Meeting Addresses Vulcan Quarry Developments
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Faults, fractures and caves near the proposed Vulcan Quarry at FM 3009 and State Highway 46 are just a few of the reasons Friends of Dry Comal Creek is hosting a community education meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels.
The group, which is fighting Vulcan Materials’ application for an air quality permit for a rock crusher from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), will share new data, legal updates and next steps in the permitting process. Speakers will address health and safety concerns.
Topics include:
- Endangered water resources
- Air pollution risks
- Caves, fault lines and aquifers in jeopardy
- Property value impacts
- Ongoing legislative efforts
Vulcan Materials is seeking to turn the old Eric White ranch into a 1,500-acre limestone rock quarry and crushing plant near subdivisions with an estimated population of 12,000 people.
In September, State Office on Administrative Hearings administrative law Judges Rebecca Smith and Victor Simonds determined Vulcan had met its burden of proof in the application process, and recommended that TCEQ issue a draft permit.
Friends of Dry Comal Creek and other activist groups are challenging that ruling.
Spokesperson David Drewa said “this fight is far from over.”
In addition to obtaining an air quality permit, Vulcan also must submit a Water Pollution Abatement Plan (WPAP) to TCEQ since the proposed quarry is located entirely over the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer Zone, the primary source for over 1.7 million people, according to stop3009vulcanquarry.com.
According to its company website, Vulcan is the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates — primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel — and also is a major producer of aggregates-based construction materials, including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete.
