Shafter’s future deserves a conversation
If you spend enough time around Shafter, you learn that people here can hold two ideas in their heads at the same time. We can be proud of our mining history and still ask tough questions about the future.
That conversation will continue at a public meeting on October 27 at 7 p.m. in the Presidio High School cafeteria, where we will be providing free barbecue. I hope residents will join us, learn more and make their voices heard.
The Shafter Mine is part of this community’s story. Long before most of us arrived, mining helped build the town, created jobs and shaped the identity of this corner of West Texas. The remains of that history are everywhere. You can see it in the buildings, the landscape and the stories passed down from one generation to the next. That is why the conversation taking place today is so important.
The question before us is not whether mining belongs in Shafter. Mining has always been part of Shafter. The real question is what responsible mining should look like in 2026. That means asking whether modern mining operations can coexist with the values that make this community special: respect for our neighbors, protection of our natural resources, and stewardship of a place we intend to leave better than we found it.
Like many residents, I am not opposed to economic opportunity. Presidio County can benefit from jobs and investment. What concerns me is that too many people know there is a permit under review but have little understanding of what is actually being proposed or what questions have been raised along the way. That lack of information is why community participation matters.
Over the past year, questions about operations at the mine have prompted reviews by state regulators and generated concerns from neighboring landowners, local officials and community members. Among the issues raised have been questions about chemical storage, wastewater management, discharge controls, stormwater protection, and the handling of materials on the site. State investigators documented deficiencies in materials management and containment practices and recommended corrective actions and further monitoring.
For many people, these topics sound technical and distant. But the underlying questions are easy to understand. How will water be managed? How will discharges be monitored? What safeguards exist to protect neighboring landowners and the environment? What happens if problems occur? And perhaps most importantly, how can the public be confident that any commitments made today will actually be followed tomorrow?
These are reasonable questions. They are not anti-mining questions. They are pro-community questions.
Water is especially important in our part of the world. In a region where every rainstorm matters and every water source is valuable, people have a right to understand how mining operations could affect surrounding land and water resources. Concerns have been raised regarding chemical storage, containment systems, evaporation ponds, stormwater controls and potential impacts to surrounding areas. Whether one agrees with every concern or not, the fact remains that these topics deserve open discussion and clear answers.
Unfortunately, discussions about permitting often happen through lengthy technical documents that few residents ever see. By the time many people hear about an issue, they assume decisions have already been made. That is why the upcoming public meeting may be the most important opportunity the community has to become involved.
The meeting concerns TPDES Permit No. WQ0004297000, the wastewater discharge permit associated with the Shafter Mine. Community members, elected officials and neighboring landowners have requested opportunities for public participation because of concerns about water quality, site management and environmental oversight.
Most importantly, people should attend. Whether you support the mine’s future operation, have environmental concerns, or simply want to learn more, your voice belongs in the conversation. Public meetings are designed to give residents an opportunity to hear directly from regulators, ask questions, review information and provide comments that become part of the public record.
Residents who cannot attend in person can also submit comments directly to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Submit comments online:
www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/
When submitting comments, reference:
TPDES Permit No. WQ0004297000 – Shafter Mine
Comments may also be mailed to:
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of the Chief Clerk (MC-105)
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, TX 78711-3087
You do not need to be an engineer, a lawyer, or an environmental scientist to participate. You do not need to have all the answers. If you care about Shafter, that is enough. Attend the meeting. Ask questions. Review the information. Submit comments. Make your voice heard.
The future of Shafter should not be determined solely by regulators, consultants, corporations or landowners. It should also be shaped by the people who live here, work here, raise families here, own property here and care about preserving what makes this community unique.
In the end, this conversation is bigger than a permit application. It is about whether economic opportunity and environmental stewardship can move forward together. It is about whether modern mining can earn the trust of the community that surrounds it. And it is about whether the people of Shafter will have a meaningful role in decisions that may affect the town for generations to come. I believe we can honor Shafter’s mining heritage while also insisting on transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of the land and water that sustain us. Those goals are not in conflict. In fact, they depend on one another.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Public Meeting: October 27, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Presidio High School cafeteria
Food: Free barbecue will be provided
Permit: TPDES Permit No. WQ0004297000 (Shafter Mine)
Submit Comments Online: TCEQ eComment Portal
Mail Comments: TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk (MC-105), P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087
James Hawes
