Toxic discharges into the Houston ship channel during 1988

Date

1992

Authors

McCormick, P.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Galveston Bay Foundation

Abstract

The Galveston Bay system is the largest estuary along the Texas coast, covering 600 square miles and accounting for over 30 percent of the Texas coastal fish harvest. The land surrounding the bay supports the largest concentration of petrochemical industries and the second largest seaport in the nation. Access to these industries is provided by the Houston Ship Channel, which extends for 51 miles from downtown Houston into the Gulf of Mexico. The water in the bay is greatly impacted by the activities surrounding it. Continued viability of the Bay is of the utmost importance for the entire Houston-Galveston area. This paper focuses on a discussion of the regulations governing discharges into the bay and an analysis of toxic discharges into the bay as reported by industry. The word toxic is used in so many different regulatory programs that to all but the experts in environmental issues its definition is often confusing. In the most general sense, toxics are substances which can adversely affect a living organism.

Description

79 pgs.

Keywords

point source pollution, environmental impact, nonpoint source pollution, water quality, sediment quality, water, pollution, water quality management

Citation