The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a database of violation and compliance actions for each source registered with EPA. This database is accessible to the public on EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) web-site. TMPA’s power plant (Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station) and mine (Gibbons Creek Lignite Mine) are each listed on this site. TMPA’s data on this website can be found here . This website was the source for KBTX in their report that aired on Monday night, February 16, 2015.
Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA) is a power production station located outside of Bryan/ College Station, Texas. Owned by the four member cities of Bryan, Denton, Garland and Greenville; TMPA provides efficient, clean electrical power at an affordable price to help communities prosper. TMPA operates as a non-profit municipality. We’re also known as Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station (GCSES). TMPA employs more than 20 people dedicated to safe, clean power generation. Our employees are active in the community, donating time for Habitat for Humanity, food for Twin City Mission; adopting families during the holiday season and much more.
TMPA’s History of Environmental Compliance
The State of Texas has primacy for the regulation of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act and assesses fines for significant non-compliance. In the last five years, TMPA has only been assessed one fine by the State. That fine was in 2010 for an administrative non-compliance matter
For context, it should be noted that both the power plant and the mine have numerous standards and regulations with which they must comply. The standards contain requirements for multiple reports whose contents are used to demonstrate compliance with the standards.
These reports add up to thousands of data entries on an annual basis. Most of the non-compliance items listed below involve problems in filling out or filing these reports. Even the one significant violation shown on the ECHO site is for a report that contained all of the correct information but had it listed in the wrong places (Clean Water Act (power plant): Q3 2014). This problem was corrected in a resubmission to the state of Texas on January 19, 2015. Corrected data entry errors are not viewed as violations by the state of Texas. That portion of the ECHO database however appears to only be updated on a quarterly basis. TMPA, therefore, expects the significant violation to disappear from ECHO in the second quarter of 2015. Information provided on this table has been verified by TMPA Staff.
- Date of alleged violation
- Description
- Explanation
- Severity
- Nature of violation
Q1 2010
Failure to submit correct deviation forms
The information provided was correct but submitted on incorrect forms.
Fine reduced from $2,750 to $2,200 because of TMPA’s prompt response
Administrative; no impact to the environment.
Q3 2014
Spring 2014 semi-annual report submitted one day late.
No feedback from the previous reports and the reporting period again miscalculated.
Minor: no fine assessed
Administrative; no impact to the environment.
Q3 2014
Spring 2014 semi-annual report submitted one day late.
No feedback from the previous report and the reporting period again miscalculated.
Minor no fine assessed
Administrative; no impact to the environment.
Q3 2014
Expiration date exceeded for calibration gas used for Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS)
Expiration date overlooked owing to change in personnel after reduction in force.
Minor no fine assessed
No impact on the environment. Clean Water Act (power plant)
Q4 2011
Residual chlorine of 4.33 mg/l which is outside the permitted range (1 mg/l 4 mg/l). Cause unknown.
Minor no fine assessed
Sewage Treatment Plant is an internal outfall; no environmental i
Q1 2012
Data entry omission on electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR).
Only one column was completed; should have been two (entry was pass/fail type and entry should have been entered as “pass” in both columns). The form was corrected in the following quarter.
None no fine assessed
Administrative; no impact on the environment.
Q3 2012
Data entry omission on electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR).
Drop-down box not properly entered.
None no fine assessed
Administrative; no impact on the environment.
Q4 2012
Sulfate exceeded daily average Total Sulfate permit limit by 21% (for this quarter).
Accumulation of sulfates in bottom ash due to cycling of the unit.
Minor no fine assessed
Minor environmental impact.
Q1 2014
Data entry error for bio-monitoring results one column entered instead of two
Human error: only one column was completed; should have been two (data was in compliance). The form was corrected in the following quarter.
Minor no fine assessed
Administrative; no impact on the environment.
Q3 2014
Data entry error for bio-monitoring results in one column entered instead of two.
Human error: only one column was completed; should have been two (data was in compliance). The form was corrected in January 2015 (since the correction is not currently reflected on the EPA web-site, it is classified as a significant violation. TMPA expects re-classification after correction is entered onto the website).
Minor no fine assessed
Administrative; no impact on the environment.
Q3 2014
Residual chlorine of 4.2 mg/l, which is outside the permitted range (1 mg/l 4 mg/l).
Cause unknown.
Minor no fine assessed.
Sewage Treatment Plant is an internal outfall; no environmental impact.
Q4 2014
Biological Oxygen Demand (5-day) of 103 mg/l, above the permitted limit of 30 mg/l.
Cause unknown.
Minor no fine assessed.
No environmental impact. Clean Water Act (mine)
Q1 2012
Exceedances at Pond HR-2 outfall: Fe (3.4 mg/l limit is 3.0 mg/l), Total Suspended Solids (daily average was 175, the limit is 35 mg/l; the daily maximum was 271 mg/l, the limit is 70mg/l).
A large flush of loose material after the 2011 drought and construction modifications to Pond HR-2.
Minor no fine assessed.
Limited environmental impact.
Q2 2012
pH 5.7 (outside of the permitted range of pH 6.0 pH 9.0)
Cause unknown.
Minor no fine assessed.
Minor environmental impact.
Q1 2014
pH 9.5 (outside of permitted range of pH 6.0 pH 9.0).
Non-compliant runoff from upstream landowner (Pond HR-2).
Minor no fine assessed.
Minor environmental impact.
Q4 2014
Suspended Solids (daily average was 51, the limit is 35 mg/l).
Runoff could not be detained to allow for settling.
Minor no fine assessed.
Minor environmental impact.
Environmental Standards
TMPA maintains a proactive stance in meeting environmental standards. The voluntary fuel conversion from lignite to Wyoming (PRB) sub-bituminous coal in 1996 halved TMPA’s emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2). Another project implemented several years later reduced TMPA’s emissions of nitrogen oxides. In April 2011, TMPA voluntarily implemented a scrubber project that reduced its emissions of sulfur dioxide. TMPA’s emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (the main sources of acid rain) are 90% less than the emissions in 1995. The scrubber also helps to reduce mercury emissions to levels that will meet or exceed future emissions standards.
Scientific Publications & Research Papers