Town devastated by Hurricane Harvey opposes oil terminal expansion nearby

Fuel Fix:
An opposition group has formed to oppose a proposed oil export terminal north of Port Aransas.

The Port Aransas Conservancy is opposed to plans by the Port of Corpus Christi to create an oil export terminal on neighboring Harbor Island, which sits north across a channel from tourism-dependent Port Aransas. The export terminal would be able to load two very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, which can hold up to 2 million barrels of oil.

The port's commission approved $115 million in bond funding to fund capital improvement projects including the Harbor Island project. The port owns more than 250 acres of land on Harbor Island that is zoned for industry, according to its website.

The Port Aransas Conservancy said that it is made up of long-time residents and home owners from Port Aransas and "others concerned about managing Port A's growth in a manner that retains the charm that brought us here in the first place."

It is unclear when the website was created.

The conservancy lists 14 reasons why it opposes the Harbor Island project, including locating large oil storage tanks in a storm surge-prone area, negative impacts on the local tourism sector, and spill risks from pipelines.

Port Aransas was among the communities devastated last year by Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall just north of the town as a Category 4 hurricane.
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I think this is a mistake by opponents.  This terminal will bring jobs and traffic to a community that needs it to recover from the storm.  Communities can't just rely on government programs for recovery.  What is needed is investments in industry that brings people to a community along with jobs to sustain it.   A similar facility has been off the coast of Louisiana for decades an has not created the problems suggested by the opponents of this project.  The opposition arguments sound like the familiar refrain of the anti-energy left.

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