In his bid for Texas’ 10th congressional district, Progressive Democrat Mike Siegel (D) is hoping to turn the seat blue in the upcoming 2020 election. However, while the environment has been an important topic in his radical election platform, Siegel is now facing criticism over a. 2015 case when he was representing the City of Austin. In his time in office, the city was sued for causing damage to wetlands along the Colorado River.
In the 2015 case, the City of Austin was sued by a Plaintiff who owned property along the Colorado River, which was across from a park where the city had completed a large construction project to build a park. According to the complaint filed by the Plaintiff, it’s alleged that large amounts of dirt and debris kicked up by the city’s construction caused a large sandbar to form in the river.
In the complaint, it’s explained that “the sandbar has been present for many months and shows no signs that it will wash away and revert to its prior state.”
The Plaintiff added that “the sandbar has caused a noticeable change in the course and flow of the river and has negatively impacted the wetlands habitat that otherwise flourishes along this stretch of the Colorado River.” Moreover, “with each heavy rain additional sand, gravel, rocks and silt make their way into the river.”
The case culminated in March of 2018 with the Judge ruling in favor of the Plaintiff, and the City of Austin was ordered to pay $25,000 in a civil penalty.
During a time when the environment has played an active role in the political arena, being discussed in local races and even in the presidential race, Siegel will most likely be pressed to answer questions regarding his past as a representative of the City of Austin, and expect to see some Progressive eyebrows raised considering that he is one of the biggest supporters of the "Green New Deal."
