A draft desalination discharge permit is headed for a public meeting. Here are the details

A draft discharge permit integral to operations of a proposed seawater desalination plant is headed to a state-scheduled public meeting.

Documents show the draft permit for city of Corpus Christi’s proposed development at its Inner Harbor site – off W. Broadway Street and Nueces Bay Boulevard – would first allow discharging as much as 34.3 million gallons of water treatment waste each day into the Inner Harbor ship channel, and in a following phase, an increase that would cap at 51.5 million gallons.

There has been sometimes-ardent contention between opponents and supporters on whether there would potentially be environmental impacts of the facility – and if so, to what extent – often citing different studies.

The notice shows its subject as both the application and the TCEQ’s executive director’s preliminary decision that the draft permit would fulfill “all statutory and regulatory requirements.”

In its online posting, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officials wrote that it had been “determined that no significant degradation of water quality is expected in Corpus Christi Inner Harbor,“ but added that the conclusion reached could be “reexamined and may be modified if new information is received.”

According to TCEQ documents, the agency’s executive director would have the option of final approval for the draft permit without sending it to its commission unless eligible reconsideration or hearing requests be submitted – in which case, the decision would eventually go before the state commission.

City officials on Wednesday announced a new website intended to answer community questions about the project at www.desal.cctexas.com.

Public meeting and comment details, as shown in the notice:

When: 7 p.m. April 18

Where: American Bank Convention Center, 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd.

For written public comment and/or hearing requests: www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/comment or by post mail at:

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk

MC 105, P.O. Box 13087

Austin, Texas 78711-3087

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi desalination plant permit set for public comment