CALLS TO ACTION!

TRAM worked tirelessly and in good faith to improve SB 1757, meeting several times with legislators and industry representatives, offering changes to the bill that would protect communities while streamlining the permitting process for APOs. TRAM’s recommendations included adding comprehensive Best Management Practices (BMPs), reducing maximum production under the permit from 1500 tons/hour to 750 tons/hour, and adding reasonable pollution monitoring requirements and public participation to the permitting process. Unfortunately, none of TRAM’s substantive recommendations were included in the final bill. (Although the bill does call for “best management practices,” it doesn’t set any standards for what those will be, and the TCEQ’s recent track record recommending BMPs for this industry is extremely discouraging. See TRAM's comments to the TCEQ's BMPs here.) 

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WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

The Texas aggregate mining industry operates with almost no oversight. Unlike 86 percent of other states, Texas does not require: 

• Environmental impact assessments before mining

• Adequate public notice to nearby communities

• Best Management Practices to control dust, runoff, and noise or to prevent dangerous roads

• Compensation and repair for or monitoring of damage caused to neighborhoods, land or waterways 

 

THIS BILL REMOVES THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO CONTESTED CASE HEARINGS. WHY DOES THAT MATTER? 

A Contested Case Hearing (CCH) is a legal process that lets individuals and communities challenge a permit application before an administrative law judge. It is often the only chance for the public to present evidence, raise concerns under oath, and push for permit conditions—or denial—based on risks to health, safety, or the environment.

 

CCHs provide a level of oversight and transparency to Texas’ permitting process. Agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approve most permits without tracking long-term impacts like water use, blasting, or pollution. Removing CCHs takes away one of the public’s few tools to oppose harmful industrial projects. Without them, decisions are made behind closed doors with no real public input. While critics argue CCHs are costly and rarely block permits, they can delay projects for years and give communities leverage to negotiate better outcomes. Without CCHs, the public loses that power entirely.

 

EMAIL YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE NOW 

Senate Bill 1757 has not passed yet — but time is running out. Urge your State Senator and Representative to oppose SB 1757 and defend public participation in the permitting process.​

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Use this list of legislator emails to find the contact information for your State Senator and Representative. If you are unsure which district you are in, you can find out by entering your home address at this Texas Tribune tool: www.texastribune.org/directory/.​

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EMAIL TEMPLATE:

Subject: Oppose SB 1757 – Protect Texas Communities from Irresponsible Mining 

 

Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name], 

 

I’m writing as a concerned Texan to urge you to oppose Senate Bill 1757. 

 

This bill would allow mining companies to drastically increase production from rock crushers — from 200 tons per hour to 1,500 tons per hour — without sufficient public oversight or accountability. Even more concerning, SB 1757 removes Contested Case Hearings, the only legal tool that gives communities a voice in the permitting process. 

 

Texans deserve to be notified and heard when industrial operations threaten public health, traffic safety, air and water quality, and the value of their land. Without CCHs, the public has no recourse to challenge harmful or poorly planned operations, especially in unincorporated areas where local governments have no zoning authority or power to stop inappropriate development. 

 

I support responsible economic growth, and the mining industry has proven itself capable of meeting demand for aggregates under the current regulations. SB 1757 is solving a problem that does not exist; neither the industry nor the TCEQ have said that they require a faster permitting process with less public engagement. And yet, you are being asked to silence meaningful public engagement for the benefit of international mining companies. Please vote NO on SB 1757. 

 

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Optional: Your affiliation or reason for caring about this issue — e.g., “I live near a proposed quarry site,” “I’m a lifelong Texan who values clean water and open space,” etc.]

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* APOs do not pay their fair-share for road damage. The Center of Transportation Research estimates that a fully loaded 80,000-pound commercial vehicle damages road pavement at a rate of 26 cents per mile driven (not including impact on bridges and overpasses). However, the current Texas fuel tax from 1991 only collects 3 cents per mile. This leaves a 23 cent per mile deficit that taxpayers must cover.