Coleto Creek Power Plant avoids new EPA rule because of impending closure
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Leo Bertucci
Energy and Environment Reporter
Jojo and Joyce Revas play football in the reservoir Wednesday afternoon at Coleto Creek Park.
Logan Miller, 10, fishes with his mother, Deanna Miller, Wednesday afternoon at Coleto Creek Park.
Westin Miller, 7, fishes during spring break Thursday afternoon at Coleto Creek.
Deanna Miller spends her spring break Wednesday afternoon with her sons, Logan and Westin Miller at Coleto Creek.
Stacy Smith catches a fish Wednesday afternoon at Coleto Creek.
John Gohmert takes a phone call on his boat Wednesday at Coleto Creek.
New rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would limit the amount of toxins coal power plants can release, but a power plant in Goliad County would be exempt because it’s in the process of shutting down.
But that shutdown isn’t set to occur for at least another four years, leading some to question the safety of the plant’s wastewater, which is discharged into a nearby reservoir that also serves as a popular recreational spot.
The Coleto Creek Power Plant in Goliad County would be exempt because it is set to close by July 2027, according to a spokesperson from Vistra Corp., the company that owns the station.
“In the meantime, Coleto Creek will continue to provide safe, affordable, and reliable power to the people of Texas,” Jenny Lyon, a media relations manager with Vistra, said.
Opponents of coal-fired plants say coal plants have historically done a poor job at containing hazardous chemicals, such as arsenic and mercury.
The Ashtracker project, which last collected data from the Coleto Creek plant’s groundwater monitoring wells in October 2022, said 16 of the 17 wells contained more arsenic than what the EPA deems to be safe.
New data from the Environmental Integrity Project claimed the power station is mismanaging its coal ash waste. Coal ash is the byproduct of th…
According to the World Health Organization, arsenic poisoning in humans can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and in extreme cases, death.
The proposed wastewater treatment rule would reduce the number of pollutants in wastewater streams by making coal plants follow stricter standards for discharging wastewater, according to the EPA.
Environmental attorney Thomas Cmar believes that if coal plants follow stricter wastewater treatment standards, less toxins would end up in power plants’ wastewater.
“A large number of utility coal sites try to avoid reckoning with contamination issues,” said Cmar, who works for an environmental law organization known as Earthjustice.
Wastewater from the coal plant in Goliad County is discharged into the Coleto Creek Reservoir.
Built in 1980 by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, the reservoir and its nearby park serve as a popular recreational destination with campsites, horseshoe and barbecue pits, hiking trails, sandy beaches and fishing piers.
On Wednesday, many were enjoying themselves at the 3,100-acre reservoir. Children swam and played. Families fished with rods and reels, and boaters enjoyed time on the water.
Lyon, the plant spokesperson, said plant operators follow the terms of permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
“The water must meet permit-specified effluent limitations and monitoring requirements,” Lyon said.
A former manager of the Coleto Creek Park for 38 years, Wilfred Korth thinks the reservoir water is safe to use for those who want to swim and fish in it.
“We never had issues with the fish population,” Korth, who retired from his role in 2017, said. “We always had good water chemistry.”
Korth currently serves as president of the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District. He said the waters of the Coleto Creek Reservoir are “clear and clean” and are more pristine than other water bodies in the Crossroads.
“Bass fishing is popular. We’ve had hundreds of repeat fishermen over the years,” Korth said.
Cmar, the Earthjustice attorney, said he is happy to hear people are continuing to enjoy recreational activities in the Coleto Creek area. He said going forward, coal-fired plants will need to have the newest monitoring tools if they want to ensure their wastewater is not harming the environment.
“The EPA says there is technology available that allows plants to set a standard of no toxic discharge,” Cmar said. “There is no excuse in 2023 for the power industry to not invest in modern technology that eliminates pollution.”
Cmar said although the Coleto Creek plant can continue to use its current wastewater treatment standards for the next four years, the impending retirement of the facility is good news for environmentalists.
“For coal-fired plants, it makes economic and environmental sense to go offline, rather than the owner pay millions of dollars to comply with regulations,” Cmar said.
According to Vistra, the Coleto Creek power station’s parent company, 68 people work at the plant, as of this month. The site is on approximately 8,200 acres of land.
Leo Bertucci is a Report for America corps member who covers energy and environment for the Victoria Advocate.
