port aransas conservancy

To foster a balance of conservation and economically sustainable uses for Port Aransas and its surrounding neighborhood and waterways while recognizing that our community and economy is dependent on tourism and fisheries within a healthy barrier island coastal ecosystem. 

We want to be perfectly clear that we're not anti-business, we're pro-environment. Our goal is to see any development in the Coastal Bend done with as little environmental disruption as possible.    That's why we're constantly gathering information on the POCCA plans  for Harbor Island.  If ever a marine terminal is considered, we would  prefer an offshore oil terminal and also comprehensive Environmental  Studies done in advance of any plans for a desalination  plant. The ecological effects from either of these events would be  disastrous due to the close proximity to Redfish Bay as well as the ship  channel. Our eyes are also on the proposed deep dredging of the ship  channel requested by the Port of C.C. which will  be quite devastating to the surroundings.  

Well, let's see: The Port of Corpus Christi is already in the midst of work to deepen and widen the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, a massive $327 million undertaking being done in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The project would deepen the current channel from the inner basin to Ingleside to 54 feet and possibly 75 feet. Harbor Island would become a staging area for two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), each of which is 100 feet longer than the carrier Lexington. Plus Harbor Island would host a 20 million barrel tank farm directly in the path of hurricane storm surges. What could possibly go wrong?

• PAC is for protecting our barrier Island coastal ecosystems while maintaining a healthy recreational and tourism economy.
• PAC recommends a state of the art offshore Oil Export Terminal instead of an ecologically disastrous inshore terminal at Harbor Island and deep dredging the Corpus Christi Ship channel.
• PAC is not currently endorsing any specific offshore plan as we have no details on design, best management practices, operations, or potential impacts to the area’s environment.
• We believe that the Port of Corpus Christi and its partners lack of transparency regarding proposed Harbor Island developments has created widespread distrust within the City and Port Aransas community.
• The City of Port Aransas needs to take affirmative action on the POCC and developers plans as they relate to zoning and permitting on Harbor Island and proposed new dredging.
• We need the public and the City of Port Aransas to actively participate and comment on all TCEQ, USACE and other agencies permits regarding the development of Harbor Island and deep dredging of the Ship Channel to protect our environment and community.