Controversial rock crusher moves forward following TCEQ permit approval
BURNET COUNTY, Texas — A proposed rock crushing plant just a few miles from multiple state parks and a children’s camp is now one step closer to a reality. On February 14, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved an air quality permit filed by Asphalt Inc. LLC.
In July 2024, Asphalt Inc. LLC submitted an Air Quality Standard Permit for the proposed plant. Opponents and landowners argue that the rock crusher would have a direct impact on air quality in Burnet County.
A public meeting held in December saw pushback and hundreds of public comments. According to a response to those public comments written by the TCEQ’s Executive Director issues included health effects, environmental concerns, dust concerns and impacts on water quality.
According to that response, “the Executive Director determined that the emissions authorized by the standard permit are protective of both human health and welfare and the environment.”
Standards and guidelines were based on TCEQ rules and those established by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
A motion to overturn the decision is due on March 10.
Why are people concerned about this rock crusher?
While there are already several rock crushers and quarries in Burnet County, the location of this rock crusher has caused the most concern. Located on Hoover Valley Road, southwest of the town of Burnet, the plant shares a fence line with a children’s summer camp, Camp Longhorn.
“We understand that there does need to be locations for things like this, but this ecosystem in this area… it doesn’t make any sense,” camp director Nan Manning told KXAN last month. Her family has owned the camp for decades.
She said that thousands of kids visit the camp each summer, with many having respiratory issues. She worried that many of those kids would have challenges breathing due to excess dust in the air.
According to Randy Printz with SaveBurnet.com, only one air quality monitor is located in the area near the proposed rock crusher.
The rock crusher is also just a short distance from Inks Lake, which landowners are concerned could see runoff from the plant, Lake Buchanan and Longhorn Caverns State Park.
Beyond the air quality permit, Asphalt Inc. LLC filed for a permit with the LCRA. Public comments for that permit were due on February 7. A public meeting is expected to be held to address those concerns.
