GALVESTON, Texas -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District, Real Estate Division will be going door-to-door in Port Arthur on June 30 to secure rights-of-entry (ROE) from individual landowners in order to access property as part of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay (S2G), Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) and Ecosystem Restoration Program. The ROE’s are necessary to conduct various design activities such as surveys, cultural resource surveys and investigations, and geotechnical investigations. These investigations support the transition from conceptual designs to implementable project features and are necessary to continue to move conceptual designs forward to construction and these ROE’s are valid for up to 12 months.
Landowners can specify that they want to be called before we access their property. USACE Galveston District personnel, and District-hired contractors, comply with those requests.
All individuals associated with this door-to-door activity will have U.S. Army Corps of Engineers credentials, which will be displayed on their person for ease of identification. In addition, once the ROE is signed, the landowners can ask to see the ROE from the government contractors. We provided copies of the signed ROEs to the contractors prior to doing work and some also have signs on their vehicles to indicate they are contractors for USACE.
The purpose of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay program is to enhance energy security, reduce the risk to human life and critical infrastructure, maintain and restore coastal habitat, and identify opportunities to enhance existing hurricane protection systems as part of the District’s comprehensive plan to increase Texas coastal resilience against the intense storms that frequently strike the 400-mile coastline. The Port Arthur Project is part of the three Coastal Storm Risk Management Projects that includes Orange and Freeport projects that are all components of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Program, Texas Coastal Storm Risk Management and Ecosystem Restoration Project. The Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay program is separate from the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study, but both are components of Galveston District’s comprehensive plan to increase Texas coastal resiliency.
Jefferson County Drainage District No. 7 (JCDD7) for the Port Arthur and Vicinity: USACE, in conjunction with the non-federal sponsor, JCDD7 will be looking to make improvements and additions to the existing Hurricane Flood Protection System. The plan includes raising approximately 5.5 miles of the existing 27.8 miles of earthen levee and constructing or reconstructing approximately 5.7 miles of floodwall. A separate 1,830 feet of new earthen levee will be constructed in the Port Neches area northwest of the existing northern terminus. Additionally, 26 vehicle closure structures would be replaced, and erosion protections would be added. The plan will increase the level of protection and resiliency of the existing Port Arthur Hurricane Flood Protection System in Jefferson County, Texas.
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