A public hearing on the draft Environmental
Impact Statement regarding the proposed Bayport Container Terminal permit
will open at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in
Houston. The hearing will allow the public an opportunity to offer their
comments and concerns regarding the document.
"We are preparing for a large crowd at the
hearing," said Col. Leonard D. Waterworth, district engineer and
commander of Galveston District. "We certainly encourage everyone to
come and express their concerns."
The public hearing will be held in Exhibit
Hall B on the first floor of the George R. Brown Center and will be
conducted in the following manner:
- All attendees will be asked to register as they enter the hall.
- If a person wishes to speak, he/she needs to fill out a speaker
registration card. You may not defer your time to others, nor will
more than one speaker registration card per person be allowed.
Attendees at the workshop which immediately precedes the hearing may
also fill out a speaker registration card when they enter the hall.
- Three minutes per speaker will be allowed unless the number of
speakers requires the Corp to limit the time to a shorter period. A
time keeper will notify the speaker when his/her time is over.
- The speaker registration cards will be used to determine the order
of the speakers. Persons registering as elected officials from the
federal level down to city mayors will be first on the agenda. Others
cards will be randomized to produce the speaking order. A person may
submit a card at anytime during the proceedings, then wait for a turn
to speak.
- All speakers will be heard during the evening.
- A court reporter will record a transcript of the hearing proceedings
to insure that everything presented is included in the official
record.
- Written comments may be submitted at the public hearing or may be
mailed to the Corps of Engineers before Feb. 11, 2002.
Prior to the public hearing, from 5 to 7 p.m.,
a workshop will be held on the second floor of the convention center where
the public can view exhibits regarding the draft EIS. The authors of the
draft EIS will be available, giving the public the opportunity to ask
questions and get clarification on any section of the document. Court
reporters will also be available during the workshop to accept verbal
comments in lieu of speaking during the hearing. The three minute time
limit will also apply to these presentations.
All comments received during this process will go
into the official record and will be considered in the development of the
final document.
The convention center doors will open at 5 p.m. for people to attend the
workshop and to register for the public hearing. Parking for the George R.
Brown convention center is available across the street in front of the
center and in the area near Enron Field.
Copies of the draft environmental impact
statement can be obtained from the Corps of Engineers by calling (409)
766-6340 and leaving your name and address. A copy of the Executive
Summary or a CD containing the entire six-volume documentmay be obtained
free. For a hard copy of the DEIS, a fee of $190.86 is required. The DEIS
can also be seen on the District's web site.
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