UPDATE: Friday - 10:15 a.m. - Enbridge issued to following statement to KRIS 6 News: “Enbridge intends to apply for a special use permit for this project but right now the company’s focus is on answering the Ingleside community’s questions and concerns. Community input makes for better projects which is why we hosted the open house and other information sessions and will continue to engage with the community because we are a part of Ingleside.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
Residents of Ingleside took to Main Street to protest the ongoing Project YaREN on Thursday, coinciding with a YaREN open house event at the Humble Youth Center.
Project YaREN is a collaborative effort between Enbridge and Yara that, according to the project’s website, is a proposed ammonia production facility to be located at the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center.
The protest that took place on Thursday, Aug. 29 was organized by the Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association, which has opposed the ammonia plant since the project’s initial announcement. One member, Roland Robinson, who moved to Ingleside with his wife two years ago, has been actively fighting against YaREN.
“We are citizens here. We love this community, and we want to stay in this community,” Robinson said while holding a sign reading “Ammonia Kills.” He added, “If it’s safe and it’s all right for the community, I agree with it, but this is not safe.”
Another protester, Captain Kelley, owner and operator of Dolphin Connection Ingleside, urged others to join the movement. “If you live in Ingleside, if you live in Ingleside on the Bay, if you live in Portland, Aransas Pass, and you’re not out here, you need to get out here," he said.
Following the protest, attendees were invited to a town hall meeting titled “Risks and the Real Truth on Ammonia,” where residents had the opportunity to ask questions of experts in environmental science. One of those experts, Tim Doty, who worked for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for 28 years, voiced his concerns about the project.
“There are not enough provisions in the permit to hold the company accountable in a way that the state can enforce,” Doty told KRIS 6.
Reviewing the current plans for Project YaREN, Doty believes the plant poses too great a risk given its proximity to the city, citing potential runoff into the bay and harmful air pollutants being blown inland toward residential areas.
“If they need to locate, they need to go to another location that is not as vulnerable as this one,"
In January, the Ingleside City Council denied YaREN’s application for an objectionable use permit.
The future of Project YaREN is expected to be a key topic at the Air Quality Permits public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Portland Community Center. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
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