Texas Register Reveals Potential Environmental Issues

The comment period is open on administrative orders issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the environmental issues list published in the Texas Register on Sept. 30. The TCEQ takes comments until Oct. 31 and then decides whether the administrative orders will stand.

In one case, a dry cleaning company with operations at 500 West Central Ave., Comanche; 953 East Main St., Eastland; and 1610 West Walker St., Breckenridge, didn’t renew the licenses for the three dry cleaning facilities and may be fined $2,600.

At 500 West Garland St., Grand Saline, a convenience store is listed as having failed to notify TCEQ of changes in its underground storage tanks and of not having leak detection systems in place. According to TCEQ, it also didn’t sufficiently account for its inventories and didn’t dispose of hazardous waste at an authorized facility. It also allegedly didn’t get a registration number from the Environmental Protection Agency permitting it to handle hazardous wastes. That business may be fined $13,468.

The owner of underground storage tanks at 14544 Allendale Lane, Conroe, had several alleged violations related to those tanks, including not checking them for leaks and not maintaining the vapor recovery system. Penalties there could amount to $13,074.

In another case, a person removed an underground storage tank at 539 North Pine St. in Woodville, but they didn’t properly plug it, cap it or remove connected pipes and equipment before pulling it from the ground. The holes weren’t plugged before the tank was moved either. The penalty could be $2,500.

All of this and more is included in the Texas Register for the TCEQ on Sept. 30, 2011, which can be searched here using docket number TRD-201103884. You have to use just the numbers and enter them in both fields on the form next to “TRD ID.”