GBCPA Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
February 27, 2004
CONTACT: Katie Chimenti, 281-326-3343
         Nancy Edmonson, 281-471-4567

Temporary Injunction Stops Bayport

The Port of Houston Authority agreed in federal court today to a preliminary injunction against starting construction on its proposed giant container terminal at Bayport.
    The agreement was in response to litigation brought by the City of Shoreacres, the Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association (GBCPA), and others.
    Judge Vanessa Gilmore set a very tight briefing schedule. She will conduct an oral hearing on April 20 on the merits of the dispute, which has pitted several local cities and environmental groups against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the permitting agency for the project.
    "This is a fair result," said GBCPA Vice Chair Katie Chimenti. "It prevents taxpayer dollars from being spent on a hasty construction start. Should the Port Authority eventually lose the case, this injunction will prevent irreparable harm from occurring on the Bayport site in the meantime."
    She noted further that if the opposition coalition of cities and environmental groups eventually prevails in the case, both the tax dollars and the wetlands on the 1,000-acre natural site would be saved.
    "The Court has committed to acting promptly to reach a decision, to make the injunction mutually agreed upon fair to all parties," Chimenti said.

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Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association
P.O. Box 323, Seabrook, Texas 77586
Phone: 281-326-3343
Website: www.gbcpa.net
E-mail: gbcpa@ev1.net