RAYMONDVILLE - A hefty fine against Raymondville by a federal agency is working in favor of its residents.

A high rainfall season increased water levels at the Raymondville Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2015. The city exceeded its permitted amount for several consecutive months that same year.

“The requirement of our permit is that we can only treat 1.5 of MGPD at our plant,” Raymondville City Manager Eleazar Garcia Jr said. “We exceeded that because of the water in the system, still treated it of course, but you can only match the permit.”

The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality fined the city with almost $30,000 for surpassing the permitted amount. However, the city reached a settlement with them. 

“Part of it was $13,000 worth of tire recycling and tire collection. The other $13,000 is going to be used for illegal dumpsites,” Eleazar said.

TCEQ instructed the city to plan an event to benefit Raymondville’s problematic spots in its environment.

“We looked at what our biggest concerns would be at the time, and tires, of course, are the biggest,” the city manager said.

The city finally executed their end of the deal two years later.

Florida native Antonio Quintanilla said he’s benefiting from the settlement. When he moved to Raymondville, he said he was surprised to learn there was a fee to dispose of old tires.

“You just go, you take them to the dump where I’m from. So here in the Valley, I guess you get a fine so I’m not trying to get no fine. They’re too expensive and they’re not even useable no more,” he said.

Quintanilla said he’s seen tire dumpsites, but hasn’t considered them an option. He plans to get rid of his tires by this weekend.

The tire collection event will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the City of Raymondville Public Works Warehouse located at 777 North 5th Street.