Hazardous Substance Research Centers/South & Southwest

Site description
Alcoa is planning on expanding their lignite coal strip-mining operation into two counties in Texas (Lee and Bastrop), from their present operations in Travis County (Austin area). The area that Alcoa hopes to operate in covers 10 to 14,000 acres. The concerns of the community deal with the strip mining itself, the potential air pollution problems, and the exploitation of their groundwater (Alcoa is proposing sending treated strip mining process water to San Antonio).

Summary of assistance (last service January 2002)
A community organization known as Neighbors for Neighbors hopes that TOSC can initially provide some assistance with a review of documents that the Corps of Engineers is putting out for public comment (something other than an EIS). TOSC prepared and sent a report on lignite mining and environmental and health effects sent to the community. A Memorandum of Understanding is being drafted and is expected to be signed in autumn 2001.