Contention remains regarding Evangeline Groundwater Project | San Patricio County

A contentious groundwater project from the City of Corpus Christi that would be in San Patricio County has continued to spark controversy.

The City of Sinton recently rejected an offer from Senator Adam Hinojosa that Hinojosa said was aimed at bridging the gap between Sinton and Corpus Christi regarding the Evangeline Aquifer project, citing an alleged lack of transparency from the city of Corpus Christi.

If online, the city of Corpus Christi has said there would be tens of millions of gallons of groundwater available to help during the current record drought. Through the San Patricio County Municipal Water District, many area cities such as Ingleside, Aransas Pass, Portland, and more receive water from Corpus Christi.

Hinojosa had offered to set up a meeting between the two cities on March 10, according to a letter from Hinojosa’s office. However, the city of Sinton declined to participate, according to a response letter from the city.

“The City of Sinton announced today that it will not attend a proposed March 10 meeting regarding the Evangeline/Laguna Water Project until the City of Corpus Christi (CCC) provides essential information and responds to a previously submitted proposal intended to resolve ongoing groundwater permit matters,” read a news release posted to the city of Sinton’s Facebook page on March 9.

Disputes between Sinton and Corpus Christi have been ongoing regarding the project. The proposed meeting, Hinojosa said, would be an attempt to help bridge the gap between the two. He also made clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to pressure anyone to abandon their positions, but to ensure that leaders have the opportunity to work through concerns directly and in good faith.

“No one is being asked to give up their rights or their positions,” Hinojosa said. “Both cities have responsibilities to their residents and ratepayers. What I am asking is that we take the time to sit down together and work through each concern face to face.”

However, the city of Sinton said that an alleged lack of transparency from the city of Corpus Christi has hurt the negotiations, along with continuing disputes regarding groundwater permits. As a result, the city believes that Corpus Christi has not been acting in good faith.

As a result, the city said it respectfully declined to attend the meeting. According to the city of Sinton, Corpus Christi has not been transparent about sharing hydrogeological and water-quality data related to the project with Sinton despite multiple requests to do so.

“CCC simply must be an open book concerning the project,” the letter said, according to a news release from the city of Sinton. “There cannot be good-faith negotiations until CCC commits to sharing important information and follows through.”

Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni, however, refuted the notion during a press conference on March 13. He said Corpus Christi has made numerous attempts to city down with City Manager John Hobson and Mayor Mary Spiedel, as well as attended city council meetings. The proposed meeting from Hinojosa, he said, was another attempt to bridge the existing gap.

“That meeting that was set up was yet another attempt to communicate, and it didn’t happen, he said. “Sinton has made claims through their lawyer that we haven’t been transparent, but we reject those. We have been very transparent.”

In response to the claim that the City of Corpus Christi has not responded to requests on a proposal meant to address ongoing permit issues with the San Patricio Groundwater Conservation District, Zanoni said the Corpus Christi City Council approved an interlocal agreement months ago, with a request to Sinton to submit any edits or changes they had to protect their citizens.

Eventually, he said, Sinton responded – with a brand new document he said was not at all like the interlocal agreement the Corpus Christi council approved. As a result, he said there has been a document sent back to the city of Sinton by Corpus Christi’s legal team with a document as well as amendments  submitted to the groundwater district attached to the permits.

The city is currently awaiting a preliminary contested case hearing as to whether Sinton has standing to object the permit.

“The dialogue is slow, unfortunately,” he said.

Hinojosa reiterated in his letter proposing the meeting that bridging the gap with the project is essential to helping the region as a whole.

“Sinton has raised legitimate concerns. Corpus Christi has offered potential solutions,” Hinojosa said. “The best possible way to work through them is to communicate as neighbors who both care about the outcome for everyone.”