EPA Requests Texas Issue Clean Water Act Permits
(DALLAS – December 2, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has requested the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) take the necessary steps to reissue Clean Water Act discharge permits to sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities in Texas.
The TCEQ has a significant number of draft Clean Water Act discharge permits which have not been issued pending resolution of various concerns raised by EPA. Of the 80 discharge permits of concern, a large number of these draft permits have been delayed due to issues regarding the toxicity of the discharges.
There are significant environmental consequences to the continued authorization of discharges under expired permits. In some cases, EPA is concerned that expired permits continue to authorize toxic discharges.
“We are taking a stand for clean water. The streams, lakes, and bayous of our great state deserve to be protected from chemicals, bacteria, and toxic metals,” said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz. “Our children and future generations should be able to swim and fish anywhere in the state without worries about pollution.”
To ensure that TCEQ’s and EPA’s environmental goals and program commitments continue to be met, EPA has requested that TCEQ take the necessary steps to resolve its concerns. With its action today, EPA is requesting that TCEQ issue the long overdue discharge permits within six months so that the cleanup and conservation of the state’s waters can proceed.
