COURT SIDES WITH INDUSTRY, BAYPORT TO BREAK GROUND
by Sarah Morgan

The Port of Houston's Bayport container and cruise terminal is set to begin construction as early as next week after the state court dealt another blow to the opposition in a hearing last week.

The Galveston Bay Conservation Preservation Association's six-year long battle against the proposed terminal continues despite dismissal of their suit against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. GBCPA protested the procedure followed in granting certification for the Bayport project, but the judge refused to review the case, declaring that this was not within the state court's jurisdiction.

The surrounding communities and various environmental organizations including GBCPA and the Galveston Houston Association for Smog Prevention have stood their ground against the terminal since the bond to finance the it first went up for approval in 1999. Though voters approved the bond, the GBCPA has pointed out, among other things, that the bond language was not clearly stated.

According to the ballot, the $387 million bond was to be used for "port improvements including related transportation facilities and environmental enhancements to provide economic development." GBCPA contends that voters did not know what they were voting for when they approved this bond that is now being used to finance the Bayport terminal.

Those opposed to the new Bayport terminal continue to worry about the environmental impact and the effects on quality of life that the terminal will have on the area. Concerns range from lowered property values to water quality and air quality.

The $1.2 billion project is slated for construction at the center of the Clear Lake and Galveston Bay sub-region near Highway 146 and Morgan's Point. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the 11,000- acres that will be used for the terminal as "the most environmentally damaging alternative."

The project will also fill in at least 200 acres of wetlands and will be an overall nuisance in the area adding noise and light pollution in addition to the disruption of the water-oriented way of life in the area known for boating, golfing, and other recreational activities.

"It's the last large tract of open land on the west-side of Galveston Bay," said Charlotte Wells, a member of the GBCPA and a resident in the area.

The new terminal will bring in an estimated 7,000 trucks a day and along with these trucks comes the added danger of their diesel exhaust, a known cancer-causing pollutant. Further health concerns include asthma and respiratory illnesses that studies have also linked to these exhausts. Additionally, estimates for Bayport's emissions show that an extra 10 tons of nitrogen oxide, an ozone-depleting element, will be pumped into the atmosphere per day.

"We don't have the infrastructure for this sort of thing," said Wells. She said that the area is not set up to accommodate the heavy traffic and increased activity. "They know it's a bad thing to have in the middle of a residential area."

GBCPA and other opponents have tried to call attention to the futility of building another terminal in this area, which is just 20 miles away from the Shoal Point terminal in Texas City that has already broken ground. "Texas City will take at least 25 percent of Bayport's business right off," Wells said. She also pointed out that the evaluations conducted by TCEQ and the Port of Houston do not look at the cumulative impact of having both ports in such close proximity.

The overall stress on the bay is another concern. With the port's existing container terminal, Barbours Cut, and the other industrial and chemical manufacturing facilities pumping pollutants into the air and water, the question remains of just how much more the bay can take. "I don't know how long it can keep compensating. One day the bay just won't be able to support life anymore," said Wells who has witnessed oil spills, dead fish, dead birds, and a dead dolphin during the years she has lived in the area.

Though several changes have been made to the proposals for the terminal, opponents say it is still not enough.

"I don't think you can make something as bad as Bayport better," Wells said.

The initial phase of construction includes the first 1,660 feet of the wharf, which will be over one mile long upon completion, and the newest development in the port's agreement with the federal government includes setting up a $4 million radiation screening system at the terminal.

Wells said, "People that live here live down here because they want to. We love the bay and we fight hard for it."

GBCPA is currently in the process of appealing the earlier federal court decision in favor of the Bayport Terminal in hopes that the project can still be terminated. The appeal should be filed early next week.

TCEQ SHELVES HOUSTON’S DRAFT AIR QUALITY PLAN
by Sarah Morgan

Proposed solutions to Houston's air quality problems hit a road block after commissioners of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality decided to postpone action on a draft plan in a meeting in Austin Wednesday.

Debate ensued between the commissioners about whether the plan was sufficient and whether additional strategies were required. The commission chose to postpone action on most portions of the proposal, although a few were formally approved for public comment. Additional rules that may be of interest to the public will be published in about three weeks and the commission decided that the best route would be to allow the public to comment on all proposed rules at one time.

At this time, items to be addressed include changes to the State Implementation Plan for ozone attainment, or SIP. Among the areas up for review are the 8-hour ozone standard, motor vehicle inspections and maintenance, vehicle idling rules, and portable fuel container regulations.

Questions remain as to whether the new rules are adequate in dealing with the pollution levels of the Houston-Galveston area. The publication of the rules has been rescheduled for June 3.

More information can be found at http://www.ghasp.org

HOUSTON AUDUBON SOCIETY SUMMER SURVEY

Houston Audubon Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of birds and natural habitat, is starting a new project in June to identify all birds that live in Houston. The Houston Bird Survey focuses on summer, winter and permanent bird sanctuaries in the city. One of the focuses of the survey is to record activity on the picturesque songbirds that travel through our local communities and stay through winter. Participants are encouraged to record sightings of birds near their homes, work, and nearby parks and preserves and observe them for 5 to 10 minutes and then record the time you started and stopped, date, location and the bird species you observed. The information collected provides information that is assembled into a geographic database with maps and locations of the sightings on the HAS website. If you need help in identifying a bird go to http://www.enature.com. To download an electronic survey go to http://www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm/MenuItemID/279.htm.

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