CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The city of Ingleside held a special city council meeting Tuesday in which the city council unanimously decided to decline an objectionable use permit submitted by Enbridge Oil because of potential environmental concerns.
Ingleside City Manager Brenton Lewis said that around 160 people were in attendance for the meeting. The main topic that was discussed — potential drawbacks the project could cause to the community.
“One of the questions was, “If the ammonia plant came through, but could not get pipes to take out the carbon, where would it go?”
Lewis said that there were too many unresolved concerns to continue moving forward, especially for something that would leave a lasting footprint throughout the county.
“There’s no evidence about where it was gonna go," he said. "No permits had been discussed. They did not approach the commissioners' court about receiving permits to go through San Pat(ricio) County. So that was one of the biggest questions that were raised.”
Lewis said the decision also was influenced by the recent oil spill in Victoria County. That odor managed to make its way all the way to the Coastal Bend.
“There were several questions that came up about the chemicals, the danger to our citizens, and the control -- whether there was any type of chemical spill,” he said.
The smell is something Ingleside on the Bay resident Willie Jackson said his nose will never forget.
“And I was concerned about the smell, it was a really, really bad smell,” he said.
Jackson said he knows the area is changing with the times, but wants to make sure officials are moving with caution in mind.
“I'm for growth -- I don't have any problem with the growth -- but I'm just really concerned about the chemicals,” he said.
Lewis said that while he does support industry growth in the area, he wants to make sure that they ensure public safety as well.