Require Port of Freeport to Address Erosion at Surfside Beach

Whereas, the Port of Freeport has submitted a Draft Environmental Impact Report and is requesting permit from the Corps of Engineers to widen and deepen the Freeport Channel and public comments are due on Feburary 5, 2011, and we the undersigned do hereby believe that the widening and deepening of Freeport Channel is determental to the Community of Surfside Beach Texas, we are here by requesting that US Corps of Engineers require mitigation measures and benificial reuse of dredge materials to re-nourish Surfside Beach and address erosion caused by the Freeport Channel.

Whereas, the Village of Surfside Beach is a coastal community offering recreational opportunities to the greater Houston Metropolitan Area and the Citizens of the State of Texas with over 200,000 visitors a year.

Whereas, the Village of Surfside Beach is vibrant economic community that contributes approximately 12 million dollars a year to the area economy through tourism and pays approximately 3 million dollars a year in property taxes to Brazoria County and over $750,000 in sales and hotel/motel taxes a year to the county and the State of Texas.

Whereas, engineering studies conducted by the State of Texas General Land Office (Coast and Harbors, 2008), the Village of Surfside Beach and the Port of Freeport have shown that the rerouting of the Brazos river and the continued and future deepening and widening of the Freeport Channel is contributing to the rapid man-made erosion in Surfside Beach.

Whereas, the rapid man-made erosion caused by the Freeport Channel has contributed to the loss of in over 40 income producing and taxable properties in the Village of Surfside Beach.

Whereas, the Port of Freeport is exempt from paying most property taxes and requires property tax subsidies to be economically viable.

Whereas, federal law requires the beneficial use of dredge materials and the Port of Freeport is discharging dredge materials off-shore rather than beneficially using these materials to re-nourish beaches caused by erosion from the Freeport Channel.

Whereas, federal law mandates that mitigation measures be implemented for any federally funded project that causes economic or environmental damage and the area.

Whereas, the July, 19, 2010, Executive Order--Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes, requires federally funded project to 2(ii) improve the resiliency of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems, communities, and economies; and that any further deepening or widening of the Freeport Channel would be detrimental to the economy of the coastal community of Surfside Beach.

We the undersigned do hereby request that the United States Corps of Engineers deny the permit for widening and deepening of the Freeport channel, unless their project includes:
Mitigation measures to address current and future erosion directly resulting from the Freeport channel, and
Beneficial reuse of dredge materials through re-nourishing Surfside Beach on an annual basis.