Texas A & M University. Office of the Sea Grant Program
Published: 1972
Total Pages: 490
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The objective of this study was to conduct an evaluation of the environmental impact of a deep-sea port off the Texas coast. The study considered both the non-spill impact of construction and operation of the port and the potential oil spill impact on the coastal environment. The time and financial constraints of the project limited the study to existing on-hand knowledge. The scope of this study was limited to two terminal locations, three designs of port facilities, and three sizes of oil spills. The study also considered the environmental impact of not constructing the port but expanding the present methods to meet the oil import needs of the area. The two port sites considered in this study were Site 1, located 29 (47 km) statute miles southeast of Freeport, Texas in 95 feet (29 m) of water, and Site 2, located 11 statute miles (18 km) offshore in 60 feet (18 m) of water. The nearshore site would require dredging a 1000-f t (300 m) wide 13 statute mile (20 km) long channel to a depth of 90 ft (28 m).