STATEMENT:

Today the Aransas County Navigation District voted to reject the City’s latest proposal in its current form but remains hopeful to reach an agreement with the City Council.

More than two years ago, the City of Rockport announced plans to run an additional stormwater drain into Rockport Harbor. The Aransas County Navigation District, the agency charged by the State of Texas and the citizens of Rockport, who serves as the conservator of the Aransas County Coastline, was not included in the planning and has raised a series of environmental, economic and health concerns.  All were disregarded by the City in their determination to increase the stormwater discharge directly into the water bodies that are vital to our community.

Over the years, the District has made three appropriate offers, all of which have been rejected. All of the District initiatives were ignored. The City of Rockport, once again without any environmental or engineering studies, has announced a plan to force the District into accepting an additional stormwater system that would include large quantities of silt, chemicals, and other runoff from significant areas of the city. They plan to implement this through Veterans Park while still refusing to conduct any environmental studies. Several environmental and engineering experts are skeptical of the city's assertions that there will be no damage from adding a 3-foot by 6-foot pipe carrying stormwater and its contents into Rockport Harbor. In addition, no proof of the City’s assertions has been provided. The City has only provided the District and the citizens of Rockport with verbal assurances that nothing in their plan could possibly go wrong, all the while refusing to put these guarantees in writing.

The City is now threatening to condemn the Veterans Memorial Park. Meetings have been held with the City by the District to find a solution and do the right thing. However, the City has refused to take ANY responsibility for any consequences of their ill-advised actions. The District cannot stand idly by and allow the Harbor to be further degraded.

The Aransas County Navigation District unanimously opposes the condemnation of the Veterans Memorial Park and the additional extensive discharge of stormwater, chemicals, and associated silt and other unknown waste into the harbor. The District is committed to fighting the condemnation lawsuit on behalf of its citizens to protect our precious coastline.

We implore you to cease the ill-advised condemnation action and engage in meaningful dialogue with the District. The District stands ready to find a resolution. By doing so, this community can avoid huge litigation costs that could be better spent on the environmental studies and protocols necessary to prevent such detrimental actions.

Please work with us!