This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
El Paso County Mulls Increasing User Fees for Parks, Pools
El Paso County residents may see increased user fees for sports tournaments, swimming pool, pavilion rentals and more at county parks.
Potential fee increases were presented to the Commissioners Court Monday by Parks and Recreation Department Director Tim Fulton, who said they aimed to help offset increasing operating costs while keeping facilities accessible to the community. The proposed increases follow a fee study conducted by the county.
Some of the proposed increases include facility rentals for baseball or softball tournament fees at Ascarate Park, possibly going from $15 to $35, and users can also see a new $25 fee for sport court rentals. If approved, the increases would match fees at the El Paso County Sportspark, which isn’t facing any fee hikes.
The commercial fee for 5K events at Ascarate Park could go from $450 for four hours to $750, and for a full day, the price could go from $3,000 to $4,500. Pavilion rentals that now range from $800 to $1,450 could go up by $1,100 to $2,000.
The parks department is also considering reinstating a weekend parking fee of $3 per vehicle and a new parking fee of $3 for the Lights on the Lake holiday event at Ascarate Park, among other changes.
Vendors could also see potential increases for food trucks from $75 to $125 depending on the day of the week.
There may also be an increase to open swim admission at the county pools ranging from the current $1 to $3 range to a flat $4 daily cost at all facilities. The prices currently range from $1 to $3 depending on the facility. The fee for youth, seniors, military, first responders and county employees would be $3 if approved.
The proposal will return to Commissioners Court for further consideration after more public feedback is gathered. Proposed increases for developers will be revisited June 15.
TCEQ Grants Hearing on Marathon Refinery Air Permit Renewal
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has ordered a contested hearing before considering a renewal of Marathon Refinery’s air permit. El Paso County Commissioners Court requested the legal proceeding, similar to a civil trial, to review the oil refinery’s emissions.
TCEQ commissioners ruled 3-0 in favor of the commissioners at a livestreamed June 3 hearing in Austin, citing concerns about how the facility’s air pollution could impact the surrounding area. Marathon Refinery is located on 500 acres in East-Central El Paso near Cielo Vista Mall and residential neighborhoods, as well as Ascarate Park. The refinery emits toxic air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and particulate matter that are hazardous to health, but permissible under Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Long-term exposure can lead to chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
“The county weighs concerns that are relevant and material to our decision on this application, including the air quality concerns at the property, air nuisance concerns for its property and concerns that air quality analysis and air dispersion modeling were not properly conducted,” Tonya Miller, TCEQ commissioner, said at the hearing.
The contested hearing would pressure Marathon Refinery to produce documents detailing how it came up with its emissions numbers. El Paso County will have the chance to scrutinize the refinery’s records and the possibility of increased regulation.
In 2011, Marathon – known then as Western Refining – entered a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after the EPA sued the refinery for violating Clean Air Act requirements for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, VOCs and benzene.
The contested hearing must be held within 180 days after the ruling. A date has not been set.
United Way Seeks Volunteers to Deliver Fans to Elderly to Fight Extreme Heat
United Way of El Paso County is asking community members and corporate groups to help deliver fans to the elderly and other vulnerable populations to help protect them from extreme heat expected this summer.
The volunteer initiative is part of the organization’s annual Day of Action taking place June 15-19 in partnership with the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging and the Extreme Weather Task Force.
“When community members give their time to support one another, they strengthen the connections that make El Paso resilient,” Georgina Hernández, president and CEO of United Way of El Paso County, said in a news release. “A simple fan can provide comfort, relief, and even protection during dangerous heat conditions.”
Extreme heat is one of the most significant weather-related risks facing older adults and families with limited resources in our region, United Way said in the news release.
Climate change is increasing the risks of extreme heat, with the average annual temperature in El Paso increasing 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, according to the nonprofit Climate Central. El Paso recorded 33 days of temperatures above 100 degrees in 2025.
READ MORE: El Paso’s heat is killing in record numbers. It may only get worse
Volunteer shifts are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 15-19. Delivery routes are available throughout El Paso County.
Sign up at VolunteerElPaso.org. Fan pick-up location will be shared with registered volunteers prior to June 15.
Information: unitedwayelpaso.org.
UTEP Study Looks at White Sands Dust Impact on Solar Panels
Not all dust is created equal. Dust that accumulates on solar panels blocks sunlight and can lower energy efficiency.
But a study led by the University of Texas at El Paso found that photovoltaic panels in Alamogordo lose only 2% to 3% of their power output to dust buildup, a rate far lower than other dusty parts of the world including in the Middle East, Iran and China, where losses in power can reach 10% to 80%.
El Paso and southern New Mexico are no strangers to blowing dust particles that blast the region every year. The panels tested in Alamogordo were covered in particles from the White Sands gypsum dune field, which behaves differently from other types of dust. The study concluded that the wind helps clean south-facing panels by dislodging particles, and the gypsum itself absorbs less light, limiting its interference on the panels’ performance.
Coupled with abundant sunshine, this region in the Chihuahuan Desert is a favorable location for solar energy, said environmental scientist German Rodriguez Ortiz, the study’s lead author. The study, published April 2026 in the journal “Atmosphere,” can be read online here.
EPCC Trustees to Help Veterans with Digital Footprint for Planned Museum
An effort to create a museum that recognizes military veterans of the Southwest took a step forward after the El Paso Community College Board of Trustees decided recently to help the group develop a comprehensive digital presence.
The board voted 5-0 during a May 27 meeting in the college’s Administrative Services Center, 9050 Viscount Blvd. Trustees Diana Mooy and Jesus Mendez were not present.
A college spokeswoman said that there were no additional details on the project that will be done in collaboration with the nonprofit Military Veterans’ Museum of the Southwest.
“It is in the conceptual phase,” she said.
Board Chairman Brian Haggerty said after the meeting that the veterans organization expects to use the digital rendering in its fundraising efforts. At some point, the board might consider leasing land to the group for a brick-and-mortar museum.
Earlier in the meeting, military veteran and retired educator Al Flores led a presentation about the group’s goals. He asked the board to set aside land for an eventual building at its Transmountain Campus, possibly where the tennis courts are. They requested the site to be near the Old Glory Memorial at Diana Drive and Gateway North. The museum would serve as an educational facility and repository for memorabilia to include oral histories that recognize area veterans.
The trustees encouraged the veterans group to come up with a detailed plan with funding and timeline information and present its request to the board.
On a different topic, the board will have a special meeting at 4 p.m. Friday, June 5, in the ASC President’s Conference Room to discuss and possibly take action on a letter of intent with the city of El Paso for a proposed ground lease – possibly to pave undeveloped EPCC land for a parking lot – for future patrons of the planned Sunset Amphitheater that is supposed to be built on the site of the former Cohen Stadium.
The post El Paso County weighs fee hikes for parks, pools; TCEQ orders Marathon hearing appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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