US and Mexican feds deal blow to Pescadito’s permit chances

The International Boundary and Water Commission has formally submitted comments to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality expressing its concerns over the proposed Pescadito dump in Webb County. These concerns come in light of new information which was brought to light by Webb County at the August 11, public meeting.

As we have reported, TCEQ reclassified Rancho Viejo Waste Management’s permit application for the Pescadito dump as “incomplete” shortly before of the August 11 public meeting, yet chose to conduct the public meeting anyway. After the meeting, the Mexican section of the IBWC requested the U.S. section further review the Pescadito permit application.

Their concerns are expressed in this public comment, submitted to TCEQ by Kelly Blough, of IBWC:

“At the request of the Mexican section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, the U.S. Section has further reviewed the MSW Permit Application Number 2374 including documents submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by the Planning Department of Webb County via letter dated 10 August 2016. Of particular concern to the U.S. section of the IBWC, is the location of the site with a direct surface water connection to the Rio Grande and the undetermined nature of treatment and disposal of liquid waste discharging from both the landfill leachate collection system and from dewatering of the Type V liquid waste over a period of 47 years or more. Furthermore the associated operation of a railcar offloading facility of regulated solid and liquid waste represents a significant new source of industrial runoff in the San Juanita watershed that appears to not have been evaluated.”

Public comments are still being accepted by TCEQ on this proposal, and will remain notice until further notice while TCEQ determines how badly the Pescadito permit is flawed.

We urge TCEQ to heed the concerns of the thousands of citizens, experts and governmental officials and reject this dubious permit application once and for all.

Please click here to add your comment to the public record.