HOUSTON — Owners of a Central Texas summer camp where 27 girls and counselors died in floods last summer were notified this week by state regulators that their pending license renewal may be denied after a review of their emergency plan found it failed to satisfy health and safety requirements.
But that won’t necessarily prevent the camp from reopening next month.
“They did receive a deficiency letter; most camps are going to receive a similar deficiency letter,” Jonathan Gurwitz, a Camp Mystic attorney, said Friday, due to increased requirements under a new camp safety law passed by state lawmakers after the July flood.
Could Camp Mystic still open as planned May 30? “Potentially,” Gurwitz said.
He shared a statement from Camp Mystic officials saying they were “carefully reviewing the notice,” and working with state regulators “to address the areas outlined.”
“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our campers, and we hope to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually,” the statement said.
If state regulators refuse to renew the camp’s license, Gurwitz said camp officials plan to appeal administratively, and that the camp would be allowed to remain open while the appeal is pending, potentially for the whole summer season.
Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, which licenses camps, confirmed that the letter Camp Mystic received, first reported by the New York Times, “is a regular part of the licensing application review process, and most youth camps have received a notice of deficiency letter for their emergency plan due to the statutory changes and increased emergency plan requirements.”
The Texas legislature will hold two days of hearings next week on what happened at Camp Mystic last July 4. A group of legislators visited the camp’s grounds earlier this week as part of the state’s investigation. The Texas Rangers are also investigating the camp’s response.
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