The Lavaca County Commissioners Court on Nov. 10 discussed repeated concerns that drilling- and exploration-related equipment has used county roads and bridges in ways that exceed posted load limits and damage infrastructure.

A commissioner described a photograph of an 18-wheel crane crossing a bridge with a 40,000-pound limit near a County Road 226 drill site and said the county lacks an effective remedy for subcontractors that do not follow permitted routes. "That crane is coming off of 226 and entering 229 ... that is not their approved route," the commissioner said, warning that heavy equipment "will not accommodate that" and will "wallow out the road."

Commissioners said the current road-use agreement can be interpreted in multiple ways and lacks specificity about routes, subcontractors and penalties. The court agreed to convene a special meeting or workshop that includes the county attorney's office, the district attorney and the sheriff's office to rewrite routing terms, review bond requirements and consider enforcement mechanisms.

County staff also discussed the county's bond structure and site-by-site permitting: commissioners said the county's $250,000 per-road bond should cover substantial repairs, and they warned that a single bond should not be interpreted as blanket coverage for multiple roads or sites.

Next steps: the judge's office will coordinate a special workshop including the county attorney, the sheriff and prosecutors to draft clearer routing and bond language and consider technical options such as electronic access to permits for on-the-road enforcement.