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Port OKs addition of funds over delay in impact statement By BILL HENSEL JR. Houston Chronicle The Port of Houston reacted to a delay in the completion of the Bayport environmental impact statement Monday by approving $1.5 million more to a consultant helping on the project. The change order allows URS Corp. to continue to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the final product, port officials said. The corps plans to publish the final impact statement on Jan. 3, 2003, and solicit additional public comment. The agency is scheduled to have its completed record of decision and permit de- cision out on March 17. The final statement originally was expected to be completed late this year. URS was awarded more than $4 •«illion for work on the draft tatement; including $550,000 for ~~~,e.-essing comments and evalu- :.~«g requirements for the final ai.E-i3erit, port Off1C1alS said. The delay means URS will .~~eiid more time processing pub- lic comments and working on technical sections of the final document. The additional time will allow the corps to work through re- maining issues, said Jim Ed- monds, chairman of the port com- mission. The delay also will help ensure that all comments of pub- ' lic concern about the praposed project are addressed and consid- ered, he said. Subsequently, the sale of a por- tion of bonds related to the Bay- port project will be delayed by Harris County until 2003, port offi- cials said. That decision was made by the county budget office. Edmonds said that given the delay, the deci- sion makes solid financial sense. Also Monday, port officials and elected representatives held a news conference announcing that the port has become the first port in the United States to achieve compliance with ISO 14001 stan- dards. This is the international standard. that is used for assis- tance in implementing or improv-~ ing an organization's environ- mental management system.