Many people showed up to voice their opposition to a permit that the Port of Corpus Christi needs for its desalination plant.
The meeting was held Monday night at the Port Aransas Civic Center and was open to everyone. It allowed citizens to provide input to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The biggest concern focused on one key issue: How the 95.6 million gallons of brine discharged into the ship channel daily will affect the environment and wildlife.
One of the most vocal opponents of the proposal was Ken Jones, a fishing guide who depends on marine life for his work.
“If you allow this to happen and this water gets muddied up for 5 years and all this seagrass dies and all these fish will leave and if they can’t leave, they will die,” Jones said. “Where am I going to go and live to provide for my family?”
The next step for the discharge permit is a “contested case” hearing. Several groups have requested it, including the City of Port Aransas.
No date has been set for the hearing.
