MySA.com: Metro | State

For the second day in a row, House Environmental Regulation Chairman Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, postponed his bill Wednesday rather than expose his colleagues to what he described as a politically risky vote.
The bill was slated for final passage Tuesday when Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, proposed an amendment to set statewide standards [...]

Posted in Clean Air Act, Dennis Bonnen, Environmental Regulation, Jessica Farrar, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Toxic Emissions 2 Comments »

MySA.com: Helotes debris fire may be out, but battles remain in aftermath
Helotes can breathe again.The monster debris fire that confounded county leaders, mocked the state’s environmental agency and grabbed national attention for three months has officially gone poof!

Finally!! Three months of this fire burning and it is finally out. We [...]

Posted in Helotes, Helotes fire, Henry Zumwalt, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, texas 2 Comments »

MySA.com: Clean air, clean water interests collide over Helotes debris fire
Into this toxic haze steps an angry man, Helotes Mayor Jon Allan, perhaps the lone heroic figure in this 2 1/2-month disaster.
When Allan speaks everyone listens, and this is what he’s saying: Resume fighting the fire with water. The strategy of using a crane [...]

Posted in Edwards Aquifer, Helotes, Helotes fire, Henry Zumwalt, SAWS, San Antonio Water System, TCEQ, mulch fire, texas 2 Comments »

MySA.com: Environment | Water
Officials revealed Tuesday that wells apparently polluted by firefighting efforts at the Helotes debris pile also are showing bacterial contamination with high levels of fecal coliform.It’s unclear whether the fire and bacterial contamination are related. State and local officials are planning more talks today to determine the next step in dealing with [...]

Posted in Helotes, Helotes fire, Henry Zumwalt, TCEQ, mulch fire 1 Comment »

MySA.com: The next big mulch fire battle will be over who’s going to pay
If everything goes as planned, the state’s environmental agency should be sending Henry Zumwalt a fire cleanup bill in a couple of weeks.
By then, we’re told, the fire that’s been burning on Zumwalt’s property since [...]

Posted in Helotes, Helotes fire, Henry Zumwalt, TCEQ, texas 3 Comments »

How can TCEQ be working for our best interests in dealing with the Helotes fire when they obviously don’t know what those interests are?
MySA.com: Editorials
TCEQ officials from Austin seem to have been remarkably unaware of the landscape they’ve been dealing with.
For example, according to a SAWS official, they suggested that any contaminants found in aquifer [...]

Posted in Edwards Aquifer, Helotes fire, SAWS, San Antonio Water System, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality No Comments »

Just a really quick post about another snag in putting out the Helotes Mulch Fire. SAWS is going to vote to see if they will get a restraining order against anyone using water to put out the Helotes mulch fire. At the bottom are links to all the previous CNN stories so you can do [...]

Posted in Bexar Met, Bexar Metropolitan Water District, BexarMet, Helotes, Helotes fire, Henry Zumwalt, SAWS, San Antonio, San Antonio Water System, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, aquifer, bexar county, mulch fire, texas No Comments »

I’m still trying to decide what I think about SAWs cutting off the water to put out the Helotes mulch fire but the following statement boggles the mind:
SAWS votes to cut the water supply for Helotes firefighting effort – San Antonio Business Journal:
However, BexarMet may still not be in a position to provide all the [...]

Posted in Alex Briseno, Bexar Metropolitan Water District, BexarMet, Gil Olivares, Helotes fire, SAWS, San Antonio Water System, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, mulch fire, texas No Comments »

MySA.com: BexarMet demotes critic, draws scrutiny over water supply, contract
By stripping board member Lesley Wenger of her vice presidential title Monday night, a majority of Bexar Metropolitan Water District directors signaled their complete confidence in the utility’s aggressive general manager.The question now is whether their loyalty to Gil Olivares will be rewarded with a [...]

Posted in Bexar Met, Bexar Metropolitan Water District, Gil Olivares, Lesley Wenger, TCEQ, Victor Villarreal 2 Comments »

Does anyone know anything about this judge’s decision ordering the TCEQ not to use chemicals to fight the fire? It certainly isn’t being reported in the news, just a tidbit here and there.
Fight over Compost Fire Costs Going to Court | WOAI.COM: San Antonio News
Zumwalt’s attorney did tell News 4 WOAI the judge ordered the [...]

Posted in Helotes, Henry Zumwalt, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 1 Comment »