Bayport Terminal
{{Infobox Port
| name = Bayport Container Terminal
| image =Bayport Container Terminal Aerial - Near Houston (43373625235).jpg
| image_size=300px
| image_caption =Aerial view of the Bayport Container Terminal
| country = United States
| location = Seabrook, Texas{{cite web | url=http://www.portofhouston.com/maritime/container/bayport/bayport.html | title=Bayport Terminal | publisher=Port of Houston Authority | accessdate=22 Jan 2010 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203111215/http://www.portofhouston.com/maritime/container/bayport/bayport.html | archivedate=3 February 2010 | url-status=dead }}
| coordinates ={{Coord|29|36|40|N|95|0|40|W|region:US-TX_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| opened = 2007
| operated = Port of Houston Authority
| owner = City of Houston
| type = Natural / artificial
| sizewater =
| sizeland =
| size =
| berths =
| wharfs =
| piers =
| employees =
| leadershiptitle =
| leader =
| blankdetailstitle1 =
| blankdetails1 =
| blankdetailstitle2 =
| blankdetails2 =
| blankdetailstitle3 =
| blankdetails3 =
| arrivals =
| cargotonnage =
| containervolume =
| cargovalue =
| passengertraffic =
| revenue =
| profit =
| blankstatstitle1 =
| blankstats1 =
| blankstatstitle2 =
| blankstats2 =
| blankstatstitle3 =
| blankstats3 =
| website = http://www.portofhouston.com
}}
The Bayport Container Terminal, or simply the Bayport Terminal, is a major deep water port in the Greater Houston area in Texas (United States). This relatively new terminal, part of the Port of Houston, is designed to handle standardized cargo containers and offload the nearby Barbours Cut Terminal, which has no further room for expansion.{{cite web | url=http://www.portofhouston.com/BayportTerminalProgress/index.html | title=Bayport Terminal Progress | publisher=Port of Houston Authority | accessdate=1 Feb 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216073026/http://www.portofhouston.com/BayportTerminalProgress/index.html | archive-date=2010-02-16 | url-status=dead }} The Bayport Terminal is situated along the Bayport Ship Channel off Galveston Bay, between La Porte, Texas and Seabrook, Texas adjacent to Shoreacres. This channel itself feeds into the larger Houston Ship Channel, which runs from Houston, through Galveston Bay, to the Gulf of Mexico.
The port sits adjacent to the Bayport Industrial District, a large complex of firms primarily involved in petroleum and petrochemical processing.
The facilities at Bayport formerly included a cruise ship terminal, built at a cost of US$81 million.{{cite news | author=Connelly, Richard | title=Hurricane Ike An Ike Miracle: Bayport Cruise Terminal To Actually Be Used | work=Houston Press | url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2008/09/an_ike_miracle_bayport_cruise.php | date=September 16, 2008}} The terminal briefly saw use for cruises following Hurricane Ike when ships like Carnival Cruise Lines Ecstasy and Conquest were re-routed from the damaged Port of Galveston to Bayport for nearly two months. Bayport Cruise Terminal was a planned port of call for both Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line in 2013-2014.{{Cite web|url=http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/11/15/505636/10012824/en/Photo-Release-Princess-and-Norwegian-Cruising-Into-Port-of-Houston.html|title = Photo Release -- Princess and Norwegian Cruising into Port of Houston|date = 15 November 2012}} The cruise ships have since abandoned the terminal and the Port of Houston has dismantled the gangways.{{Cite web|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/With-cruise-ships-gone-Port-of-Houston-decides-8425454.php|title = With cruise ships gone, Port of Houston decides to move on at Bayport|date = 27 July 2016}}
Controversy
The Bayport Terminal was controversial since before its construction due to concerns raised about environmental impact and the general suitability of the site.{{cite web | url=http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/snapshot/sf031027.htm | title=$1.2-B Houston Port Expansion Plan Still Knee-Deep in Debate | publisher= Interactive Publishing |date=May 2003}}
The United States Army Corps of Engineers approved the permit, but stated in the Environmental Impact Statement that unavoidable impacts of increased noise in the area, increased levels of nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and cancer causing particulate matter would be emitted by the terminal. Homes are within {{convert|600|ft}} of the docks.{{cite book | title=Final Environmental Impact Statement | author=Corps of Engineers | date=May 2003 | at=sections 3.0 and 4.0 | url=http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/reg/pha/FEIS/BayportFEIS.pdf | access-date=2010-05-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621170342/http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/reg/pha/FEIS/BayportFEIS.pdf | archive-date=2009-06-21 | url-status=dead }} Due to the prevailing southeast wind and the proximity of the residents, the Corps of Engineers recommended a {{convert|30|ft|adj=on}} sound wall to block sound levels that they estimated to be as high as 70 dBA (as of 2010 the terminal was only approximately 30% in operation yet produced levels of 65 dBA).{{cite book | title=Final Environmental Impact Statement | author=Corps of Engineers | date=May 2003 | at=sections 3.8-31-3.8-32 | url=http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/reg/pha/FEIS/BayportFEIS.pdf | access-date=2010-05-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621170342/http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/reg/pha/FEIS/BayportFEIS.pdf | archive-date=2009-06-21 | url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://bayportmitigationsolution.com/ |title=Bayport Mitigation |publisher=Port of Houston Authority |accessdate=5 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527114035/http://www.bayportmitigationsolution.com/ |archivedate=2010-05-27 }} The Port of Houston approached residents who are affected by the pollution and noise and has attempted to buy an easement from these residents. In 2010, the mayor of Shoreacres published a letter to the community raising concerns about the scope of the easement and rights residents might be waiving by accepting it.{{cite web | url=http://www.cityofshoreacres.us/News2010-03.htm | title=Mayor Responds to Port Easement Proposal| publisher=City of Shoreacres |date= March 2010}} That same year residents of Shoreacres filed suit against the Port of Houston Authority for damages.{{cite web | url=http://www.moriarty.com/bayport/ | title=Bayport Terminal | publisher= Moriarty Leyendecker | accessdate=5 May 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.khou.com/home/Shoreacres-residents-turn-to-lawsuit-over-industrial-noise-89249532.html |title=Shoreacres residents turn to lawsuit over industrial noise |author=Reece, Kevin |work=KHOU |date=March 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328205425/http://www.khou.com/home/Shoreacres-residents-turn-to-lawsuit-over-industrial-noise-89249532.html |archivedate=2010-03-28 }}
{{-}}
See also
Notes
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.portofhouston.com/maritime/container/bayport/bayport.html Port of Houston: Bayport Terminal]
{{Texas ports}}
{{Galveston Bay Area}}
{{Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown MSA}}
{{Texas}}
Category:Ports and harbors of Texas