06-17-2003 Bayport Expansion Review Committee Meeting

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i .` 1 .. ~~ ~ STAN ~~~0° d .T a o`` ~o S g a _ :.~ ~ ~. ~c °~,os~ ~yQ "~ e A O a DsT -:~:~~~o oo,,_ ON , _ EAYPORT CONTAINER & CRUISE TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE 2005 Phase lA of Bayport is operational, including 1,660 feet of the ultimate 7,000 ft. wharf and approximately 65 acres of the ultimate 1,043 acre facility. Additional phases will be built incrementally over many years according to market demands. Apri12003 The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducts a public meeting on the Port Authority's 401 water quality permit. Later this month, the Corps is expected to release its Final Environmental Impact Statement. The Corps' schedule calls for a record of decision on the permit for Bayport near the end of this month. The Port Authority anticipates a favorable decision. August 2002 The Port Authority's Barbours Cut Container and Cruise Terminal and the Central Maintenance facility became the first Port facilities in the U.S. to develop and implement an Environrnental Management System (EMS) that meets the rigorous standards for ISO 14001 compliance. May 2002 Cruise Terminal design changed to reduce the number of berths to three from five to lessen the environmental and bay bottom impact necessary for the facility. Changed mitigation to address the verified wetland delineation at Bayport with a 3.6:1 ratio of new wetlands to impacted wetlands on the conservation easement. Increased the conservation easement size to 173 acres. The Port has proposed to create 66.8 acres of freshwater wetlands, enhance 12 acres of existing wetlands, preserve 23.7 acres of forested and shrub uplands and 71 acres of restored coastal prairie on the easement. March 2002 Written comment period on the DEIS closes. February 2002 The Port makes further minor changes to the master plan to improve stormwater drainage, location of the three-mile long, 130-foot wide, 20-foot tall sight and sound berm located on a 128-acre buffer zone, sound barriers on the north shore of the Bayport Channel, the use of high-tech spreader bars on the wharf cranes to reduce noise and add a new 75-foot set aside between the vegetated berm and Pine Gully for habitat purposes. December 2001 A public workshop followed by the official public hearing was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Three to four thousand attended the public hearing. The group was split between opposition and supporters. Bayport Container & Cmise Terminal page I of 9 May 2003