Tag Archives: crude

Big News Renegade

Two very concerned fly fisherman, Chris Lancaster and myself, made the local Channel 3 news last night~!~!~

Its time to stand for what is right, not just for what is economic. Not one person, or industry professional guarantees that something will not go wrong and a spill of some sort won’t happen. All this place needs is ONE environmental disaster and I will ruin everything for many years… My initial intention of attending this meeting was to rattle the cages… To let them know, the strongest of voices are out there, and we will not be silenced. I am but one man. Recently put, a Renegade. I dont associate with clubs, organizations, memberships or whatever… I find them all to be far too inactive and the social environments tend to breed complacency. Get up and do something, lets attend every meeting they host until this is settled…

Watch the news report here:

The first project would require that they demolish the North Jetty in Port Aransas and move it 1000ft to the north… Bye bye Tarpon. Bye bye, food for any other fish we chase out there on the fly, or with any kind of tackle for that matter…

There is a (industrial) storm a brewing in regards to the fishery we all know and love in and around Port Aransas, Harbor Island and Corpus Christi. IWe the People should simply stand up and frankly tell them “No, But thanks, these projects are not authorized by the public and will not happen”. Otherwise, we will just find ourselves fighting each other, and the industrialists, wasting all our own time and resources and we will have settled for nothing, only to watch them destroy what little paradise remains on the Texas Coast. That’s the downside to industrial compromise. They will make claims that no environmental accidents will happen, but we all now, it is INEVITABLE, if we let them.

One plan is to install a desalination plant on Harbor Island with up to (newest numbers from last night, get ready… 85mil gallons/day of sucking life out of our bays and nearshore fisheries. Additionally the Port of Corpus Christi, who has named themselves as “landlords” want to build a crude oil tank farm and transfer terminal alongside the desalination plant for VLCC (very large crude carriers).

No matter what they say, they cannot guarantee that there wont be a spill, and that their outflow of “diffused” brine water wont kill all the sea grass and all other marine organisms that cant flee the high concentrations of pollution these projects will most certainly cause. I am not convinced, nor shall I be persuaded to compromise. I as a public landowner and tax paying citizen cannot allow ANY amount of risk. And neither should any of you.

Please get on board and try to catch up to the issues at hand, but dont waste alot of your time trying to find answers… The real truths are buried deep in “dirt” as Mr. Strawbridge called it… Which was his reasoning for having the crude oil terminal “on land” because of “dirt”. I literally LOL’ed… History has already proven that heavy industries cannot operate or even build their plants and operations without SEVERE environmental impact.

Check out these other community resources, join where yo can, participate whenever you can, it doesnt matter if you live here or not. If you just come to visit here, we need you to speak up too, because very few people will return to enjoy our beaches bays and fisheries if it all dies from any and all of the seriously negative effects of any one of these 3 projects that the Port of Corpus Christi wants to implement.

Port Aransas Conservancy

UT Marine Science Institute

Keep in mind, there is ALREADY more than enough science and studies to put a stop to all 3 of these projects. We should not argue the numbers but simply tell them, “No, you cannot build that here or there or anywhere”.

And now, listen to this song, or just read the lyrics… It should help keep your feet on the ground while your head explodes trying to comprehend the massive damage that the Port of CC will cause in the very near future (within less than 3 years) if we allow them to begin any of their projects; 1. Deepening and widening of the shipping channel by an additional 20-30ft. 2. Desalination plant on Harbor Island, and 3. Crude Oil Tank Farm/VLCC Tanker transfer station.

https://genius.com/Clutch-big-news-i-lyrics

The fog is rolling in, the tide is high
Diane’s as fat can be, aye Captain aye
The guests seem more than pleased
How is the wine?
We shall be underway on the bye and bye

Ahead one third, ahead two thirds!
Full ahead, flank
And out from the belly of a whale came a prophet
Amen!

Go shoot the moon, the sun, the great divide
I believe there’s a storm a brewing
Nine crows at nine o’clock nigh
Dutchman on the mizzen mast
Six harpies are singing to the lee
I believe she’s going down
I believe we’re gonna die, die, die

Fortune tellers make a killing nowadays
Me oh my!
Howdy Doody’s past the house of Aquarius
Bring me more whisky and rye
Big news from the party boat

Oh sir, do not distress, the food is fine
Oh, but I must confess
I do find the wine a wee bit dry
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rye
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
She’s sunk full fathom, five, five, five

Fortune tellers make a killing nowadays
Me oh my!
Howdy Doody’s past the house of Aquarius
Bring me more whisky and rye
Big news from the party boat

(reversed)
Them bones, them bones, them dry, dry bones
Come down to the locker of Davy Jones

Harbor Island Crude Refinery

There has been a lot of talks about the sale of Harbor Island, not more than a hop skip and a jump across the Corpus Christi Ship Channel from the city of Port Aransas, which has a population of 3,400 wonderful people. Approximately 250 acres of land has been up for sale and Martin Midstream seemed to have won the bid. Until now…

refinery, environment, port aransas, corpus christi, harbor island, zoning, petition, caller times

November 13, 2013 Caller Times newspaper article

It didn’t take long and a petition was started on Change.org . A website where not only locals can petition our officials but also gives the opportunity for the tourists who frequent Port Aransas  to join the petition. This web petition was started in order to request a change of the zoning for this area to a lighter zoning. It is currently zoned as “heavy industrial” and this designation opens the doors to many types of industries which are all known to cause serious harm to the environment.

Now, it is looks like the Port Commission backed out of the sale to turn Harbor Island into a crude oil refinery. That’s great news but the reasons cited for the Port backing out of the deal was because not everyone had a fair opportunity to bid on the sale of the ~250 acres. The City acquired the island some time ago from Exxon/Fina who used it as an oil tank farm and began a cleanup of the island. Don’t let this fool you, more action is needed.

TPWD Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail Webpage

TPWD Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail Webpage

Now, facing even heavier industrialization, Harbor Island is relatively clean to the spectators who drive the highway as they come to visit its many access points for recreational activities such as kayaking, birding, fishing, camping, and sea shell hunting. Texas’ first Kayaking Trail was established here, the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trails.

Instead of turning it into an even bigger wasteland (and surrounding areas). Wouldn’t it would be nice if we could convince the city not only to eliminate the heavy industrial zoning but to also designate Harbor Island as an environmentally protected recreation area?

lighthouse, lakes, paddling, kayaking, trail, fly fishing, charter, guide

Lighthouse Lake #5 Less than 2 miles from Harbor Island

Main feeding populations of fish reaching hundreds of thousands of fish, if not millions if species were combined, including bull redfish pushing 40″, use the surrounding waterways as feeding zones and congregating places. Thousands of highly migratory birds also roost in the many mangrove cays that make up the island and its surroundings. And that’s just a smidgeon of all the species of animals and plants that call Harbor Island home. Many species of crabs and other crustaceans also call these marine estuaries home. And, to top it all off, these estuaries serve as a nursery for many species of animals, where bait which spawn offshore come into these estuaries and use them from the time they are babies as a sanctuary in order to survive and grow.

A crude oil refinery would certainly ruin this place on land and in the water for at least a 20 mile radius not only from the smell but also from the increase in average water temperatures due to the refinery using the water to cool the plants engines. I wont go into details about what kind of pollutants this will add to the ground water (well water) and especially the saltwater. This would could entirely eliminate the great revenue that tourism in this area produces. That would be a waste of another, and in an already thriving industry, Tourism. Our local tourism industry had record numbers this year and is better to visit with all the wonderful people that come to visit, than to see  another city of amber lights billowing harmful pollutants into the very air we breathe.

If you asked what brings these kinds of levels of tourism, the number one answer is that Nature is drawing them. From the clean, oil and tar ball free beaches, to the jetties, piers, inlets, marinas and mangrove cays which provide these tourists the out of doors experience they are all seeking. Maybe its a break from the normalcy of living in the city, where grass and sand and in most cities, tree do not exist. Where there are few “wild things”, living, breathing, eating, just like you and I. There is always an aura about any small fishing village on an island, and that is usually one of peace, tranquility, and relaxation. That would be the true losses this place would suffer if heavy industry is allowed to build on Harbor Island. The longstanding Culture of Port Aransas would also suffer in my opinion, and it was the culture in the community along with the fabulous ecology of this area that brought us here in the first place. It would be difficult for me to continue living in this place with heavy industry pounding on my front door, on the fabulous Harbor Island.

As indicated on the Change.org petition site, the city of Port Aransas will be meeting at the end of this month regarding the zoning and will discuss it then. It is a good thing that the sale to Martin Midstream fell through as this shows that our officials may be hearing our voices.

With enough public reach through the petition and through the normal government channels provided, this treasure trove of an island can remain as the serene and ecological playground we all work so hard to enjoy whether you are a year-round resident or a visitor which calls this place their home away from home.

Youthfully optimistic, Capt Kenjo
Kenjo Fly Fishing Charters
Port Aransas, Texas