FEBRUARY
NEWS2005
Important Upcoming Events
OUR NEXT SIERRA CLUB MEETING
March 15, 2005
Time:11:30pm
Place: Blucher Nature Center (across from Blucher Park)
205 N.
Carrizo, Corpus Christi
New January 2005 Kemp's Ridley Update by Mina
Williams & Venice Scheurich
Coastal Bend Sierra Club February 2005 Meeting Minutes
The Coastal Bend Sierra Club met at the Blucher Nature
Center on Tuesday,
February 15, at 11:30 a.m. for the regular monthly meeting.
Chairperson Pat Suter welcomed members and gave a brief
financial report
after which she called for activity reports.
Edith Cosgrove and Joyce Jarmon serve on the
Citizen’s Advisory Committee on
Long Term Health Matters. They reported that the next meeting of this committee
would be on February 16th and that even though benzene monitoring in December
showed that levels were still too high on several days, they are encouraged that
industries involved are regularly sending representatives to fully inform the committee
of efforts being made to improve the situation. Benzene monitors are operating at
several area sites and readings will be available to citizens on the internet as soon as
TCEQ works out some remaining technicalities.
Kenn Jobe serves on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee
on Recycling. He is discouraged
by the fact that the Solid Waste Department has not called a committee meeting in quite
a while, but is hopeful that a meeting may be held next month. It was decided that Kenn
would call the appropriate people in the Department to inform them that Coastal Bend
Sierrans support their interest in joining the Central Texas Recycling Association.
Teresa Carrillo and Lois Huff informed the group of their
progress in working on this
year’s Earth Day/Bay Day event which will be held in Cole Park. The committee met in
Cole Park on February 14; Kenn Jobe and Pat Suter are participating in the planning
and attended the meeting. Edith Cosgrove moved that Sierra set up a booth at the
event on April 23. Kathy Griffith seconded; the motion carried. Joyce Jarmon made
and
Hal Suter seconded a motion to contribute $500 to the Bays Foundation to help with
expenses; the motion carried. Pat Suter designated Kenn Jobe to plan a display for
our booth.
Pat Suter and Kathy Griffith reported that the February
14th Conservation Summit
sponsored by the Bays Foundation was well attended and that participation was very
good. Participants placed high priority on protecting fresh water inflows to bays and
estuaries.
Hal Suter, representative to the Lone Star Executive
Committee, circulated copies of a
resolution urging Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and members of the
Texas Legislature to develop and enact legislation to protect fresh water inflows. Hal
reported that the resolution has already been passed by several Texas municipal and
county entities.
Pat Suter called attention to the Padre Island National
Seashore General Management
Plan as presented in the Park’s February 2005 Newsletter. She stated that Sierra
would
oppose the option for a ferry landing and other
development at Mansfield Channel.
Sierra’s opposition is based on the fact that as matters now stand, taxpayers would
be expected to bear the expense of building the facilities and paying the salaries of
park rangers who would then be needed in that area.
Pat Suter reminded the group that Coastal Bend Sierra is
on record favoring the
Cheniere LNG proposal near Ingleside. However, she stated that we are opposing
the Vista del Sol (Exxon Mobile) proposal because it includes plans for extensive
dredging in La Quinta Channel. Moreover, they propose to take over two disposal sites
which were not intended for this project. Also, their mitigation plan is weak since it
calls
for planting sea grass in a location where sea grass would not thrive. Sierra has asked
the Army Corps of Engineers to hold public hearings on the proposal and to consider
cumulative effects of adjacent operations.
Prior to adjourning, Chairperson Suter reminded members
of the state water meeting at
Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on March 4 at 9:00 a.m.
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