Far-field study finds Inner Harbor desal plant would not harm bays

A new environmental study presented to an advisory committee made up of 20 community members suggests the city’s proposed Inner Harbor desalination plant would not significantly harm nearby bay systems.

The findings come just before a major June 2 city council vote that will determine whether the project moves forward or not.

“I think June 2 is a very important date. I think the state is watching us. I think they wanna know, are you gonna do Inner Harbor or not? And if you’re not, you’re gonna pay us back. And only Corpus Christi residents would pay that back,” Corpus Christi City Councilman Mark Scott said.

Residents and environmental advocates have long raised concerns about the impact that brine discharge from the plant could have on Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay.

Now, members of an advisory committee made up of scientists, residents, business leaders, and conservationists say early far field study results are encouraging.

“The output of that says that the plant is safe to the environment,” said committee member David Loeb, owner of Landlord Resources and board member at Del Mar College.

Loeb pointed to side-by-side comparisons included in the study’s presentation that showed no visible difference between bay conditions with and without the desalination plant operating at full capacity.

“You literally look at them and you can’t tell the difference,” Loeb said. “That’s an easier way to convey the information than it is to hand somebody a 150-page report.”

Loeb added that serving on the committee shifted his own opinion of the project from skepticism to support.

“Looking at some of the potential problems on some of the other projects, I think this plan is the best option from that standpoint because we have spent more time and money understanding what those problems could be and mitigating them,” Loeb said.

Also serving on the committee is Jesse Gilbert, President and CEO at the Texas State Aquarium, who says the organization closely monitors bay water quality as their animals use it daily.

“There’s still a lot more analysis that needs to be done,” Gilbert said. “I think interpretation of that data needs to be looked at ecologically, but I’m at least breathing a little bit of a sigh of relief that our operation would probably stay the same.”

Gilbert said that the findings could go beyond the Inner Harbor Desal project.

“This really is an opportunity for the Coastal Bend to lead desalination efforts not only in the state of Texas but nationwide,” Gilbert said. “And what can we do with the brine and what are different things that can happen. There are some really brilliant scientists in this community.”

City Council is expected to vote on the project’s design on June 2.

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