EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected to reflect the abatement amount Avina will be requesting from the school district.
In the first of several public meetings planned this week, Avina Clean Hydrogen presented its proposed green ammonia plant to the Robstown Independent School District Board of Trustees.
The company said it has been working on the project for nearly two years.
In a presentation to the board, Avina highlighted what it said were potential benefits the plant would bring to the school district and community and that the plant would enable growth in investment, jobs, and education.
The company also said it will ask the school district for a Chapter 403 abatement.
Chapter 403 abatement agreements became effective Jan. 1 and would allow Avina to not pay 50% of the value of its real property to the school district for ten years beginning at the end of the construction completion date.
The school district must hold public hearings before the project can be evaluated by an oversight committee.
Calallen and Robstown residents have been outspoken in their opposition to this plant, citing nearby homes, the potential for property values to plunge and health concerns.
Monday, Robstown ISD board members said even though this project could have many benefits for the school district that safety regulations for their students and their community will come first.
"Our goal is to help promote more parental-ship programs and actually help in many other ways and I think the property values are highly correlated to the quality of the school district," Vishal Shah, founder and CEO of Avina Clean Hydrogen Inc said. "So we feel pretty confident that by us contributing to we will actually help the property values and not hurt them."
Avina also told the board that it would not come to the district without the Chapter 403 abatement.
The company is evaluating whether it will ask the state and county for tax incentives.
Monday, the company said it would use five million gallons of water a day, however a contract between the company and Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District #3 lists the water requirement once the company has reached phase two as 1.5 million gallons per day of raw water and 4.5 million gallons per day of potable water.
Notes on that contract state it is a working document and negotiations are ongoing.
Last week, the City of Corpus Christi said it has concerns with this contract.
"Nueces WCID #3 permit is currently limited to approximately nine MGD (million gallons per day) from the Nueces River, the same primary source for Corpus Christi Water (CCW). Despite being the regional water provider for a seven-county region, CCW was not consulted about this project or its possible uncoordinated impact on the region’s water supply", Corpus Christi city officials said.
Nueces County WCID #3 originally called an emergency meeting to respond to the city's press release last week. Following a call with 6 Investigates asking for clarification on how this meeting qualified as an emergency under the Open Meetings Act, the district canceled the meeting and rescheduled it for Tuesday, March 6 at 6 p.m.
The Robstown City Council will also receive a presentation from Avina at a meeting on Tuesday, March 6 at 6 p.m.
In addition to these meetings, Avina is hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, March 6 at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds from 6 to 8 p.m. and will also present to the Nueces County Commissioners Court during its regular meeting.
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