Feb. 28, Southeast Texans will have the opportunity to address the causes – and potential remedies – for what environmental specialists deem to be an excess amount of fecal matter in Beaumont waterways.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will hold a public meeting for a plan regarding the bacteria in Hillebrandt Bayou and Neches River Tidal, of the Neches-Trinity Coastal Basin and Neches River Basin, in Jasper, Orange and Jefferson counties on Feb. 28, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Jefferson County Extension Office, 1225 Pearl St, Suite 200, in Beaumont.
“High concentrations of bacteria, which are found in both human and animal waste, have been observed in the upstream assessment unit of Hillebrandt Bayou,” the TCEQ reports of the waterway wholly located within the city of Beaumont. The Neches River Tidal watershed, which lies in the Neches River Basin and includes portions of Jefferson and Orange counties such as Beaumont, Vidor, and Port Neches, is detailed the same. “The presence of these bacteria may indicate a health risk to people who swim or wade in the bayou – activities referred to as ‘contact recreation’ in the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards.”
The stated goal of the Beaumont-area TCEQ project “is to improve water quality to protect recreational uses.” Towards that goal, the TCEQ and stakeholders are developing plans to reduce bacteria that includes eight management measures and two control actions.
Management measures include working with farmers to reduce cattle waste allowed to contaminate water sources, promoting effective feral hog management and consistent eradication efforts, remediation or replacement of failing septic systems noted extensively in areas of Orange County, reduce sanitary sewer overflows and unauthorized discharges mainly coming from central Beaumont, as well as monitoring and education initiatives to stem the pollution dirtying up the local watersheds.
During the meeting, individuals will have the opportunity to present oral statements. An agency staff member will give a brief presentation at the start of the meeting and will be available to answer questions after all oral statements have been received.
In addition to the meeting, the public is invited to submit written comments to the TCEQ no later than midnight on March 14, and should reference the “Implementation Plan for Five Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Hillebrandt Bayou and Neches River Tidal.” Comments can be submitted to: Nicole Reed, Water Quality Planning Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, MC 203, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087; or faxed to fax4808@tceq.texas.gov.