Thursday, September 10, 2020
| TCEQ Public Meeting | |
| Location: | Zoom |
| Time: | 7pm |
| Description: | *** UPDATE*** "You may register for the public meeting using the following link: https://www.gotomeeting.com/webinar/join-webinar and entering Webinar ID 850-659-499. This is the same link and webinar ID you’ll use to join the public meeting on the night of September 10.
Just follow the link provided above. There is no need to purchase any software. The first time you log on for the webinar, the software will automatically download on your computer to give you a control panel to use during the meeting. It takes several minutes to download, which is why we recommend logging into the webinar 15 minutes early. The TCEQ host will also explain how to use the technology at the beginning of the meeting.”
Your hard work is making a difference! Please SAVE the DATE to be on the important virtual TCEQ Public Meeting on Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 pm!
We now have over 280 Public Comments from neighbors, sharing their concerns with TCEQ—these comments represent an estimated 700-900 people (including children) who reside in the households submitting comments. Granbury Fresh has secured a highly recommended wastewater engineer who is developing a professional report on the proposed sewer plant design and identifying numerous issues with it, to submit to TCEQ. Anita is developing a professional engineering report to submit, on soil degradation risks, to submit to TCEQ; she is also developing a comment on well water contamination and the efficacy of updating the existing SOUTH plant instead of building a new one. I'm developing Public Comments on COVID-19 risks in an accidental raw sewage discharge, Golden Algae massive fish kill risks, and risks related to proximity of the sewer plant to schools and homes (in violation of various Texas Codes).
The new Environmental reporter for the Star Telegram, Haley Samsel, wants to run a story featuring how we managed to pull off such a large grassroots effort to address the sewer plant concerns. I gave a phone interview last week, and she now wants to bring her video guy to Granbury sometime in the next 2 weeks to film Rucker Creek and visit on camera with those of us most involved—-any or all of ya'll. (She also said her video guy is a huge outdoorsman and wants to kayak while here.) Please let Victoria know your availability for a short interview Monday morning the 31st 9am.
Last Thursday, Anita and Victoira met with City Manager Chris Coffman to discuss our collective neighborhood concerns and share specific data to support each concern (peer reviewed research, our Council-of-Governments data, etc.) The meeting was cordial. We gave copies of a presentation notebook with solid data and research for major issues that will impact our neighborhoods and, in some cases entire city. Copies were distributed to Chris Coffman, Mayor Huett, and each City Council member (via Chris's office). The meeting was productive and ended on a positive note—we left with Chris's reassurance that they would look over and consider the new information. We've received outside confirmation that they are doing so.
Most importantly, they were not familiar with the six million dollar (2010) Lake Granbury Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) which was only the second plan from Texas ever adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. NONE of our current city officials were here when it was developed. They did not realize that the WPP (which few other cities have) gives them extra points on the scoring matrix for competitive grants to build a wastewater treatment plant, if the plans for the sewer plant advance the WPP—but the current plan for 3121 Old Granbury Road does not do so. For the current plant on Old Granbury Road, they plan to discharge twice the maximum amount of E. coli into Rucker Creek as what the developers of the WPP unanimously voted as the maximum allowable. The WPP also states that (in 2010) "the City of Granbury is planning a 10MGD wastewater treatment plant North of the City." They knew nothing of this, but (word came back to us already) they are definitely looking into it.
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