COASTAL BEND GROUP SIERRA CLUB
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                            P.O. Box 3512, Corpus Christi, TX 78404
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                                     "When we try to pick out anything
                                                by itself, we find it
                                                hitched to everything else
                                                in the universe."
                                                                              -John Muir


                            COASTAL BEND GROUP     
                                          South Texas Uranium News updated 9/21/09

                             New Ridley Turtle update -5/3/09
                          Coastal Bend Sierra Club's Comments on TCEQ's Draft Rules for UraniumMining in Texas

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COASTAL BEND SIERRA CLUB Sept. 2009 Meeting Minutes

The Coastal Bend Sierra Club met on Tuesday, September 1, from 11:30 am to 1:10 pm at the Central Library, 805 Comanche Street. Chairperson Pat Suter welcomed members and reminded them that monthly meeting minutes are posted on the Coastal Bend website:http://www.texas.sierraclub.org/coastalbend. Pat also reminded members that the club’s treasurer’s report, filed by Treasurer Teresa Carrillo, is included in the September newsletter.

Next on the agenda were reports on summer activities as follows: Lone Star Executive Committee Meeting (Pat Suter for Hal Suter), uranium news from Goliad County (Venice Scheurich), Padre Island National Seashore and sea turtles (Mina Williams), beach maintenance (Pat Suter), and Las Brisas (Joyce Jarmon).

The Lone Star Executive Committee received assurances from National Sierra that their support on coal plant issues, including the Las Brisas contested case hearing, will be forthcoming. There will be Sierra involvement in National Coal Day on September 29. Also, the Texas AFL-CIO voted to join Lone Star Sierra in working to form an Apollo Alliance in Texas and work for a coordinated effort toward a blue/green economy.

On the current uranium front, TCEQ has notified affected and other interested parties of two October events in Goliad. A public meeting to receive comments on the county’s first production area authorization (PAA-1), requested by Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC), will be held at 7:00 pm at the Goliad County Courthouse on October 5, and the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) will conduct a formal contested case hearing at the courthouse at 10:00 am on October 6.

News from the National Seashore is that for the sixth consecutive year, documented Kemp’s ridley nesting has increased on the Texas Coast. In the Park, there were 117 nests this year compared to 93 last year. Over 14,000 hatchlings were released in 23 public events which were attended by over 4,000 visitors. At this time, Park officials are working through comments from some surf fishermen who are opposed to lowering the beach speed limit from 25 mph to 15 mph during the four-month nesting season.

Regarding beach maintenance news, the City of Corpus Christi has been directed by Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, to use an environmentally protective device (Clam Shell) to remove seaweed from its beaches. Also, members are asked to help pass Amendment 9 to the Texas constitution. Passage would give strong standing to continued public access to Texas beaches.

In the matter of the proposed Las Brisas coke-fired power plant, members were reminded that we are in opposition to the plant’s being permitted because local and state medical associations warn that it will significantly endanger public health through large emissions of air pollutants. Also, the mercury in the emissions will contaminate Nueces Bay, which in turn will impact the food chain.

Joyce Jarmon and Pat Suter, who serve on the community’s Long Term Health Care Committee, informed members of the July fire at CITGO which resulted in the largest toxic release of hydrogen fluoride at the plant in over 20 years. Joyce and Pat are eager to learn at next week’s committee meeting why CITGO and TCEQ made no efforts to ask if local residents had adverse health effects from the fire and why citizens living close to the refinery were not notified immediately of the danger.

Naomi Linzer and Pat Suter urged fellow Sierrans to support the upcoming Clean Energy Coalition (CEC) fundraiser on September 13 at Moravian Hall. Good food, music, dancing, and door prizes are all included in the fun. For details, see the CEC website at www.cleaneconomycoalition.org ,e-mail reevesmc@yahoo.com or call 361-334-3908.

Naomi also announced that the Progressive Center has linked with Terracycle in an effort to recycle and directly reuse many items which are not picked up in the city’s recycling bins. For a complete listing of these items, go to http://www.terracycle.net/ .  Your items can then be taken to the Progressive Center at 413 Waco St.

Teresa Carrillo, the environmental representative on the Region N Water Planning Group, announced that theCity of Corpus Christi requested and received Region N’s approval to sell a small amount of waste water (600 acre feet per year) from the Oso Plant.

In final comments, Pat Suter reminded members of the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation (CBBF) forum on storm surge, which will be at TAMU-CC at 5:30 pm on September 14, and of the public television (PBS) feature on national parks, scheduled for September 20.

Submitted by Venice Scheurich September 2, 2009


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                          COASTAL BEND GROUP

                       EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Pat Suter 852-7938 Chairman
phsuter@stx.rr.com    
Mina Williams 882-1179 V.Chairman
Teresa Carrillo 361-672-4703 Treasurer
Venice Scheurich  241-4289 Secretary
Hal Suter 852-7938 Lone Star Chapter   Represent.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS    
Recycling 993-3737 Kenn Jobe
Venice Scheurich  &
Mina Williams		 241-4289

882-1179
Uranium Mining
Bill Alling 289-9090 Air Quality
Kathy Griffith   Membership/Publicity/Audubon
Club Liason
Hal Suter and Mina
Williams		 852-7938 Political
Hal Suter 852-7938 Walks
Hal Suter
Teresa Carrillo		 852-7938 Representataive to Lone Star Chapter
Joyce Jarmon   Refinery Emissions &
Community Advisory Council/Long Term Health Care
Edie Cosgrove   Refinery Emissions
Cheryl McGrath   Webmaster



  Cheryl McGrath      Webmaster
  csmcgrath@earthlink.net             

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      Addresses:

This page was last updated on 10/09/09.

 Protect America's Environment.
For our families, for our future.
       
A Philosophy of Stewardship               
The Sierra Club's statement of Purpose is:  To explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

As a grassroots-based organization, we rely on individuals for our resources, talent, and energy.  Our members are our most important assets.   


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