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Shipping Channel Reopens in Southeastern Texas

Posted on: Friday, 7 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By Kevin J. Dwyer, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

Oct. 7--BEAUMONT -- Life started flowing through the industrial heart of Southeast Texas Thursday as ships were again steaming in both directions on the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel.

Coast Guard Capt. Sharon Richey said nine ships were inbound on the channel Thursday and two were outbound.

"It's looking good," said Richey, commander of the Marine Safety Office in Port Arthur. "I anticipate (channel depth) staying at 38 feet for a couple of days before we go to project depth (40 feet). Then we'll start conducting night operations."

Richey said it still is difficult to accurately measure the depth of the channel because of all the suspended sediment in the river. The Coast Guard also is actively salvaging a number of wrecks along the river, an effort that will continue for weeks Richey said.

"The depth of the channel is the lifeblood of not only our community, but to 11 percent of the country's fuel production," said Jefferson County Judge Carl Griffith.

Nederland Mayor Dick Nugent said Thursday the city was immediately lifting its boil-water notice for its residents. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality testing found the water safe and the city's water treatment plant no longer is running off generators.

"It would probably be a good idea to flush your lines before drinking it," Nugent advised.

Port Neches and Groves residents should still boil their water before drinking because their plants are still running off generator power, said Groves Mayor Brad Bailey.

To prevent house fires in Mid-County cities, Bailey said firefighters and Coast Guardsmen have gone out to homes in the area to turn off the main electrical breakers.

Port Arthur officials still are surveying the damage from Rita and Thursday estimated between 600 to 700 homes in the city -- including Sabine Pass -- are uninhabitable.

With power returning to the city, Port Arthur is following the lead of other area cities and waiving the permit process for electrical work to reconnect homes to power lines.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's top official in Texas praised the efforts of local leaders and organizations in the aftermath of both Katrina and Rita.

"(Texas) has done the humanitarian deed," said Tom Davies, the federal coordinating officer for the two hurricanes in Texas. "Texas has the largest contingent of Katrina evacuees -- 300,000. Thank God Texas is big."

Davies said FEMA is overwhelmed by the events, and if it weren't for the people of Texas, the agency could not have helped those who evacuated. FEMA received 2 million applications for assistance in the past month, Davies said, and distributed more than $350 million.

Davies announced the award of two grants totaling $3.2 million for drainage improvement projects in Beaumont and Jefferson County.

"We're not going to forget about Rita," said Justin DeMello of FEMA. "We're here for as long as it takes and we're working aggressively to coordinate what it takes for two states. You saved us and we owe you, now we're here to provide the relief."

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To see more of The Beaumont Enterprise, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.southeasttexaslive.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

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Source: The Beaumont Enterprise

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