The nation’s fourth-largest city, Houston, is the center of America’s biggest petrochemical and refining complex. Billions of gallons of dangerous chemicals and oil are stored there. And one Senator, John Cornyn (R-TX) is asking the question “Why isn’t Texas ready for the next big hurricane?” In an effort to increase protections for this storm-susceptible city, Sen. Cornyn has introduced new legislation, the “Corps’ Obligation to Assist in Safeguarding Texas Act.” The COAST Act would speed up Texas hurricane studies.
The nation’s fourth-largest city, Houston, is the center of America’s biggest petrochemical and refining complex. Billions of gallons of dangerous chemicals and oil are stored there. And one Senator, John Cornyn (R-TX) is asking the question “Why isn’t Texas ready for the next big hurricane?” In an effort to increase protections for this storm-susceptible city, Sen. Cornyn has introduced new legislation, the “Corps’ Obligation to Assist in Safeguarding Texas Act.” The COAST Act would speed up Texas hurricane studies.
The bill was introduced in April with the purpose of speeding up a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies on how to protect Houston from the next big hurricane. It also streamlines any necessary congressional approval for projects resulting from the studies.
According to Sen. Cornyn’s statement, “Texans along our coast live under the constant threat of weather-related devastation to their homes, their livelihoods, and their communities. By reducing inefficiency and eliminating duplication, we can speed up the Army Corps’ process to ultimately help bring families, businesses, and communities along the coast the peace of mind they deserve.”
This new concern for Houston’s safety comes on the heels of the horrendous – and fatal – flooding the city recently experienced. Interestingly, the Senator didn’t have much to say about hurricane protection prior to the floods, according to the Texas Tribune. Initially, one speculated that this sudden change of heart was due to an election year, but the good Senator is not among the 34 U.S. Senators up for re-election in 2016. In fact, it appears that the COAST Act is motivated by genuine concern for Houston’s safety and that of Texans in general.
And that’s a good thing, too. The Texas Tribune and ProPublica ran a detailed story in March examining what could be called Houston’s “perfect storm,” a hurricane so powerful that it could devastate the petrochemical complex and cripple the U.S. economy, according to experts, scientists and public officials. The Reveal radio show and podcast ran a companion story. The stories both looked at what has been dubbed “Mighty Ike” after Hurricane Ike, which missed Houston in 2008.
The scary part is that scientists say “Mighty Ike’s” appearance is not a matter of “if,” but of “when.” That would certainly be motivation to introduce the COAST Act.
The Corps’ study was launched this year in partnership with the Texas General Land Office and was expected to last five years. Sen. Cornyn and many Texan members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote a letter of general support for the study in October 2015, but made no mention of shortening the timeline.
In November 2015, another letter was sent, this time by 32 of the 34 Texan members of the U.S House. This letter said the five-year plan was too long, especially given that Houston gets a major storm every 15 years on average and Ike hit the area in 2008.
Here’s hoping that COAST passes and the Corps’ study produces results well ahead of “Mighty Ike’s” (or any other hurricane’s) debut.
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