Happy Monday! Welcome back to another week of ESC News Blog!
Did anyone read The Houston
Chronicle Business Section on Friday, June 9, 2023, they reprinted
an article from Inside Climate News titled, “Corps revives dredging
plans – Floor of Matagorda Bay to be tested for contaminants before ship
channel project can proceed”? In the article,
it speaks about how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are going to look
again into Matagorda Bay and its Superfund site for contaminants in response for
the continued interest in expanding and deeping the twenty-seven-mile canal because
approval was rescinded in December 2022.
The USACE’s plan includes twenty-nine new tests sites throughout the
dredging zone and if any of those areas are contaminated, they will be flagged,
and the information will be sent to Alcoa for clean-up and removal. The cost of the new testing plan which three-quarters
of will be paid by USACE and the rest by Calhoun Port Authority (funded by Max Midstream) is estimated to
be $2.8 million. The testing of the bay is
expected to take about twelve months, and a new final decision about the
project should take about eighteen months. Once the testing is complete a new environmental
impact study will be included for reconsideration of final approval of the Matagorda
Bay Ship Channel Project. The USACE’s
stressed, if there are any new contaminated sites found they will do a full administrative
review before construction begins. If
you would like to read more of the article from The Houston Chronicle,
please click the link: Matagorda Bay dredging plan has shrimpers worried (houstonchronicle.com).
If you would like to read more
about the USACE’s plan or give comments on their plan, please check out: Notice
of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the
Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project, Calhoun and Matagorda Counties, TX. They have a comment period until July 3rd,
please click the link: Federal Register :: Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project, Calhoun and Matagorda Counties, TX.
If you would like to read about
the Calhoun Port Authority’s project; please click the link: HOME | Stronger Port TX.
If you would like help in
developing an idea for a project to move your product, contact us via the email
in the blog and check out our ESC's website!
We hope you have a great and
productive week!
*Disclaimer: Please note there may be a fee involved to read
the article in The Houston Chronicle.