Media Contact:
Rebekah Staub, Permian-Gulf Communications Manager, rstaub@earthworks.org
Community members will meet in-person despite virtual format
Hearing is last time to weigh in on the project’s environmental review
JONES CREEK, Texas — Today, elected officials and residents of Brazoria County will gather at Jones Creek Baptist Church at 5:00PM to try to stop the Maritime Administration (MARAD) from licensing Texas GulfLink, a massive oil export project proposal which fails to account for the full breadth of impacts it will have on communities and the environment.
Texas GulfLink is proposed just seven miles from the Sea Port Oil Terminal, the largest offshore oil export project in the U.S. the Biden Administration approved construction of in January. GulfLink’s proposal does not take this into consideration. The Texas GulfLink project would pump 2 million barrels of oil every day from the Houston market to the coast where it would be exported for other countries to use. The project would involve building 140 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines, a tank farm near the village of Jones Creek, and an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico 30 miles off the coast of Freeport.
Following the final public hearing, federal agencies and governors in adjacent states have until Oct. 28 to comment on the project, and the Maritime Administration has until Dec. 12 to issue a record of decision for the environmental impact statement.
In response to the final public hearing, frontline leaders and allied organizations released the following statements:
Gwendolyn Jones, a life-long resident of Freeport, said:
“The Maritime Administration is supposed to serve the people. They do not care about the children, they do not care about the future, they don’t even care about their own families. For the Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities here, we’ve had pipelines all of our lives. We were never told anything. We’re still drinking this water. We’re still breathing this air. The smell is the same one we’ve been smelling all our lives. This is personal to us. We will continue to fight GulfLink as long as it takes.”
Joanie Steinhaus, Ocean Program Director of Turtle Island Restoration Network, said:
“This project, within seven miles to the recently approved Sea Port Oil Terminal, poses significant environmental risks including oil spills, destruction of coastal wetlands, and threats to ecosystems, communities, and local industries. Approving GulfLink would entrench fossil fuel dependence, increase pollution, and harm Gulf communities already facing climate disasters, without benefiting local residents. In the interest of protecting local communities, wildlife, marine life, and our environment in Texas, we urge the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard to stop the Texas GulfLink project.”
Roishetta Ozane, Founder and CEO of the Vessel Project of Louisiana, said:
“In the face of overwhelming evidence and community concern, we stand united against the GulfLink Deepwater Port Project. This initiative threatens not only our coastal ecosystems but also the health and well-being of vulnerable communities already grappling with environmental injustice. We cannot allow the expansion of crude oil exports to come at the expense of our environment and our people. It is time for the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard to recognize the urgent call for environmental protection and justice.”
Jeffrey Jacoby, Deputy Director of Texas Campaign for the Environment, said:
“What a stupid plan: approving a deepwater disaster like Texas Gulflink less than a year after approving the Seaport Oil Terminal (SPOT), one of the largest pollution sources in North America and a crude oil catastrophe waiting to happen, just a few miles away in the Gulf of Mexico and way too close to the communities damaged by Hurricane Beryl. If this administration is at all serious about mitigating climate change and protecting coastal communities, Secretary Pete and Administrator Phillips will categorically reject Gulflink.”
Scott Eustis, Community Science Director of Healthy Gulf, said:
“Big Oil’s legacy in the Gulf is a disaster of rusting wells, abandoned pipelines, and environmental neglect. We should be transitioning to sustainable energy sources such as offshore wind rather than adding another oil export terminal that will only exacerbate these issues. The Texas GulfLink project is a blatant attempt to extend our dependence on fossil fuels while ignoring the urgent need to address existing environmental damage. We cannot afford to permit more oil infrastructure; it’s time to hold the industry accountable and invest in real, clean solutions for our future.”
Rodney Brown, Texas Gulf Coast Organizer of Earthworks, said:
“Texas is a vast land full of bountiful resources that we must cultivate responsibly to guarantee the economic, climate, and energy security of our great state. The Texas GulfLink project wants to hold Texans back from the future they deserve; a future where diversification provides reliable access to energy, a future with clean air and water, and a future where profits are taxed to reinvest in the lives of all Texans. The sponsors of this project think they can buy politicians. They think they can spread disinformation about jobs, emissions, and education programs. It’s a slap in the face to generations of Texans who have responsibly cultivated the Texas Gulf Coast through fishing, tourism, and wildlife conservation. Don’t be fooled by their lies. Approving the Texas GulfLink project will have disastrous consequences for communities already abused by the oil and gas industry.”