The Texas environmental regulator on Friday prohibited much of the water use at an oilfield camp, which turned into a holding center for immigrant teens, raising an alarm about the safety of more than 400 youth detained there .
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said that the flowing water in the Midland Camp can only be used to wash toilets or wash clothes because officials are not sure whether the water is safe. It is unknown how many teenagers may have drunk alcohol or otherwise used it. They are now being given a bottle of water to drink.
There was a “man camp” for oil field workers for teens opened on Sunday night that was replaced in a hurry, with security concerns continuing since President Joe Biden’s administration hastily converted. US officials are currently racing to open new sites to keep teenagers and children crossing the US-Mexico border to try to clean up border patrol facilities, holding more than 4,500 youth.
According to the agency’s online records, Midland Camp did not have an active permit for the public water system with TCEQ. The camp is run by Katy, Texas-based Cotton Logistics.
Sen. Kel Seliger of Texas said Friday that water on the site was drawn from a well that the company drilled without obtaining a TCEQ permit.
“They just drill well,” said Seliger, a Republican who represents Midland. “It is a very shallow well, and this is where the anxiety is naturally caused by arsenic, nitrate. The oilfields are not expected to be pollutants, but they do not know. “
It is unclear whether TCEQ has tested the water or found any hazardous chemicals. Cotton Logistics did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The US Health and Human Services, which operates long-term facilities for immigrant children, said the Midland facility’s water is “considered potable and regularly tested above standards,” but did not say Who did the test and what did the test get. HHS also did not answer questions about when it learned about water.
“We are in contact with our contractor so that clean water is accessible to children and employees,” said HHS spokesman Lussana Perez.
Seliger and Midland County District Attorney Laura Nodolf said they were told that federal agencies were first pouring rain and water from the well. TCEQ said in a statement that Cotton Logistics is now preparing to bring water to the site and the agency will have to approve any plans to do so.
Texas Village. Greg Abbott issued a statement, accusing the Biden administration of “denying failure when it comes to ensuring the safety of minors crossing our border.” The Republican governor has faced criticism for lifting the COVID-19 ban and dealing with a winter storm that has knocked in the state’s power grid, which is crucial to the new Democratic administration’s handling of the border.
Earlier this week H.H.S. Stopped taking teenagers for convenience As the agency opened another emergency holding center at the Downtown Dallas Convention Center, it is expected to reach 400 teenagers on Friday.
An officer working at the Midland site first noted several shortcomings in the first days of camp – from the lack of Spanish-speaking caretakers to the initial lack of new clothing for teenagers who usually wore the same clothing In which he crossed the border. More than 10% of the approximately 500 adolescents on site tested positive for COVID-19.
The American Red Cross has supplied volunteers to care for teens in Midland and Dallas. Neither HHS nor the Red Cross will say whether volunteers have conducted FBI fingerprint background checks that are more comprehensive than specific business background checks.
Local officials in Midland say federal agencies have failed to keep them informed or ensure that the teen and the surrounding community are protected.
Midland District Attorney Nodolf said he learned on Friday that if a possible crime occurred on the site or a juvenile ran away, federal agencies would call the local Sheriff’s Office for help. A security fence is still under construction, while the teen has been on site for about a week.
“These children have been the subject of abuse at the hands of the federal government due to lack of preparedness and operational planning,” he said, adding: “It’s not political. It’s the children’s well-being.”
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