City seeks $3 million road grant for coal property
The Luminant Mining Company has permission to remove limitations imposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for aluminum effluent, according to an action by the Ark-Tex Council of Governments (ATCOG).
The Luminant Mining Property on County Road 2309 in Hopkins County is approximately 2.5 miles southeast of the intersection of State Highway 11 and Interstate 30, according to ATCOG documents. Colloquially, this property is known as Thermo.
The Thermo property has water discharge routes via groundwater and streams that feed into an unnamed tributary, which then feeds into Rock Creek, White Oak Creek and ultimately the South Sulphur River, according to a permit from the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES).
On Aug. 3, Luminant Mining Company submitted an application to TCEQ to allow discharge runoff containing aluminum from nine different discharge sites, according to TPDES documents.
After reviewing TPDES and TECQ documents, the council of governments determined, “There is a clearly defined need for the amendment of this TPDES permit to allow the continued operation of the facility which provides employment for citizens living within the region.
“All guidelines required by TCEQ to protect the environment are being followed, thus minimal disruption of the environment is expected,” ATCOG further noted. “The disruption of the environment is minimal compared to the accomplishments.”
The council of governments voted unanimously to approve the measure.
The city of Sulphur Springs is further seeking a grant through ATCOG for $3 million to construct a road through the Thermo property, according to documents. The grant, through the CARES Act, is “in the early stages” and does not have a specific date set, according to ATCOG Executive Director Chris Brown.