Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 76F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 76F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
ANGLETON — Three hundred Brazoria County residents turned out to fight a proposed wastewater treatment plant that would discharge into Bastrop Bayou.
The hearing Thursday night came at the request of government officials in the county as the Texas Commission of Environmental considers Undine Texas Environmental’s request to discharge treated domestic wastewater from the Reserve at Angleton’s treatment plant.
After learning of the permit application in April, state Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, Brazoria County Commissioners Court and Richwood City Council sent a public hearing request to TCEQ for residents of the county and bayou to be heard.
“I would like to thank TCEQ for honoring our request to have this public hearing so that our citizens have a say,” Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta said. “Many multi-generational families have lived on this waterway, and many who have been here their entire lives can look you (TECQ) in the eye and share their concerns and comments because they are the ones that this will affect every day. Many of those are here behind me and are very passionate about it.”
Jerry Davis of Bastrop Bayou was first in line to ask Undine representatives about their past facilities and how they addressed problems when they occurred, including whether the company had been fined.
TCEQ Permit Writer Jose Alfonso Martinez responded to how they would ensure safety measures were met.
“I can’t explain the full process because that is part of our enforcement division that deals with all of that, but for our part of it, we review the compliance history report that we generally use like their customer number and entity number,” he said. “But, because it’s a new facility, it has no history. Some history will show up for Undine, but mostly the incidents that show up would be for that facility only. There could be a possibility of notice of violations where they report it to us or from an environmental investigation from our region staff.”
Residents raised concerns about the environment, flooding and how the plant would affect their daily lives. Emotions ran high, typically provoking outbursts from the crowd.
Elected officials, including Pct. 2 Commissioner Ryan Cade, stood in solidarity with unhappy residents, he said.
“I am a homeowner on Bastrop Bayou, specifically Demi-John Island. I wanted to be on the record saying I oppose this project in its current form,” Cade said. “We do not think it’s a good project for our county. Our issues range from environmental issues stemming from floods to issues currently on the bayou that this will exacerbate.”
Other Bastrop Bayou residents voiced similar objections.
“I echo the environmental concerns,” resident Marcus Jones said. “We’re concerned about the environmental impact this will have on our bayou … and I would like to express my concerns that if the effluent is so safe, why is it not being contained on the property or a retention pond before it’s dumped into the ditch, so if there is a problem, it’s contained on that property and not in the bayou?”
Undine lawyer Peter Gregg provided background on the company and explained what the project would entail.
“Undine is the wastewater material operator who will be owning and operating this facility if it is permitted,” he said. “They have several years of owning and operating facilities, mainly in Northwest Texas. The permit’s purpose is to authorize the discharge of treated wastewater originating from a new residential community to be located off of County Road 220. The effluent will be treated on the property in a new wastewater treatment plant.”
The proposed permit would give them the authority to discharge treated water from the plant into the bayou, with protection procedures in place, he said.
“We are confident that this permit contains all of the proper protections that ensure that the plant and the discharge will be protected by the area landowners in the receiving water,” Gregg said.
The TCEQ permit request goes through administrative and technical reviews by agency staff, Martinez said.
“Issues not considered in permit review include noise, property value aesthetics, flooding and traffic. The administrative review makes sure all the required information is provided in the application to determine to the application is administratively complete to provide a notice of intent to obtain the permit,” he said. “The technical review that we do ensures the project has addressed all technical issues and that the water will be treated to a specified standard with limitations for protection for the receiving water body.”
That includes evaluating the wastewater discharge route and seeing if it meets the dissolved oxygen criteria of the receiving water body, he said.
“Since this is a new permit, they did an anti-degeneration review and identification of any endangered species that may be present in the receiving water body,” he said. “The limitations and conditions in wastewater permits are designed to maintain a waterbody’s designated uses and maintain groundwater quality to protect human health and aquatic life. To determine wastewater disposal limits, we study how the water body is used and how well the water body would handle nutrients. To obtain a permit, the owners and operators agree to the following permit requirements upon competing in the technical review.”
Part three of the public hearing included recorded statements from residents. TCEQ and Undine did not directly respond to them, but they would be addressed later with written responses, officials said.
The recorded statements raised many of the same issues and concerns as those presented by residents in person.
“I’m opposed to this permit; I think TCEQ should consider all freshwater inputs, runoff and creek diversions, wastewater treatment plants and determine if Bastrop Bayou can handle the flow during normal climate and environmental conditions,” Shane Bonnot of Lake Jackson said. “(Also) above-average water conditions and during 100-year events. I think there has been an adequate assessment of the impacts on federally endangered aqua-dependent species and their habitat, and I request the TCEQ reevaluate that there will not be any detrimental impacts.”
Bonnet also addressed concerns on increased fecal coliform and the impact that could have on fisheries, specifically oysters, he said.
Alternate questions came from Tammy Zieber of Angleton regarding whether TCEQ had tested for spiked proteins from the COVID vaccine, specifically wehether they would survive the treatment process and end up in the ditches and bayou.
“It’s been something that’s been talked about by doctors, and I think that’s something that needs to be researched,” she said. “What kind of testing was done to test the solidity of the water that won’t change at Ditch 22 into the bayou or any other location on the bayou?
Since Thursday ended the comment period for the project, the answers to their questions would be sent to the residents who presented them along with the executive director’s decision on the project, TCEQ attorney Kathy Humphrey said.
Although Vasut was not there in person, District Director Nancy Wollam, spoke on his behalf.
“I was going to read this letter from him,” Wollam said. “But bottom line, he wants the TCEQ to deny this permit application.”
Raven Wuebker is a reporter for The Facts. Contact her at 979-237-0152.
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