Houston backs off wetlands plan

   Port of Houston Authority commissioners voted to not go ahead with a plan to build a marsh of up to 411 acres in Galveston Bay with dredge spoils from the Bayport Ship Channel at a meeting Wednesday.
   Instead, the port plans to use existing disposal areas east of the bay on Atkinson Island.
   The Houston Chronicle said construction of the marsh had faced opposition from local governments, community, environmental and recreational groups, including the Houston Yacht Club.
   The port is planning to deepen the 3.5 mile channel to the Bayport Container terminal from 40 to 45 feet to match that of the Houston Ship Channel which runs from Galveston Bay. It will also widen the channel by as much as 100 feet in some locations. The plan is to begin the work next year so that it is finished by the time the expanded Panama Canal is completed. 
   The port also seeks to deepen from 40 to 45 feet the channel leading to its Barbours Cut Terminal.
   Port commissioners, in addition, approved the port authority’s formal response to a report by the Texas Sunset Commission that was critical of the agency.
   The port authority said its staff is “working to implement the recommendations it has been tasked with, which will include strategic planning, safety, and procurement improvements.” – Chris Dupin