Three Years After Withdrawing Plan for Wastewater Changes At Power Plant Following Public Pushback, LCRA Tries Again

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is making another push to amend the wastewater permit for the Fayette Power Project (FPP) outside La Grange.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulates wastewater discharge from the power plant. Back in 2022, LCRA applied for an amendment to their discharge permit to relax certain discharge limits, especially related to selenium, which can be toxic to aquatic life and humans. Runoff from the plant enters Cedar Creek and its various tributaries before eventually discharging into the Colorado River below La Grange.

LCRA later withdrew their application following some pushback from local officials, including then-County Judge Joe Weber.At that time, Weber called on LCRA and TCEQ to hold a public meeting in La Grange to inform the public about the proposed changes.

“If it’s safe and everything is legal, that’s fine, but someone needs to come down here and explain it to us,” Weber told the Record at the time. “We have this big power plant and all this coal ash. It’s like they’re saying, ‘Just trust us, everything is OK.’ I think they need to come down and talk about that – let us know they are serious about what goes into that river.”

That meeting never materialized, and LCRA withdrew their application.

Now three years later, and with new leadership in the County, LCRA has applied once again for the same changes.

“LCRA is proposing amendments to the permit that would allow more efficient management of wastewater such as cooling water from the plant,” said LCRA spokesperson Clara Tuma. “The proposed changes continue to protect water quality and meet all applicable state and federal standards.”

The Record asked LCRA how it would benefit from the proposed changes.

“The proposed changes would allow LCRA to continue operating the Fayette Power Project as a reliable, cost-effective source of power for Texans,” Tuma said. “The proposed changes would allow for more efficient operations while continuing to meet or exceed water quality standards.”

A public notice about the application appeared in the July 11 issue of the Fayette County Record. The full application packet is available online at https://www.tceq. texas.gov/downloads/permitting/ wastewater/title-iv/tpdes/ wq0002105000-lowercoloradoriverauthority- samseymourfayettepowerproject- fayette- tpdes-adminpackage.pdf.

Public comments on the proposed amendment can be submitted electronically at https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/ epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. If submitting a public comment, be sure to reference permit number WQ0002105000.