Texas City a Better Bet Than Bayport

A new container port being developed in Texas City will bring the Houston-Galveston region the same economic benefits as proposed terminal at Bayport--or better, according to respected public finance analyst Barton Smith.

"New jobs will be created, personal and entrepreneurial incomes will rise, regional sales will increase, and fiscal dividends will be created to the same extent as would occur for the Bayport facility," said Smith in a court affidavit.

He went further, concluding that in boosting the troubled southern sector of the regional economy, the positive impacts of a container port at Texas City would outstrip those that the Port of Houston Authority claims for Bayport.

"It is likely that the Texas City site would generate somewhat greater social benefits," Smith said. The Port of Houston Authority was invited to participate in Texas City's Shoal Point facility but declined. Shoal Point is funded by private investors and has provoked no public outcry like the storm over Bayport.

Smith's observations appear in an affidavit submitted as part of a legal action challenging the Bayport plan. A veteran of 30 years in impact analysis and author of The Handbook of the Houston Economy, Smith is a professor of economics at the University of Houston and director of the Institute for Region Forecasting.

The legal action was brought by a coalition of local cities and environmental groups, including the Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association (GBCPA). At a February federal court hearing, the coalition won a temporary injunction preventing the Port of Houston Authority from starting to build at Bayport. The case is scheduled to be heard on April 20.

In his affidavit, Smith identified multiple misleading claims and exaggerations in Port of Houston Authority court documents in support of its Bayport proposal.

Most notably, demand for containerized facilities is not unlimited. Among court documents is a report by the Port of Houston Authority's own consultants Booz-Allen, acknowledging that demand is insufficient for two competing facilities.

"The supporting material provided by the Port of Houston Authority not only fails to address key questions regarding Bayport, but actually brings to light arguments against any rushed development of the Bayport facility," Smith concluded. "Its construction in tandem with the Texas City development would create a level of redundancy that would harm both."

A second misleading claim Smith identified involves the immense number of jobs projected for Bayport by Port of Houston Authority consultants Ray Perryman and Associates. "Perryman's estimate that by 2030 the Bayport facility will create nearly 78,000 new regional jobs has to be reviewed as a gross exaggeration," said Smith.

He noted out that some 80 percent of port activity relates to petrochemical cargo, which feeds into manufacturing industry and therefore has a large "multiplier" or ripple effect in the local economy. In contrast, containerized cargo is a tiny percentage and mainly involves retail goods, which do not create comparable ripple effects in manufacturing.

Smith pointed out that Port arguments fail to make a case for the superiority of the site. "Much of the material presented is merely general promotional material (that) has no particular relevance to the creation of a facility at Bayport," he said. Benefits of a container port to the regional economy are likely to be generated anyway—without a single shovelful of dirt being turned at Bayport.

GBCPA vice chair Katie Chimenti noted that business leaders depend on economic forecasters like Barton Smith for projections about the local business climate.

"When a trusted forecaster like Barton Smith says claims in Port documents are 'gross exaggeration,' business leaders should be listening," said Chimenti. "Private investment is already expanding our regional container handling capacity. Why would a publicly funded entity like the Port of Houston Authority spend Harris County tax dollars on a competing facility?"

In addition to their federal suit, the coalition of cities and conservation groups challenging Bayport has also filed suit in state court, where the case is to be heard on May 6.

EDUCATION CONFERENCE RESCHEDULED

The 2004 Environment in Education Conference, sponsored by several local groups and the CEC, has been postponed until May. The weekend conference will feature a kids’ environmental fair with science, arts, and service projects and a tour in the afternoon led by several CEC member organizations, including the Katy Prairie Conservancy. The event will take place at the University of Houston Downtown, although a new date was not determined by press time. For more information and to register, contact Duncan Ragsdale, (281) 759-8343 or duncanrags@ev1.net

KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL HOLDS CITY-WIDE CLEANUP

Keep Houston Beautiful Day is an annual citywide event to help clean up Houston. KHB staff works every spring with representatives from the mayor's office to organize clean-up actives. Past efforts included cleaning up streets, removing litter, raking leaves, and planting flowers. Volunteers are encouraged to participate Saturday, April 3. For more information, contact Trina at Keep Houston Beautiful (713) 839-8855 or Tfinley@houstonbeautiful.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GLOBAL FORUM ON WATER

The Global Forum on Water, sponsored by FotoFest and Rice University, will bring together leading scientists, policymakers, activists, religious leaders, and creative thinkers. They will consider the state of the world’s water and its future. Volunteers are needed on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3, between 7:30 am and 5 pm. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Megan Wilde at cses@rice.edu or (713) 348-5736.

KODAK AMERICAN GREENWAYS GRANTS
Application deadline: June 1, 2004

The Greenways Awards Program, a partnership of the Eastman Kodak Company, the Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. Grants can be used for all appropriate expenses needed to complete a greenway project, including planning, technical or legal assistance, and other costs. The maximum grant award is $2,500, although most grants will range from $500 to $1,500.
http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=2372

THE WILD GIFT
Application deadline: June 1, 2004

The Wild Gift provides exceptional youth, ages 18-30, an experience in deep wilderness and encourages commitment to a self-designed leadership project that will benefit the human and natural community. The 17-month program is provided to Wild Gift recipients at no cost.
http://www.wildgift.org

CANON ENVIROTHON

Annual competition for high school students throughout North America, designed as a way to teach kids about environmental education. The best teams from 47 states and Canadian provinces compete at a summer play-off during July or August on a selected topic. To expose students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography, a different state or province hosts the Canon Envirothon each year. In addition to the actual competition, the event also includes social, cultural, and educational activities organized by the Canon Envirothon Host Committee.
http://www.envirothon.org/competition/Canon2004/index.htm

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY TEACHER GRANTS
Application Deadline: June 10, 2004

The foundation provides grants to educators to facilitate their work in the classroom, school, district, and community. This year, projects will be funded in either of two broad categories: Promoting Stewardship of Cultural and Natural Resources, and Promoting Geographic Knowledge Through Education. The foundation plans to make approximately $100,000 available, in grants of up to $5,000 each. Applications may be submitted by a single teacher or by a project team leader on behalf of a group.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/education/teacher_community/get_grant.html

CONSUMER GUIDE DETAILS ILLS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMON PRODUCTS

A free online consumer guide published in March by the Worldwatch Institute describes the environmental, social, and health harms associated with a wide range of products, including appliances, baby products, DVDs, clothing, cell phones, and food. The guide takes a behind the scenes look at how products are made, and offers simple advice and alternatives that enable people to reduce some of the ills associated with the things they buy.
For each product, the guide also describes successful efforts by governments, businesses, and nonprofit groups around the world to reduce negative impacts associated with common products.
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/goodstuff

NEW REPORT IN PARKS FOR PEOPLE SERIES

The Trust For Public Land’s Parks for People initiative works in cities across America to ensure that everyone--in particular every child--enjoys access to a park, playground, or open space. A new Parks for People report by Peter Harnik, director of TPL's Center for City Park Excellence, highlights the need for parks in Newark, New Jersey. The report's release follows by several months the publication of TPL's Parks for People white paper, which makes the case for new city parks nationwide. Upcoming Parks for People publications will focus on other US cities.
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=13843&folder_id=175

A HANDBOOK FOR ACTIVISTS

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Wilderness Forever has created a handy-dandy guide to taking action. Learn how to draft your own action letters, organize enjoyable activism events, and get in touch with local media.
To obtain your own tree-free version of the guide:
http://www.wildernessforever.org/action/index.html
Learn more about the Wilderness Act:
http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Wilderness/act.cfm

CONSERVATION ACROSS BOUNDARIES EDUCATION COURSE

Conservation Across Boundaries’s Enhancing Wildlife Conservation through Education is a fully-funded, two-week course for junior and senior high school science teachers. The course is being held June 12-25, 2004. To download a brochure and application, visit www.boone-crockett.org, http://www.eih.uh.edu/education/bboard/cabflyer_2004_small.pdf or contact Selma Glasscock, Welder Wildlife Foundation, selmaglass@aol.com for more information. Application deadline: March 30, 2004. $125 application fee.

SEASIDE CLUB BECKONS TO TEXAS TEACHERS

Texas A&M University's Marine Advisory Service (MAS) will be hosting two development workshops for Texas educators on the environment, and natural resources in Texas and the Gulf Coast. Participates who are teachers, science curriculum specialists, or department heads working in public and private schools are encouraged to register. Training sessions for elementary school educators are June 28-30; training for secondary school educators will take place July 7-9. For more information or to enroll, contact (979) 863-2940 or email lbeach@neo.tamu.edu.

EPA SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

The EPA Summer Opportunities for Students website is now up and running. The site provides a web portal through which students may enter to learn about EPA programs, offices, and summer employment opportunities. They also will be able to submit a job application directly to the EPA location where there is a vacancy.
http://www.epa.gov/ohros/student