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Work may have stopped for now at the YFZ sewer plant, but construction still continues at the temple site. Here workmen can be seen laying limestone along the building’s wall. Large blocks of stone are cut and stacked nearby where rock saws stay busy slicing the blocks into smaller slabs, which are then hauled to the temple site. FLDS church observers believe that Prophet Warren Jeffs intends to complete the building ahead of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Mormon Church on April 6.

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TCEQ halts work on YFZ sewer plant

Tom Green County, Plateau Water District join fight to derail YFZ wastewater permit

Inspectors from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality paid a return visit last week to the YFZ Ranch, this time to deliver a “shut-down” order for construction activity on a proposed wastewater treatment plant.

Ricky Anderson, Regional Director for the TCEQ office in San Angelo told the Success on Monday that inspectors from his office went to the YFZ Ranch on Wednesday, March 2, 2005, and ordered that all work associated with the facility stop immediately. He said that the trip was prompted by reports that construction work had begun on the wastewater facility before his agency had issued a permit.

“We told them they had to cease all activity and they complied with the order,” Anderson said.

At that time, reports of water leaking from septic tanks and continued burning of trash were also investigated by the environmental inspectors.

Anderson wouldn’t divulge any details about those inquiries but did note that additional violations have been identified and will be acted upon. Meanwhile the stop order remains in effect at the wastewater plant.

TCEQ’s action to stop the construction came even as a coalition of opponents, led by the Upper Colorado River Authority, began mobilizing to fight the YFZ permit application. Last week the UCRA committed $7,500 toward the cause and was quickly joined by the City of San Angelo with another $7,500 infusion of cash.

Stephen Brown, a management consultant with the UCRA, told the Success this week that a number of YFZ’s neighbors have also joined us and are pledging money toward the effort. “We have hired an attorney to look over TCEQ’s shoulder,” Brown said. “We want to make sure they are paying attention in Austin.”

Martha Ellen Tucker, who along with her sister Myrta Overby, own land adjoining the YFZ’s northeastern corner told the Success this week that she is concerned that the state environmental agency is being too lax. “If TCEQ won’t pay attention to this thing while it’s being built, can we really trust them to see that things are done right after it’s in operation,” Tucker asked.

Milligan Draw flows across Tucker’s land. It is a shallow ravine that normally carries water only during heavy rains and it is the place where YFZ Ranch officials plan to discharge their treated wastewater.

On Monday, the Tom Green County Commissioners Court also joined the fray, voting to contribute another $7,500 to opposing the YFZ permit application. And, on Wednesday of this week the Plateau Underground Water District’s board of directors also signed on, voting to support the UCRA and to contribute $500 to the cause.

Meanwhile, the Success has learned that the YFZ permit application contains errors that have come to the attention of state regulators. A copy of the permit obtained by the Success fails to list Chip Cole as a neighboring landowner. TCEQ rules require applicants seeking a wastewater permit to list all the neighboring landowners so that they may be contacted by the agency.

Ricky Anderson told the Success that personnel in the San Angelo TCEQ office were aware of the error, but that it would be up to the permit department in Austin to decide if the ranch must start all over with the application process.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Workmen at the YFZ Ranch didn’t seem to notice as the great wastewater debate heated up this week. They began laying limestone at the temple site more than a week ago, but were interrupted by recent rains. Rock laying started again late last week with stone masons beginning on the temple’s south wall.

Atop the structure, workmen used cranes to lift pallets of what appears to be slate roofing shingles. Two prominent round openings protrude from the roof, but look to be covered with white plastic.

Nearby additional homes are being built as numerous truckloads of building material continue to arrive at the ranch.

Judging by the activity around the homes already finished, a number of families, with dozens of children have taken up residence at the YFZ.

On the web

When word first hit Eldorado that Prophet Warren Jeffs and his Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was moving to Schleicher County, people here have looked to the Internet as a source of information. Most of that information focused on Jeffs, his church, and its practice polygamy in and around Utah and Arizona.

Now the Prophet’s followers in Texas have caught the eye of an enterprising weblogger who launched the Texas Polygamy Weblog where discussion centers on the FLDS and its impact here in Schleicher County. The weblog may be found on the Internet at http://texaspolygamy.blogspot.com or by following a link from the Success’ website at www.myeldorado.net.

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The Eldorado Success invites Warren Jeffs and/or other leaders of the FLDS church to comment on this or any other story surrounding the FLDS and the YFZ Ranch.