Friday, February 12, 2010
TCEQ meeting tonight to discuss concerns regarding Aqua Texas
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Note: Concerned citizen Jim McMeans forwarded the notice below. And we have this note from another concerned citizen: "Today, 2/11 Aqua Texas issued another "Notice" that E-coli was found yesterday in the untreated water from one of their wells supplying Woodcreek North. Yuck!" We're checking with the WNPOA. Folks attending tonight's meeting may want to ask TCEQ if anyone is checking for leaks in Aqua's wastewater system and possible infiltration into the surrounding groundwater table.
Hello, Friends. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has called a public Informational Meeting for this coming Friday, February 12th at 7:00 pm at Woodcreek City Hall, 41 Champions Circle, to "answer questions and discuss concerns regarding Aqua Texas' water and wastewater service provided within its certificated service area." You may want to notify others who have concerns about ATI to attend the meeting.
Additionally, you may know that Aqua Texas had applied for a CCN to serve the 50+ acre Westridge property (proposed River Rock development) on Mt. Sharp Road. This application has been withdrawn by ATI since they can legally serve that area under their existing CCN # 11157. The TCEQ rule (TAC 291.103) states that if their CCN is within 1/4 mile of the area to be served, a formal CCN amendment is not required to provide service to that area. The current ATI CCN ends at Persimmon Drive which is within 1/4 mile of the property in question.
Hope to see you Friday evening at Woodcreek City Hall. Parking is limited so you may want to carpool.
Jim McMeans
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12 comments:
The TCEQ has a lot to answer for;
Are they forcing Aqua Texas Aqua Texas to do anything about the fecal coliform contamination other than just keep posting Notices? How about forcing them to fix their leaks before expanding their “service” area even 1 foot? Do they see a conflict of interest with the TCEQ representative for this area being married to the Aqua Texas representative for this area? Why is ATI allowed to file a lawsuit and then go on ignoring the order by the HTGCD to start fixing their leaks? Why is Aqua Texas allowed to charge its customers for it’s legal costs for litigation a couple of years ago when many of the present customers were not part of the case? Why does the TCEQ use the HTGCD as a shield from criticism and legal action then let them go virtually un-funded? What does the TCEQ do if anything to protect citizens from predatory water suppliers such as Aqua Texas?
I may not be able to attend the meeting so I hope somebody will ask these questions, please.
The answer to your questions, Don, comes down to three words: THIS IS TEXAS.
This verse cane to mind after attending the TCEQ meeting last night:
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same door where in I went.
The TCEQ public forum show is not really meant to garner citizen input on Aqua Texas. It is meant to make it appear they are getting public input about ATI. Nepotism already exists between ATI and TCEQ but no one, especially TCEQ, even discloses it and its regulatory ramifications.
Pricey Waters is correct. The arrogant Texas good old boy/gal system simply says "screw you and the false sense of democracy you rode in on." And we all simply shake our heads and walk away, feeling shunned and defeated again.
What would get TCEQ's attention is a massive ATI system-wide customer refusal to pay the water bill one month. But of course true democracy and citizen rights can be inconvenient and messy; and there is too much division among homeowners about the rights of predator corporations to exist without competent regulatory accountability. I call this the "corporate incest denial syndrome."
This is why small communities never want to give a relatively untouchable out-of-state Wall Street company a monopoly on such an important local utility as water. Once we are locked into their contracts, we are screwed.
The local elections are coming up. Other than an outright boycott of ATI, at least vote out or vote against any of the politicians who caters to and wants to help ATI expand. We all know who they are. Let me give you a hint: PR and JB (and WC when it is his turn).
That said, I can't wait to see the upcoming "rebuttal comment" from some RNC brain factory writer who will scribe some hyperbole about liberal hippies in west Hays County attacking the poor victimized free enterprise water company that is just trying to make a buck.
But before you write your inane free markets blather, Sir, let me ask you this: "Is it better to be screwed by a big corporation that is forcibly overcharging you for something as God-given as water - or by a government that is using your tax dollars to forcibly provide you with medical coverage for your pre-existing mental health condition?
To Ralph:
"...to {forcibly} provide you with
medical coverage for your pre-existing mental health condition?"
Very funny! Right on! Thanks!
Ralph, Did you actually go to the meeting or are you just using the occasion to slam the RNC and anything else that does not fit your liberal mold. The abuse of ATI is much wider than just the county commissioners; it is just wrong anywhere you want to take it. The AG looking the other way and the apathy or cover-up of bozos on the TCEQ are prime candidates for removal from office. Where is our Governor on this issue, has anyone asked him? I wish someone would report on the meeting that actually went there.
Don,
You are correct, Don, I did not go to the TCEQ meeting because I have gone to many of those so called "citizen input" forums before. They are all ultimately designed the same. PR shams that only make citizens feel like they are participating in the democratic process. If not, why did they schedule it on Friday night, one of the least likely nights to get good attendance?
And yes, I am using the occasion to trash the RNC, but not the national one - the Texas one. Thank you for helping me clarify my very liberal bias.
Also, Don, as I am very liberal and proud of my critical thinking, my healthy skepticism, and my ability to read between the distorted lines of political talking points. So, do you agree with me that ATI is a cancer on the community? Or do you actually believe that Texas citizens can make its regulatory bodies work the way they are supposed to?
As a very liberal thinker, I firmly believe the free markets has a better chance to either get rid of ATI or make them act responsibly than the regulators (a government-run agency that we "socialists" are supposed to rely on to solve our economic problems). Look at the stock holdings in all of your mutual funds. I bet at least one of them owns shares of Aqua America, the parent of ATI.
You, Don, seem to be a smart man. And yes, the ATI problem is bigger than the County Commissioners. But we citizens need to send a message in anyway we can. Local politics is the most effective way. Consumer activism through boycotts is the best way to make a company act responsibly. Yet it is hard to boycott a monopoly water company - and ATI knows it. Investor activism is another way. Don, are you willing to sell any mutual fund that holds ATI's parent (symbol WTR) to make a statement?
Finally, I will admit the Democrats are certainly in the folly game as well. But I will take every chance I can to slam the state and national RNCs. They are a bunch of hypocrites and liars. They only care about winning elections and getting back their abusive power; they generally do not care about the American people. It seems only intelligent Republicans and liberals can see it.
Ralph,
I would agree with everything you said about TCEQ. TCEQ is "developer central" and the system is set up to give the appearance of actual regulation of the developers or the water utilities.
I would be concerned about slamming Rose for the wrong reasons, however. At least Rose stuck up for the rights of the well owners and property owners to have access to THEIR OWN WATER. Backus, on the other hand, has made it very clear that he wants to establish a regime whereby the incestuous HTGCD takes away your existing residential well and all future rights to install a residential well. AB doesn't even see this as a taking and has spent district money in attorneys and lobbyists to promote his view that you have no property rights in your water and your well. AB of course wants to then sell (by requiring metering, etc.) YOUR water rights to the ATIs etc. and force you to have to pay ATI for water. This generates fees for the HTGCD through "production" and "permits" and denies homeowners any compensation whatsoever.
AB simply trying to create a regime where he and his cronies control the water in Hays County.
You might find the water utilities supporting AB but the residents knowledgeable enough to have actually seen the legislation that AB tried to force on the citizens of Hays County would never support AB. The water utilities, of course, would be the prime beneficiaries since now residents would be forced to be customers of those utilities. All the costs, production fees, etc. would simply be passed onto the residents - assuming of course that HTGCD renews their master's well production permit. AB's plan is to shift money from the homeowners through production fees, permit fees, AND ad valorem taxation into the hands of the HTGCD. He wants to take your water away from you AND charge you for the privilege.
Don't expect equal treatment on this blog, however. Look at the Texas Ethics Commission campaign finance reports to identify his contributors.
Last anon: You are totally full o' sh*t! Rose wanted to impose a surcharge on water utility customer bills and use the surcharge to fund the HTGCD. First, it's doubtful Rose cleared the proposal with water utility managers in western HC such as Aqua, Wimberley Water Supply, DS Water Supply and others. Second, Rose's proposal would have penalized only one class of water user. Rose floated out a non-starter, a charade, and he knew HTGCD wouldn't buy it. That's why Andrew and the district's board threw it back in his face. Rose is playing with fire when he begins pitting well owners, so-call property rights advocates and water system customers against one another. He is running from the real issues and showing little to no leadership. He's very good at political gamesmanship and manipulation. There's a word for a politician like that: Coward.
Did anyone see the Andrew Backus/Patrick Rose debate at the San Marcos League of Women Voters? I watched it online and was quite embarrassed by Backus not being able to answer simple questions that our State Rep should know about. I applaud Mr. Backus for participating in the democratic process but it's clear he is a one issue candidate. Shame.
I'll bet you can't remember the question off the top of your head or remember Rose's answer. He didn't say I don't know but also he did not answer the question.
My prediction is that Rose will pop a vein pretty soon. He works overtime to feign a look of sincerity. There is something se5riously wrong with that kid.
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