Law firms representing the county chartered a tour bus so 55 residents could show the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that its actions affected real people. Goliad County residents awaited a decision on whether they could continue fighting uranium mining during the agency's regular meeting.
They would like to keep Uranium Energy Corp. from receiving a permit for a class III underground control injection area and an aquifer exemption. The permit would allow the company to construct injection and production wells to recover uranium.
Monica Jacobs, attorney representing the uranium company, told the commissioners that this is a "threshold application" and asked them not to group all its permit applications into one long hearing. The company relies on investors who need to see a certainty in the development process and wouldn't pursue the other permits if this one doesn't go through, she continued.
In a matter of minutes, commissioners granted the contested case hearing requests for Goliad County, its groundwater district, its farm bureau, a volunteer fire department, a church and 43 individuals.
The agency referred the case to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. A preliminary hearing is expected in mid-April, while a final decision will take one year.
Uranium Energy Corp. always expected to go to a contested case hearing as it's a regular part of the permit approval process, said Josh Leftwich, environmental manager for the company. The company already received a recommendation from the TCEQ executive director citing that the permit should be issued and approved, he added.
"We'll be able to prove everything we said. Regulations and rules are in place to make this a safe process," Leftwich said. "We're confident that we can address the concerns and defend the application."
But Goliad County residents cheered and hugged as they moved another step forward in their fight to stop the uranium mining.
Mike Abrameit, president of the Ander-Weser Volunteer Fire Department, requested a hearing because of concerns about the amount of groundwater the company would use and the possibility of contamination.
The fire station pumps from a well and wouldn't want to spread contaminated water to someone else's property when trying to put out a fire, he said.
"I think it's the first step of a long battle," Abrameit, a 58-year-old ag teacher, of Ander, said. "There are so many unknowns. Who's going to protect our water if we don't?"
Carol Warren, a 44-year-old veterinarian who rode in the bus next to Abrameit, agreed.
While her request wasn't granted, she hopes to continue to show support for "safe water."
The Weesatche resident worries that the aquifer exemption would condemn the water against future human consumption, resulting in lax attempts to restore the area back to its original state.
Mary Anklam, whose request was granted, felt relief when her name was called during the meeting. She couldn't sell her Boer show goats because customers worried about the next-door uranium exploration.
She hopes to stop the uranium activities that disrupted her sales.
"It means we actually have a chance to win this," she said.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/local/story/420463.html
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