Webb County Statement on TCEQ Notice
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Dec 14, 2015, Comments Off
Courtesy Larry Sanchez,
Webb County officials are informing the media that on December 1, 2015 a notice was received from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) providing preliminary findings and a recommended agreed order for Webb County to address prior ongoing violations and new alleged violations that were identified at the Rio Bravo Water Treatment Facility. County officials will be discussing the violations with the TCEQ regarding the corrective actions that the county has already taken and will review the alleged new violations specified in the past inspection report. Inclusive to the violations are potential administrative penalties that can otherwise be used to fund projects at the water treatment facility.
The enforcement action is the next phase of the process in correcting long standing violations that have occurred at the Webb County Water Treatment Facility. Webb County Engineer Luis Perez Garcia feels confident that many of the violations stated have been corrected. The Engineering and Utilities Department Staff has been working diligently with the Webb County Commissioner Court in correcting the violations stated in the petition.
Part of this process included action taken by Commissioners Court during the December 14th, 2015 meeting. An agenda item was approved that granted authorization to proceed with submittal of a request for a hearing to the office of the Chief Clerk of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to discuss and contest enforcement action against the county for these alleged violations. The Engineering Department made sure to clarify that the initiation of such a request for hearing did not waive any availability of entering into an Agreed Order and completion of Supplemental Environmental Program with TCEQ.
Commissioners Court also authorized the outside county engineering firm of Leyendecker, Naiser & Viera (LNV) to provide monthly activity reports to the Commissioners Court regarding all work associated with their services at the Rio Bravo Water & Wastewater Plant.
