Document RjapBzDXpoQJGg1NMem1mvqyB

Ian-d k n o w l t o n , n c . r r Official tells of industrial accord on Bayport By HAROLD SCARLETT Poet Environment Writer ' The developers of Bayport indicated to Seabrook city officials in 1972 that no manufacturing plants would be allowed in a section of the Industrial complex nearest Galveston Bay, a Seabrook city councilman testified Tuesday. Councilman Joe M. Pirtle said it was with this understanding that Seabrook approved an agreement that year desig nating the area as an industrial district. "THEY INDICATED no manufactur-' lng plants to the east of Texas 146 -- only shipping and storage," Pirtle testified. The Seabrook councilman was called as an opposition witness in a Texas Air Control Board hearing on whether to per mit construction of a $100 million BFGoodrich chemical plant In the east ern section of Bayport. About a dozen bayshore citizen organ izations and communities, including Sea brook, are opposing the Goodrich plant. Plrtle's testimony, however, will not be a part of the hearing record. It was allowed by hearing examiner John B. Turney only for a bill of exception that could be used in a later court appeal of the case. TURNEY RULED THAT the back ground of the Industrial district agree ment was not relevant, as a legal mat ter, to air board consideration of the case. This set off a long and bitter argument from opponents of the plant, several of whom are acting as their own attorneys. Friday, the air board approved con struction of an American Hoechst Corp. chemical plant next to the Goodrich site in the same Bayport section. Air board chairman John Blair told Bayshore opponents of both plants that his vote*1was strongly Influenced by the fact that the Hoechst plant would be in ,had known it would lead to plants like an area designated as an industrial dis Goodrich's. trict by both Seabrook and Pasadena. He said in Seabrook zoning terms, In his testimony Tuesday, however, Pirtle said the 1972 Industrial district ' "heavy industry" and boat sales." refers to "heavy truck agreement resulted from a bitter, three- THE AIR BOARD permit hearing^ way annexation battle among Pasadena and Houston. Seabrook, `which began Jan. 31, went Into its fifth ' week Tuesday at the Seabrook Communi HE SAID NEGOTIATION and compro mise was necessary to end a situation In which some property owners were get ting tax bills from all three cities. ty Center. Another opposition witness, environ mental specialist Stennle Meadours, testified the Goodrich plant site is in an area that has been a habitat for the "We felt it (the industrial district endangered Houston toad. agreement) was the lesser of two evils," Pirtle said, "and would avoid long and costly litigation with the world's largest industrial corporation." She said construction of the plant would eliminate all wildlife from the piece of native coastal prairie. Bayport is a project of the Friends ' Siting of the plant in Bayport areas wood Development Co., which Is A sub west of Texas 146, Meadours testified, sidiary of the Exxon Co. would protect an irretrievable coastal Pirtle said he would never have signed area and do much less damage environ the agreement with Friendswood if he' mentally. `: The Houston P ost Wednesday, March 1, 1978 Page 8 J00988T2