Corpus Christi City Council talks oil spill, communication woes as cleanup effort nears end

Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·3 min read
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Men in blue suits stop to examine a spot on North Beach during a cleanup effort by Flint Hills Resources on Jan. 3, 2023. Matthew Jimenez and Angelica Mancera, of San Antonio, take photos and fish from the beach during a short visit to Corpus Christi, Texas.
Men in blue suits stop to examine a spot on North Beach during a cleanup effort by Flint Hills Resources on Jan. 3, 2023. Matthew Jimenez and Angelica Mancera, of San Antonio, take photos and fish from the beach during a short visit to Corpus Christi, Texas.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to state the correct City Council district for which Armon Alex ran.

The Corpus Christi City Council, during its first meeting of the year, discussed whether the city sufficiently notified the public in the days following a 14,000-gallon oil spill into Corpus Christi Bay last month.

The newly sworn-in council members were briefed on the latest with Flint Hills Resources’ Ingleside spill. In the days following the Dec. 24 spill, communication was lacking between both local governmental entities and the public, said City Manager Peter Zanoni.

“We admittedly want to do a better job next time, if there is next time, communicating with the community,” Zanoni said. “We have a better-organized team now and our own internal protocol put in place should this happen again.”

More:Cleanup of Corpus Christi Bay oil spill 'largely complete,' Flint Hills Resources says

The discussion during Tuesday’s meeting was the latest in regard to a crude oil spill of 335 barrels, or 14,000 gallons, that officials believe originated from a pipe failure.

The spill’s light crude, which may resemble yellow “popcorn” or appear to be a small pebble of paraffin or wax when introduced to cold water, was found on North Beach, Corpus Christi Marina, Indian Point, Nueces Bay, the Rookery Island and a dredge material placement area. Some light crude was found as far as University Beach, near Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The size of the spill did not merit any limitations to beach access, swimming or fishing. It also did not require the cleanup response to be federally directed — an action typically taken by federal regulators in response to larger spills, Zanoni said.

But the spill is still relatively significant, he said. On Dec. 25, the day after the spill was discovered, the Corpus Christi Ship Channel was closed for a time and more than 20 vessels had to wait for entry.

Hours before the meeting, a coalition of environmental and advocacy organizations discussed the oil spill during a press conference outside City Hall. There, referencing the response to the spill, the groups called for transparency and asked the city to expand its public notification efforts for incidents relating to local industry, including oil spills.

Among them was Armon Alex, a founding member of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit and who unsuccessfully ran for City Council District 3 last year. He brought with him a 5-gallon paint bucket containing crude material he said his organization combed from local beaches on Monday.

“We spoke to multiple families (at the beach) that have no idea that this had happened,” he said.

Members of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit display a bucket containing what they said was crude oil material combed from local beaches during a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. The environmentalist group said the material originated from a Dec. 24, 2022, oil spill at Flint Hills Resources Ingleside.
Members of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit display a bucket containing what they said was crude oil material combed from local beaches during a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. The environmentalist group said the material originated from a Dec. 24, 2022, oil spill at Flint Hills Resources Ingleside.

The response to the spill is nearing its conclusion. The remaining booms installed during the response should be removed by the end of the week, said Raymond Oliveira, a director of the Texas General Land Office’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response program.

With the cleanup effort coming to a conclusion, Flint Hills Resources, with oversight from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas General Land Office, will conduct a joint investigation into how the spill occurred. The investigation remained ongoing Tuesday, but officials believe sub-freezing temperatures on Dec. 24 may have been a contributing factor.

Flint Hills spokesperson Andy Saenz, speaking with councilmembers, said the Koch Industries-owned company is taking the cleanup efforts and investigation seriously. “No spill is acceptable. Not one drop,” he said.

Environmental impacts will also be assessed. So far, 13 birds have died due to exposure to crude oil since the event occurred, and one turtle was treated for potential exposure to the spill, Zanoni said.

Officials encouraged residents to report any material or oil sheens they observe to the Flint Hills Resources Ingleside Response Center at 361-396-2831. To report possible impacts to property, the public can report claims by calling 1-800-254-1122.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: City Council talks oil spill, communication woes as cleanup nears end