COASTAL BEND SIERRA CLUB
 
P.O. Box 3512, Corpus Christi, TX 78404
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JOIN US   ARCHIVES      January 2005 Ridley Turtle Update

MARCH NEWS2005

Coastal Bend Sierra Club March 2005 Meeting Minutes

The Coastal Bend Sierra Club met at the Blucher Nature Center on March 15 at 11:30 a.m.
for the regular monthly meeting.

After welcoming remarks by Chairperson Pat Suter, member introductions, and a brief financial
report, activity reports were given.

Kenn Jobe reported that the Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Recycling has not been called to
meet for several months and that BFI will be in charge of the landfill site. Although the city’s
Solid Waste Department discontinued sponsorship of the children’s Christmas decoration contest
and the Christmas card recycling contest, the Department did participate in Texas Cleanup Day and
is participating in this year’s Earth Day/Bay Day celebration.

Hal Suter reminded members of the September 8-11, 2005, Sierra Summit in San Francisco, and
stated that our group is eligible to send one official delegate who would receive registration and
hotel discounts. With a motion by Teresa Carrillo and a second by Mina Williams, members voted
to send Hal as the Coastal Bend delegate. Hal then led a group discussion re the April city election.
After extensive discussion, Kathy Griffith moved and Teresa Carrillo seconded the motion to give
Gloria Perez our internal endorsement. The motion carried. Teresa then moved and Kathy seconded
a motion to have Hal Suter ask Gloria Perez if she would like a public endorsement by
Coastal Bend Sierra. The motion passed.

Venice Scheurich and Mina Williams were asked to report on the Kemp’s ridley turtles and on last
week’s PINS public hearing on the long-term management plan. Venice reported that turtle patrols
will begin on April 3, and that orientation had already been conducted for about 140 volunteer
patrollers. Mina suggested that Pat Suter give the PINS report since Pat and Kathy Griffith had
actively participated in the hearing process. Pat reported that approximately 55-60 people had
attended and that about 50 of them were Padre Island surf fisherman. Attendees divided into four
groups for discussion of priorities. Consensus in all groups was that beach driving should remain
open all the way to Mansfield Channel and that there should be no road constructed down the middle
of the island. Also, any ferry operating from Port Mansfield would have to be privately funded. Oil
and gas development are separate issues from the general management plan and therefore were
not addressed at the hearing. In summary, participants at the hearing agreed that future operation
of PINS should be very similar to what now exists. Park officials will continue to work on the plan
and have it ready by September of next year.

Edith Cosgrove and Joyce Jarmon serve on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Long-Term Health
Matters. Edith reported that several more monitors for detecting air pollutants have recently been
placed around the city and that the data collected will soon be available on the internet. Joyce
reported that she had recently heard Gretchen Arnold of Pollution Prevention Partnership at
TAMU state that monitors are showing greater air pollution (mainly ozone) in the
Everhart/Staples area during rush hours than in the industrial areas of the city.

Lois Huff of the Corpus Christi Bays Foundation reminded the group that preparations for
Earth Day/Bay Day are proceeding. She stated that CCBF officials are optimistic that their
outreach efforts will be greatly served by the Cole Park location for this year’s event. It is
thought that a whole new group of people will be reached because of this central location.

Annie Saenz and Nilsa Quintanilla, members of South Texas Opposes Pollution (S.T.O.P.),
reported on ground water contamination by U.R.I., a uranium mining company, which has
operated 7 miles southeast of Kingsville since 1989. The water, which met drinking standards
prior to mining operations, has now been declared unfit for drinking by EPA because at present
it contains five to seven times more uranium than is considered safe for drinking water. S.T.O.P.
is working to raise awareness and funds prior to a TCEQ hearing in August 2005. Pat Suter, on
behalf of Coastal Bend Sierra Club, invited S.T.O.P. to participate in our booth at
Earth Day/Bay Day by having an informative display and by having a petition drive.

Pat Suter reported that she and Teresa Carrillo attended the ED- NWF- Sierra- sponsored water
meeting in Austin on March 4 where she heard an interesting presentation by an Austin company
which sells rainwater collection systems for homes. Residents of homes in areas receiving at
least 18 inches of annual rainfall could potentially collect enough rainwater to run their households.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:30 p.m.

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