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Local residents press Caldwell County to object to proposed concrete batch plants, cite health and traffic concerns
Summary
Residents urged Caldwell County commissioners to make comments to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and to TxDOT over two proposed concrete batch plants (permit 177147 and 176791), citing air-quality, water-quality and safety impacts on nearby schools, Lockhart State Park and Plum Creek.
Multiple residents and an environmental group told Caldwell County commissioners on Sept. 10 they oppose proposed concrete batch plants near Plum Creek and in the Martindale area and asked county leadership to voice concerns to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and TxDOT.
Reagan Frey, who said her property on Old Fentress Road is within about 100 yards of the proposed plant, warned of "toxic chemicals in the air, land, and water" and described particulate matter risks to respiratory health. She asked the county and city of Lockhart to take a closer look at the permit and referenced TCEQ case number 177147. "Concrete plants, even those that have low emissions, are a source of toxic air pollution," Frey said.
Virginia Parker of the San Marcos River Foundation stressed the hydrologic connection to the Clear Fork and the San Marcos River, and provided two TCEQ permit numbers — 177147 (near Plum Creek/Clear Fork) and 176791 (about 4 miles south of Martindale) — asking the county to comment to TCEQ and to support public meetings. "These concrete batch plants are self reporting," Parker said, adding that once built, plants may not be continuously monitored by the permitting process.
Craig Smith and Brad Frey urged the court to consult TxDOT and regional engineers about truck routing and safety where heavy trucks would use narrow, winding roads; Smith estimated up to 300 cubic yards of cement daily under the plant’s standard permit and warned of silica and aggregate dust from hauling.
Commissioners acknowledged the county's limited zoning authority under Texas law but several expressed willingness to make comments and to ask TxDOT to evaluate the safety and traffic impacts. Staff and citizens said they will watch forthcoming TCEQ public meetings and encouraged residents to register comments on the permit docket.
