letter stated. (Find the letter on Page 4).
Written public comments about the applica- tion may be submitted in writing to: TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk, MC105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 787113087, or electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/ epic/eComment/.
According to the public notice: “The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ Central Office and the TCEQ Austin Regional Office, located at 12100 Park 35 Circle, Building A, Room 179, Austin, Texas 787531808, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning the first day of publication of this notice." "We're right now at the public comments. Ev- eryone who has concerns needs to share that," Ortiz said.
Also, a group known as Save Burnet has formed to oppose the operation.
"My goal as a Hill Country resident is to draw the line on 281. All these guys stay east of 281. Do your damage on that side. Leave us alone," Ortiz said.
Visit saveburnet.com for more information and a link to the TCEQ commenting website.
The proposed operation comes on the heels of at least three other planned aggregate mining projects in the area which were either put on hold or halted due to opposition.
The applications involved properties at the corner of U.S. 281 and Texas 71 which were withdrawn by the appli - cants; a project known as Save Sandy Creek which was halted as Texas Parks and Wildlife Department entered the process; and a Save Lake LBJ group in Kingsland's Coman che Rancheria subdivision which managed to at least temporarily delay a planned sand dredging operation.
"The only three that I've been involved with, we won," Ortiz said. "We're 3-0, so it can be done. "It's just going to take a lot of work, a lot of organization and a lot
of support from our local officials."
Save Burnet is hosting another meeting for residents on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. at Hill Country Fellowship Hall, 200 Houston Clinton Dr.
in Burnet.
The aim is to inform the public about how to file your protest com ments and update on the process.
"Also, they're all pret - ty much set up the same way. All these companies go after the TCEQ permit first because that's the lowest hanging fruit," he said. “TCEQ is a permit producing agency. It does not reject most applica- tions, so we have to push hard, push back."
