Today, activists held banners and delivered 1,896 public comments to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) office in Austin from Texans across the state who oppose an air permit for the proposed Rio Grande LNG terminal and the Rio Bravo Pipeline. The comments delivery follows a wave of opposition to liquefied natural gas (LNG) expressed by local Rio Grande Valley residents for the past three years.
“There is tremendous opposition to LNG in the Valley. Not only are local residents sending public comments, city council members representing them have passed resolutions opposing LNG, intervened on the company federal permit applications, and cities are demanding contested case hearings from the TCEQ for the LNG air permits,” said Rebekah Hinojosa, Sierra Club Organizer for the Rio Grande Valley.
Earlier this month, locals packed the TCEQ public meeting for Rio Grande LNG’s air permit and dozens made verbal comments opposing the projects to the Commission. On March 19, the City of Laguna Vista voted to request a contested case hearing from the TCEQ for Rio Grande LNG’s air permit. The city manager of Port Isabel, Jared Hockema, also stated that the city will request a contested case hearing.
“If built, these LNG companies will be the largest single-source emitters of air pollution in Cameron County. I already have to worry about my special needs daughter having mild seizures and other health issues” said Josette Cruz, a resident of Brownsville, TX. “I don’t want to have to worry about her having asthma or respiratory illnesses on top of these because of air pollution.”
The TCEQ must now review the public’s comments and prepare responses. TCEQ will also determine if a sufficient technical basis exists for a contested case hearing to be recommended by the TCEQ. If the TCEQ Commissioners vote to approve sending the LNG permit over to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), a SOAH judge will hold a Preliminary Hearing to decide if a contested case hearing is legally and technically justified. If the SOAH judge agrees, a contested case hearing will then be held over a year and a decision made at a later date on whether to issue or deny the LNG permit.