{"id":49677,"date":"2025-11-14T17:52:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/49677\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T17:52:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:52:19","slug":"texas-senator-sends-opposition-letter-to-tceq-on-recently-approved-guajolote-ranch-permit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/49677\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Senator sends opposition letter to TCEQ on recently approved Guajolote Ranch permit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">AUSTIN, Texas \u2013 Texas Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) sent a letter of opposition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regarding a recently approved controversial wastewater permit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The permit, approved by TCEQ last month, covers a wastewater treatment permit for the Lennar Corporation\u2019s Guajolote Ranch development in northwest Bexar County. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The proposed development would create approximately 3,000 homes on 1,100 acres, located north of Grey Forest. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">KSAT has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/08\/14\/residents-to-express-disapproval-over-guajolote-ranch-project-in-bexar-county-budget-town-hall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/08\/14\/residents-to-express-disapproval-over-guajolote-ranch-project-in-bexar-county-budget-town-hall\/\">covered neighbors\u2019 concerns<\/a> about the project <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/06\/20\/residents-accuse-guajolote-ranch-developer-of-trespassing-damaging-private-property-near-helotes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/06\/20\/residents-accuse-guajolote-ranch-developer-of-trespassing-damaging-private-property-near-helotes\/\">for nearly two years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In the letter to TCEQ Chairwoman Brooke Paup, Campbell cited concerns around groundwater integrity, endangered species, public health and procedural concerns. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cI respectfully request a written response within 30 days of this letter addressing these concerns and detailing the corrective measures the commission intends to pursue,\u201d Campbell wrote in the letter dated Oct. 30. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">See below to read the letter in full:<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">While the commission approved the permit in late October, it is not final, as opposing parties have 25 days from the date of the decision\u2019s signing \u2014 Oct. 28 \u2014 to file for a rehearing, a news release from the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Campbell, in the letter, requests the denial of the permit and urges the commission to consider the findings of a <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/\/www.swri.org\/newsroom\/press-releases\/swri-researchers-evaluate-impact-of-wastewater-systems-edwards-aquifer__;!!JzAkRiGGxM5L!o2blFSb6dzKpDNgFzngwkJ6Ox0O-chXdqlgd1-o5wRHp1homivYeVtzrfKyA8ZJCtVWOgagoVr-NFA$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/\/www.swri.org\/newsroom\/press-releases\/swri-researchers-evaluate-impact-of-wastewater-systems-edwards-aquifer__;!!JzAkRiGGxM5L!o2blFSb6dzKpDNgFzngwkJ6Ox0O-chXdqlgd1-o5wRHp1homivYeVtzrfKyA8ZJCtVWOgagoVr-NFA$\">2020 Southwest Research Institute study<\/a>, which found discharge within the Helotes Creek watershed could have detrimental effects to the recharge quality of the Edwards Aquifer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Yet, despite the study\u2019s outcomes, San Antonio Water System President and CEO Robert Puente <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/10\/24\/saws-president-and-ceo-says-guajolote-ranch-development-will-not-cause-lower-quality-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/10\/24\/saws-president-and-ceo-says-guajolote-ranch-development-will-not-cause-lower-quality-water\/\">told KSAT the day after the permit was approved<\/a> that \u201csystems are in place to protect the city\u2019s water supply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cTexas has long led in balancing responsible development with strong environmental stewardship,\u201d Campbell\u2019s letter said. \u201cProtecting the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers is not only an environmental imperative but also a public trust obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Read more:<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2025 by KSAT &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AUSTIN, Texas \u2013 Texas Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) sent a letter of opposition to the Texas Commission&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15939,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133,698,8084,12421,12836,4701,410],"class_list":{"0":"post-49677","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-austin","8":"tag-austin","9":"tag-austin-headlines","10":"tag-austin-news","11":"tag-bexar-county","12":"tag-edwards-aquifer","13":"tag-grey-forest","14":"tag-guajolote-ranch","15":"tag-tceq","16":"tag-water"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}