Public Comments

PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE NOW RE-OPENED

One of the most critical actions you can take is publicly commenting on the TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (TCEQ) website. It only takes a few minutes! SCROLL DOWN FOR SAMPLE COMMENTS YOU MAY USE.

Visit https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/ and enter the permit number 175198 in the designated box.

After entering your contact information, you can explain why you oppose having a Concrete Crushing Plant in a residential area in Grayson County, Texas. IMPORTANT: The TCEQ will only consider comments about air quality!

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

“The general public often expresses concerns with crushing sites and operations that include, but are not limited to, traffic safety, noise, appearance, and property values. These types of concerns are not addressed under the Texas Clean Air Act and are beyond the commission’s jurisdiction. Those concerns of the general public regarding nuisance dust, ambient air quality, and potential adverse health impacts are the focus of the protectiveness review and the resulting conditions of the standard permit.” [emphasis added]

Read your neighbors’ comments here: https://bit.ly/TCEQPublicComments.

Need help writing a comment? Scroll down this page for sample comments you may use or edit.

Need help submitting a comment? Email nodenisoncrusher@gmail.com

  • Setting up a concrete crushing plant in a residential neighborhood could seriously impact residents' health and well-being. The dust from such a facility can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, increase cancer risks, and affect children and the elderly. With harmful particles and other hazardous materials involved, it's crucial to protect the community's health and quality of life. It would be wise to find a different location for the plant where it won’t pose risks to public health or air quality.

  • Due to limited manpower, the TCEQ does not conduct on-site inspections to monitor air quality, dust control, or other compliance measures. Instead, they rely on facilities to self-monitor and only investigate if a citizen complaint is filed. This approach is inadequate when public safety is at risk. Just as inspectors check electrical wiring, bridge construction, and restaurants, they should also inspect facilities affecting public air quality. This responsibility should not fall on citizens. Increase the permit application cost to hire more staff or slow down the approval process.

  • I want to voice my concern about the proposed concrete crusher. A TCEQ document highlights that aggregate production operations (APOs), which include rock and concrete crushers, can generate significantly more particulate matter than concrete batch plants. This reinforces the need to carefully consider the location of such facilities to safeguard our community’s health and air quality.

  • This facility is located in a residential area, raising significant concerns. If approved, the resulting air, truck, and noise pollution will be a major nuisance and impact the way of life for the residents. Additionally, such facilities often fail to meet air quality standards unless they are regularly inspected by the government, which doesn’t have the resources to adequately manage. I urge you to reject this permit!

  • I am worried about the impact on air quality in Denison if this facility is approved. It is inappropriate to place such a facility in a populated area like ours, particularly so close to residential neighborhoods. Our city is growing and has made significant efforts to enhance outdoor spaces, including the Katy Trail, Waterloo Lake Park, and the Texoma Health Foundation Park. Introducing a polluting facility so near these areas would harm our air quality and undermine the city's initiatives to improve quality of life and health.

  • The residents of this neighborhood and Sherman/Denison at large have a multitude of reasons to A) be concerned about the potential health risks of this crusher, and B) have little to no faith that either of the TCEQ or the applicant is going to approve or conduct this project with any concern for residents past the minimum legal requirements.

  • I urge TCEQ to pause issuing new Air Quality Permits for Rock and Concrete Crushing facilities until the updated EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter, revised in February 2024, have been incorporated. This update includes new evidence linking particulate pollution to serious health risks such as heart attacks and premature death. We call on the commission to adopt these updated standards immediately. Continuing to rely on current standards, which may not adequately protect public health, could have serious consequences.

  • I discovered that TCEQ does not conduct inspections or follow-ups to ensure facilities are complying with regulations. Instead, they depend entirely on facilities to self-report. TCEQ only gets involved if they receive a resident complaint. How does this approach safeguard our air quality? And how does it align with TCEQ’s mission statement, which aims to protect public health and natural resources while supporting sustainable economic development, with goals of clean air, clean water, and safe waste management?

  • This Air Permit must be rejected because of air quality concerns. The proposed location for these operations is entirely unsuitable. It is currently situated within a residential zone with additional residential development planned. Nearby are Texoma Medical Center and Downtown Denison Development, pivotal growth points for this area. Placing heavy-polluting industries in such proximity to these vital centers of development contradicts the anticipated significant growth in population and business expected in Grayson County.

  • While I recognize the need for concrete crushers near areas experiencing growth, placing one in such close proximity to homes disregards the health risks to our community. I urge you to deny this company permission to build their concrete plant, not only here but also in any location that could jeopardize community health.

  • The proximity of the proposed plant to residential areas is deeply concerning. Placing a concrete crushing plant in the heart of single family homes raises significant health concerns, especially for our children. Multiple children live directly to the north and east of this site. The potential release of dust particles from its operations poses a substantial risk to respiratory health. It's unacceptable for our children to be exposed to harmful pollutants simply because of the poor siting of an industrial facility.

  • I'm concerned about the air quality impacts near homes and compliance with environmental guidelines. Silica dust pollution from concrete crushing equipment poses a significant danger to human health. Inhalation of silica dust, whether in large doses or over extended periods, can cause irreversible lung damage known as silicosis, which is ultimately fatal. It's essential to ensure proper capture and cleaning of dust from equipment and trucks leaving the facility to protect our air quality and community health. Moreover, these trucks emit significant pollutants that worsen air quality. Studies indicate silica dust can travel long distances if not contained properly, compounding these issues.

  • Permitting an industrial concrete crushing facility at this location is unjust. Single-family homes are too close to the proposed site. Dust generated from the process will disperse, potentially harming residents, agricultural animals, and wildlife. Our health and well-being hinge upon having this option available to us.

  • I oppose permit 175198 for operating in a residential area. Concrete recycling at this facility would release crystalline silica, harming air quality and risking the health of nearby residents. It would also add to the noise and air pollution from the dirt-hauling trucks going in and out of the plant all day. The TCEQ should deny an air permit for such a facility near our community.