TCEQ Cites Hallett Mine for Five Violations But Issues No Fines
9/17/25 – Update – In response to a request from ReduceFlooding.com, TCEQ has now supplied its FULL report, WITH attachments. Accordingly, I have modified the copy below to delete references to the missing attachments. I have also hyperlinked the full report where the partial report was previously. Caution though: it’s almost 20 megs. I also added some comments about the previously missing water reports.
9/13/25 – During late February, 2025, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) investigated the Hallett Sand Mine on the West Fork San Jacinto and cited it for five violations. The violations included failure to:
- Prevent the unauthorized discharge of process water
- Maintain structural controls
- Submit a required “notice of change” (NOC) to the TCEQ when a designated contact person left the mining company
- Inspect structural controls every seven calendar days
- Submit a “non-compliance notification” when it learned of the unauthorized discharge.
However, the TCEQ report mentions no fines or financial penalties. The Commission simply closed the case after the violations were resolved, even though the mine’s neighbors observed the unauthorized discharge for a full year.
In my opinion, this appeared to be the equivalent of being stopped for repeated, excessive speeding in a school zone and let off with a verbal warning.
Who’s in Charge?
According to the TCEQ report, RGI Materials Inc. operates the Hallett mine, though Hallett’s website claims Hallett is hiring for positions at the mine. Confused?
It turns out that “Hallett” is an “assumed name” of RGI. RGI was incorporated by Kurt, Jim and Jeff Rasmussen of Des Moines, Iowa, in 2001. One month later, RGI filed an Assumed Name Certificate for Hallett Materials.
RGI Materials, Inc. is the company’s legal name. But Hallett Materials is the trade name (also known as “doing business as,” DBA, or brand name) by which the public knows RGI in Texas.
The Rasmussen Group in Des Moines lists 10 other companies it operates with different publicly facing brand names. But there are likely even more companies owned by the Rasmussen family.
For instance, the Montgomery County Appraisal District shows the mine property is owned by J.R. Development, Inc. Secretary of State records show that J.R. Development also leads back to Des Moines with the local address at the Hallett mine in Porter.
So, all roads lead to the Rasmussen family. The TCEQ report even lists Karl Rasmussen 17 times!
TCEQ Does Not Make Full Report Public
The TCEQ report alleges the existence of eleven attachments, none of which were attached – even though one of the investigators told a resident adjacent to the mine that this was the largest investigation he’d ever been a part of.
The attachments allegedly included maps, correspondence, a missing report, photographs and, most importantly, water sample results.
The mine is monitored for Nitrate + Nitrite N, total suspended solids, pH, and hazardous metals including Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Manganese, Mercury, Nickel, Selenium, Silver, and Zinc.
TCEQ Report
However, water samples tested only for suspended and dissolved solids. Compared to control samples taken outside the mine in a nearby drainage ditch, they showed high concentrations of both. One table in the water sample report indicated that sample sizes were not sufficiently large to render valid results.
Investigators Have Trouble Accessing Site
Citizens complained about process wastewater spilling from the mine onto adjacent property and then into the West Fork San Jacinto River for more than a year. The West Fork feeds Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for more than 2 million people.
After meeting with the mine’s operators, the investigators tried to walk to the leak, but could not reach it because the path was inundated with process wastewater.
They then tried an alternate route. But they could not reach the leak from that direction either because the berms had not been maintained.
The investigators then tried a third approach. They left the mine and doubled back to the breach from outside of the mine. At the time of the investigation, the process wastewater discharge covered more than 5 acres.
Other Troubling Discoveries
In addition to the unauthorized discharge, when the investigators asked to speak to the person responsible for discharges from the mine, they were informed that the person whose name was on the discharge permit was no longer employed there.
Moreover, the mine could not produce its “2024 annual comprehensive site compliance evaluation report.”
Neither did the mine notify the TCEQ of the discharge which had the potential to endanger human health, safety and the environment.
The mine did not maintain its structural controls.
Nor could it produce required weekly inspection reports of those controls.
Eventual Compliance Resolves Complaints to TCEQ Satisfaction
One day after the initial site visit, an investigator noted that the unauthorized discharge had stopped and that the berm breach had been repaired. See below.
On 4/3/25, RGI submitted documentation that it was inspecting its structural controls every seven days.
The written notice of non-compliance (required within five days of becoming aware of the non-compliance) was submitted more than a year after the unauthorized discharge started.
On March 13, 2025, RGI updated its contact information for the TCEQ.
TCEQ dropped the complaint regarding the annual compliance report after Mr. Rasmussen indicated that the evaluation was conducted in November 2024.
The TCEQ website now shows all violations resolved and the case closed as of 9/9/2025.
Outrage from Neighbor
One neighbor told me, “Unbelievable what they allow them to get away with. That’s why they just keep doing what they do.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/13/25
2937 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
