COASTAL BEND SIERRA CLUB
 
P.O. Box 3512, Corpus Christi, TX 78404
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JANUARY NEWS2005

The Coastal Bend Sierra Club met at the Blucher Nature Center on January 18 at 11:30 a.m.
for a regular monthly meeting.

Pat Suter, Chairperson, gave a brief financial report and announced two important dates.
On February 3, Walter Cronkite will host a PBS show titled "Texas: The State of Water—Finding
a Balance." On March 4, in Austin, Sierra, Environmental Defense, and National Wildlife Federation
will co-host an important meeting on Texas water issues. Copies of the report "Bays in Peril" were
made available. Also, a recent Houston Chronicle in-depth report on the perils of living near
refineries was circulated.

Pat Suter also reported that Coastal Bend Sierra has taken a position in favor of the Cheniere
proposal re LNG operations near Ingleside. However, she stated that our position, at least tentatively,
with respect to the Exxon Mobile LNG proposal is to object because of two statements in their EIS.
She believes better mitigation is necessary.

Committee/activity reports were given as follows:

Joyce Jarmon—Long-Term Health

Benzene emissions were disturbingly high in December. On eight days last month,
emissions measured over the allowable of 8 ppb.

Edith Cosgrove—Risk Management

The Local Emergency Planning Committee strongly encourages residents to make
personal plans which can be immediately activated in case of a local emergency.

Mina Williams—PINS fire and sea turtles
The January 16 fire at the National Seashore destroyed the building housing some
equipment (cameras and binoculars) and the classroom for training turtle
volunteers. Fortunately, the fire did not have a direct impact on the turtle lab or
incubation facility.

Ken Jobe—Recycling

The city’s Solid Waste Department has just completed a pilot program on recycling
in the Morningside area. The city Advisory Committee on Recycling has joined a
coalition with Keep Texas Beautiful.

Lois Huff—Earth Day/Bay Day

The annual event day will be from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on April 23 in Cole Park.
Volunteers to help plan activities and to work on the 23^rd are needed.

In two additional comments, Pat Suter announced that the Sierra Club will hold a large-scale
convention in San Francisco in September 2005. This Sierra Summit is expected to bring together
3,000 members. Our group is eligible to send one delegate. Additionally, Pat alerted the members
that the National Environmental Scorecard was recently released by the League of Women Voters
and the Texas Congressional Delegation scored in the lowest category re voting records on
environmental issues.

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