...begs the question, when do personal property rights end and the rights of a community's begin?TCEQ approves air quality permit
BREAKING NEWS
By WHITNEY WHITE-ASHLEY
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) notified concerned residents in Somervell County this week that the executive director completed the technical review of an air quality permit application from Slick Machines.
Staff Writer
news@theglenrosereporter.com
Tommy Davis, who owns Slick Machines, applied for the permit on July 25 in order to open a rock crushing facility on a piece of property owned by Larry Parham, which sits on the Somervell-Erath County line and contains part of Chalk Mountain.
A bit of background. Tommy Davis of Brownwood, Texas, runs gravel pits, aka rock crushers. He wanted to open one in the above mentioned area in a highly visible location. It was met with stiff resistance from all surrounding neighbors of the property and indeed, an entire community. Reasons for resistance ranged from NIMBY to the threatening of two federally protected species of birds - the black capped vireo and golden cheek warbler.
The TCEQ is the state organization that the permitting request runs through. The community responded by requesting public hearings with the TCEQ on the matter and hundreds of citizens showed for the meeting in support and to voice their concerns. Business owners voiced their concerns about the effects of this operation on the local economy and the tourism industry.
Basically, the TCEQ proved itself a toothless organization...a pretty name, but only a store front with nothing of substance beyond the shallow facade. They contend they can only regulate air quality in this matter and could speak nothing to the raping of the land and the citizens of the area by Tommy Davis and Larry Parham.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service was also contacted in this matter since the two endangered species of birds are documented as present in this area. While there still may be something in the works with the federal agency it appears that they too will turn a deaf ear to the citizens and the endangered species...(if not on this when DO YOU take a stand?)
Personal property rights are sacred, but affecting the lives of those around you also has a bearing in the matter. In this case the toothless, gutless Texas state agency should have found reason to deny Tommy Slick Davis this permit...after all, we all understand the Myth of the Rule of Law.
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