Sept. 24 town hall meeting, a forum for impact of proposed wall on the environment, land taking, wildlife habitat, and water for millions of Texans and Mexicans

The coalition of Laredoans who have formed “Where’s the National Emergency?” is hosting a town hall meeting on Tuesday, September 24, to address environmental, civil rights, land litigation, and cultural/historic impacts of the border wall.

Planning for the wall and its eventual construction continue in a legal vacuum in which numerous protective federal laws have been waived, including The National Environmental Policy Act; The Endangered Species Act; The Clean Water Act; The National Historic Preservation Act; The Migratory Bird Treaty Act; The Migratory Bird Conservation Act; and The Clean Air Act. (A complete list of waived laws follows this story.)

The town hall meeting, which is hosted by the Río Grande International Study Center (RGISC), begins promptly at 6 p.m. at the U.T. Health Science Center.

The event is funded in part by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club in Austin, the Río Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club; and the Center for Wildlife Diversity.

The program is divided into six segments, beginning with Mariana Treviño Wright of the National Butterfly Center in Mission, a non-profit private nature preserve that is an outdoor butterfly conservatory.

In the second segment, which deals with legal and civil rights and land litigation, attendees will hear from Texas Civil Rights Project attorneys Ricky Garza and Erin Thorn-Vela and TCRP racial and economic justice coordinator Roberto López.

The speaker for the third segment is biologist Dr. Tom Miller of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center, who will speak on the environment and the riparian habitat of the Río Grande. His presentation will be accompanied by a power point photo album of public places, hike and bike trails, ranches, parks, and neighborhoods that will face an impact from the construction of the border wall.

Elsa Hull, an environmental investigator for the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, will read a poem in the fourth segment about living on the banks of the Río Grande downriver from San Ygnacio.

In the fifth segment members of the “Where’s the National Emergency?” coalition will address calls to action to communicate with Senator John Cornyn, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congressman Henry Cuellar; and to take a petition to City Hall, asking City leaders to take a stand with Laredoans who oppose the wall.

A Q&A in the sixth segment concludes the town hall meeting.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified 127 miles of a border barrier in the Laredo Sector on May 31, 2019 as a “top priority requirement” with “a barrier system which could include a bollard-style barrier, a 150-foot enforcement zone, gates for property owners to access the south side of the barrier, lighting, cameras, and an all-weather road.”

According to RGISC executive director, Tricia Cortez, it has not been made clear by CBP whether 52 miles of the 127 goes upriver of the Columbia Solidarity Bridge or downriver into Laredo urban sectors.

“All Laredoans, as well as many Texans and Mexicans who live along this river, will feel the impact of the construction of a border wall, whether or not they own property on the river or away from it. Heavy equipment construction will destroy and disturb wildlife habitat on the river banks and cause siltation which will affect wildlife and water quality,” said Cortez.

“We invite Webb and Zapata County residents to weigh in on this important discussion and to take a stand, to become familiar with the lessons learned in the Río Grande Valley about land-taking issues and the government’s disregard for the environment, valuable historic sites, and wildlife habitat. We urge their local leaders to stand with us. The stakes are high for everyone along the river, including ranch owners. All are welcome,” she said.

For further information on the town hall meeting, call the RGISC office at (956) 718-1063.

The Center for Biological Diversity has listed the following federal laws waived for the construction of the Border Wall:

1. The National Environmental Policy Act 
2. The Endangered Species Act 
3. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
4. The National Historic Preservation Act
5. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act 
6. The Migratory Bird Conservation Act 
7. The Clean Air Act  
8. The Archeological Resources Protection Act  
9. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act  
10. The Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988  
11. The National Trails System Act 
12. The Safe Drinking Water Act  
13. The Noise Control Act 
14. The Solid Waste Disposal Act
15. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act  
16. The Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act
17. The Antiquities Act  
18. The Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act 
19. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
20. The Farmland Protection Policy Act 
21. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act  
22. The National Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956  
23. The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act  
24. The Wild Horse and Burro Act 
25. The Administrative Procedure Act 
26. The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 
27. The Eagle Protection Act 
28. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 
29. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act  
30. The Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999
31. The Sikes Act 
32. The Reclamation Project Act of 1939

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