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PORT MANSFIELD — Ron Mills, general manager of the Willacy County Navigation District, responded to some of the allegations made by a group of Port Mansfield residents who say the lifestyle of the idyllic fishing village they call home will be ruined by development of a shipping container port.
Resident Miller Bassler claims that heavy industry and sport fishing will not mix together as mostly small fishing boats will not be able to safely navigate between huge barges and tugboats.
Since dredging of the channels and harbor have not been maintained since construction of the port since 1962, the fact that industrial facilities once thrived at Port Mansfield has now become irrelevant because upscale homes, fishing tournaments, fishing guides and the quiet, relaxing pace they bring have become the new purpose of the port, Bassler stated.
He can appreciate issues about boating safety, but barges and tugboats operating at the container facility will not prevent safe operation of small boats or from fishing tournaments from continuing, Mills said. After a career in the U.S. Coast Guard, he is familiar with those issues. A businessman had asked him about the possibility of opening a personal watercraft (Jet Skis and similar two-person craft) rental business, but Mills said he told him it would not be allowed.
“The dredging of that channel was maintained until 2008, so it didn’t go away, it didn’t get silted in the 1960s and 1970s,” Mills said. “There have been industrial facilities in the port and nearby since the 1960s.”
But the recent dredging deepened the channel to a depth of 17 feet, which is probably now 14 feet, Mills said. The U.S. Corps of Engineers should have contractors do maintenance dredging about every two years.
In Bassler’s letter, which was read out loud at Wednesday’s WCND board meeting, he expressed concern about many people in the country illegally allegedly arriving from Mexico by barge, Mills said. But small numbers of migrants already come in by boat periodically and are often detained by U.S. Border Patrol with the help of local authorities.
The issue of migrants, environmental concerns and boating safety are important and are being dealt with, Mills said.
“None of their points are falling on deaf ears,” he said.
Environmental questions lodged by the group included whether bulk cargoes of fuel, oil, chemicals or other toxic substances will be coming to Port Mansfield. Mills said it won’t be allowed, that the only exception is the port’s one gas station and one marina. No shipments of fuel, oil or chemicals will be coming into the port or leaving by barge or ship.
One resident said he feared as many as 1,000 barges a year would be brought in, but Mills said even the Port of Houston wouldn’t reach that amount.
“Maybe 1,000 containers in one year. But, if 1,000 barges came here, that’s 300,000 (metal) shipping containers a year,” he said.
Members of the group claim the WCND board does not allow them to discuss issues about the environment, safety or quality of life. Mills said the board does have an agenda of regular business and follows rules that only allow visitors three minutes each to make presentations.
But, those people could call for an appointment and come to the district’s office at the Wells Fargo Bank in Raymondville and meet with him because he can address many issues, complaints or problems when a board meeting is not taking place.
Complaints about the utility systems are not true, Mills said.
The water and sewer systems have provided reliable service even during hurricanes, except for two or three incidents in many years when lines (pipes) broke and those were quickly fixed, he said.
“Electricity is the only one I can’t control, that is AEP’s responsibility,” he said.
A proposal to bring a concrete mixing plant to the port was rejected simply because it would not be possible to supply the enormous quantity of fresh water that would be needed, he said.
Concerns that the WCND didn’t conduct an environmental impact statement are baseless, Mills said. In order to have the shipping container facility approved, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers always gets approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for every project.
