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Marathon Petroleum\u2019s El Paso Refinery, near the intersection of Trowbridge and Geronimo. (Corrie Boudreaux\/El Paso Matters)<\/p>\nThis is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.\u00a0<\/p>\n
El Paso County Mulls Increasing User Fees for Parks, Pools<\/p>\n
El Paso County residents may see increased user fees for sports tournaments, swimming pool, pavilion rentals and more at county parks.<\/p>\n
Potential fee increases were presented to the Commissioners Court Monday by Parks and Recreation Department Director Tim Fulton, who said they aimed to help offset increasing operating costs while keeping facilities accessible to the community. The proposed increases follow a fee study conducted by the county.<\/p>\n
Some of the proposed increases include facility rentals for baseball or softball tournament fees at Ascarate Park, possibly going from $15 to $35, and users can also see a new $25 fee for sport court rentals. If approved, the increases would match fees at the El Paso County Sportspark, which isn\u2019t facing any fee hikes.<\/p>\n
The commercial fee for 5K events at Ascarate Park could go from $450 for four hours to $750, and for a full day, the price could go from $3,000 to $4,500. Pavilion rentals that now range from $800 to $1,450 could go up by $1,100 to $2,000.<\/p>\n
The parks department is also considering reinstating a weekend parking fee of $3 per vehicle and a new parking fee of $3 for the Lights on the Lake holiday event at Ascarate Park, among other changes.<\/p>\n
Vendors could also see potential increases for food trucks from $75 to $125 depending on the day of the week.<\/p>\n
There may also be an increase to open swim admission at the county pools ranging from the current $1 to $3 range to a flat $4 daily cost at all facilities. The prices currently range from $1 to $3 depending on the facility. The fee for youth, seniors, military, first responders and county employees would be $3 if approved.<\/p>\n
The proposal will return to Commissioners Court for further consideration after more public feedback is gathered. Proposed increases for developers will be revisited June 15.<\/p>\n
Marathon Petroleum\u2019s El Paso Refinery, near the intersection of Trowbridge and Geronimo. (Corrie Boudreaux\/El Paso Matters)<\/p>\n
TCEQ Grants Hearing on Marathon Refinery Air Permit Renewal<\/p>\n
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has ordered a contested hearing before considering a renewal of Marathon Refinery\u2019s air permit. El Paso County Commissioners Court requested the legal proceeding, similar to a civil trial, to review the oil refinery\u2019s emissions.<\/p>\n
TCEQ commissioners ruled 3-0 in favor of the commissioners at a livestreamed<\/a> June 3 hearing in Austin, citing concerns about how the facility\u2019s air pollution could impact the surrounding area. Marathon Refinery is located on 500 acres in East-Central El Paso near Cielo Vista Mall and residential neighborhoods, as well as Ascarate Park. The refinery emits toxic air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and particulate matter that are hazardous to health, but permissible under Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Long-term exposure can lead to chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe county weighs concerns that are relevant and material to our decision on this application, including the air quality concerns at the property, air nuisance concerns for its property and concerns that air quality analysis and air dispersion modeling were not properly conducted,\u201d Tonya Miller, TCEQ commissioner, said at the hearing.<\/p>\n The contested hearing would pressure Marathon Refinery to produce documents detailing how it came up with its emissions numbers. El Paso County will have the chance to scrutinize the refinery\u2019s records and the possibility of increased regulation.<\/p>\n In 2011, Marathon \u2013 known then as Western Refining \u2013 entered a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after the EPA sued the refinery for violating Clean Air Act requirements<\/a> for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, VOCs and benzene.<\/p>\n The contested hearing must be held within 180 days after the ruling. A date has not been set.<\/p>\n United Way Seeks Volunteers to Deliver Fans to Elderly to Fight Extreme Heat<\/p>\n United Way of El Paso County is asking community members and corporate groups to help deliver fans to the elderly and other vulnerable populations to help protect them from extreme heat expected this summer.<\/p>\n The volunteer initiative is part of the organization\u2019s annual Day of Action taking place June 15-19 in partnership with the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging and the Extreme Weather Task Force.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen community members give their time to support one another, they strengthen the connections that make El Paso resilient,\u201d Georgina Hern\u00e1ndez, president and CEO of United Way of El Paso County, said in a news release. \u201cA simple fan can provide comfort, relief, and even protection during dangerous heat conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Extreme heat is one of the most significant weather-related risks facing older adults and families with limited resources in our region, United Way said in the news release.<\/p>\n Climate change is increasing the risks of extreme heat, with the average annual temperature in El Paso increasing 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, according to the nonprofit Climate Central. El Paso recorded 33 days of temperatures above 100 degrees in 2025.<\/p>\n READ MORE: El Paso\u2019s heat is killing in record numbers. It may only get worse<\/a><\/p>\n Volunteer shifts are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 15-19. Delivery routes are available throughout El Paso County.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sign up at VolunteerElPaso.org<\/a>. Fan pick-up location will be shared with registered volunteers prior to June 15.\u00a0<\/p>\n