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Reduce Flood Risk from Sand Mining in Two Minutes

1/22/25 – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has proposed new Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Sand Mines. But they do nothing to address flood risk from sand mining here in the Lake Houston Area. Sediment pollution from upstream sand mines has contributed to flooding more than 13,000 homes and businesses in the Lake […]

The post Reduce Flood Risk from Sand Mining in Two Minutes appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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Contractor Only Partially Complies with BMPs at Foster Elementary Reconstruction Site

1/6/2024 – Before New Year’s Day, I posted about the lack of best management practices (BMPs) at the Foster Elementary reconstruction site in Kingwood. A contractor let sediment-laden runoff escape the site, fill the street and flow into unprotected storm drains. Photos taken yesterday after a storm front passed show that it’s still happening. Partial […]

The post Contractor Only Partially Complies with BMPs at Foster Elementary Reconstruction Site appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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New TCEQ Sand Mining BMPs Ignore Pit Captures

12/13/24 – Proposed new Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Best Management Practices (BMPs) for sand mines ignore what miners are supposed to do in the case of pit captures. “Pit capture” happens when a river breaks through the dikes of a sand mine. It can have serious consequences including, but not limited to: Identifying […]

The post New TCEQ Sand Mining BMPs Ignore Pit Captures appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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They Clearcut 533 Acres, Then Got 17 Inches of Rain

Construction is always the riskiest period during a development project. Especially when you clearcut 533 acres and get 17 inches of rain … in a week. However, thanks to best practices and luck, most people surrounding the Sila development in Huffman narrowly escaped what could have become a major disaster. As the people in Woodridge […]

The post They Clearcut 533 Acres, Then Got 17 Inches of Rain appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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Top Stories of 2021 in Review

Below are my personal picks for the top flood-mitigation stories of 2021. The Fight for Funding In 2019, Commissioners Court established “equity” guidelines that prioritized projects in Low-to-Moderate Income watersheds. Then this year: Harris County won no US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Grants in the first round of Harvey competition. To compensate […]

The post Top Stories of 2021 in Review appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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One-Click Submittal for Suggested Public Comments on Proposed Sand-Mining BMPs

For those wishing to submit comments about sand-mining Best Management Practices (BMPs), but who may feel daunted by the technicalities, I’ve compiled a list that you can submit with one click. To automatically submit those suggestions, click this link. It should address and title an email for you and automatically insert recommended text shown below. Don’t […]

The post One-Click Submittal for Suggested Public Comments on Proposed Sand-Mining BMPs appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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BMPs for Final Stabilization Report Omit Crucial Elements

This is the eighth in a series about Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. This post will focus on the Final Stabilization Report that operators should file after mines cease operation. As we saw yesterday, operators abandon many mines with little thought […]

The post BMPs for Final Stabilization Report Omit Crucial Elements appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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BMPs for Final Stabilization Report Omit Crucial Elements

This is the eighth in a series about Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. This post will focus on the Final Stabilization Report that operators should file after mines cease operation. As we saw yesterday, operators abandon many mines with little thought […]

The post BMPs for Final Stabilization Report Omit Crucial Elements appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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TCEQ Proposes BMPs for Post-Mining Phase, But Is There Any Incentive to Comply at That Point?

This is the seventh in a series about Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. This post will focus on post-mining activities – what should happen after the mine ceases operations. The six previous posts have talked about: Scope and Need […]

The post TCEQ Proposes BMPs for Post-Mining Phase, But Is There Any Incentive to Comply at That Point? appeared first on Reduce Flooding.

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Mining BMPs Could Help Reduce Toxicity of Floodwaters

This is the sixth in a series on Sand Mining Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). BMPs help reduce erosion and prevent pollution, but these don’t address some important issues. Strengthening them could reduce both the magnitude and toxicity of future floods. By reducing the amount of excess […]

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