CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Eight environmental groups held a rally at Corpus Christi City Hall on Tuesday to let newly sworn-in councilmembers know what resources they should work to protect.
Much of the groups' frustrations were aimed at Flint Hill Resources.
It comes in the wake of the Christmas Eve oil spill that permeated parts of Corpus Christi Bay, from Ingleside to North Beach to the area around Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
“The recent Flint Hills fiasco is a stark reminder that the status quo only serves private interests," For the Greater Good co-founder Isabel Araiza. "We are here to demand better."
3NEWS spoke with Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni about ongoing clean-up efforts in that spill. He noted that, while this is the first oil spill the city has had to deal with in his four years as city manager, he is satisfied with the response from Flint Hills.
“They will be the first to tell the community that this is unacceptable," he said. "It’s not part of their business model, but in this business, it can happen and it has happened. We’re pretty satisfied with the work they’ve done, the consciousness they have for the community and the environment, and their openness and transparency.”
Leaders of the groups also applauded two of the council's new members, Dist. 2 councilmember Sylvia Campos and at-large councilmember Jim Klein, who attended the rally.
Both Campos and Klein ran with the backing of the environmental groups, and each has gone on record opposing desalination, a drought-proof option city council has been aggressively pursuing.
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