Houston Ship Channel (HSC) & Bayport Ship Channel (BSC) Expansion Channel Improvement Project (ECIP) Project 11: REDFISH TO BAYPORT HSC STA 78+844 TO HSC STA 16+000 & BAYPORT SHIP CHANNEL
Howdy Neighbors, if any of you were curious about the tugs and barge that have been working outback just off Bacliff shoreline. a few weeks ago, crews showed up in work boats outback, they worked placing markers orange flag or paint at top, this is a large area just out back behind our house, runs back towards San Leon, and out towards the ship channel. well then after the markers were all set, these tugs, large and small showed up, with work boats, and a big barge that can dump materials from the bottom. that big barge running night and day, for about a week now. well, i got to wondering what the hell was going on, and i called everybody i could, TPWD, Dickinson Lab, TGLO, GBF, Prestige, nobody knew. well this is what i found out, seems they thought it a good idea to dredge the ship channel wider and deeper and dump the dredge materials (?) in our back yards. you can see photos below... Merry Christmas!
Houston Ship Channel (HSC) & Bayport Ship Channel (BSC) Expansion Channel Improvement Project (ECIP) Project 11: REDFISH TO BAYPORT HSC STA 78+844 TO HSC STA 16+000 & BAYPORT SHIP CHANNEL
Eighth Coast Guard District (Sector Houston-Galveston) 13411 Hillard St. Houston, TX 77034 (281) 464-4800
Subject: Notice to Mariners
Reference: Houston Ship Channel (HSC) & Bayport Ship Channel (BSC) Expansion Channel Improvement Project (ECIP) Project 11: REDFISH TO BAYPORT HSC STA 78+844 TO HSC STA 16+000 & BAYPORT SHIP CHANNEL
Mariners:
Curtin Maritime request that a Notice to Mariners be posted regarding our dredging operations in the Houston Ship Channel from approximately channel marker G-75/R-76 to G-71/R-72.
Please be advised that Curtin Maritime (CMC) will be conducting dredging activities commencing on or about December 15, 2022 and conclude on or about May 3rd, 2023. Sediment will be dredged within the main ship channel and existing barge lane and will be loaded into scows. The mechanical clamshell dredge, DB Avalon, will be utilizing spuds without any anchors and does not have any associated dredge pipeline.
From approximately Dec 15, 2022 to Feb 16, 2023, scows will be pushed directly from the DB Avalon to the San Leon oyster mitigation site located at 29d 31.602000' N, 094d 57.52920' W. From approximately Feb 17, 2023 to Apr 16, 2023 the scows will be pushed from the DB Avalon in the HSC utilizing the barge lane, where possible, to the vicinity of light 45. The tug will take the scow within 300ft outside of the western toe of the main ship channel and swap the loaded scow to shallower draft tugs. The shallower draft tugs will pass a light scow to the larger tug to take back to the DB Avalon and the loaded scow will be transported to the Dollar Reef oyster mitigation site located at 29d 26.899043' N, 094d 53.128969' W.
From approximately Feb 3, 2023 to Apr 6, 2023, a placement barge, DB Ironbound, will be located at the San Leon oyster mitigation site placing material. Then the placement barge will relocate to Dollar Reef oyster mitigation site on approximately Apr 7, 2023 and conclude operations on or about May 3, 2023.
Our fleet for this operation will consist of:
Equipment Name LxWxDraft
Dredge DB Avalon 250’x77’x9’
Placement Barge DB Ironbound 144’x54’x6’
Split Hull Scow Arrow Point 174’x48’x10’
Split Hull Scow Long Point 174’x48’x10’
Split Hull Scow Telsiai 200’x44’x10’
Split Hull Scow Thomas Desmond 250’x52’x10’
Split Hull Scow GL33 234’x53’x10’
Split Hull Scow GL35 234’x53’x10’
Dredge Tending Tug Elizabeth C 90’x28’x12’
Scow Tending Tug Alice C 120’x31’x15’
Scow Tending Tug Karen C 126’x34’x16’
Scow Tending Tug Taurus 69’x24’x9’
Scow Tending Tug Baby T 26’x14’x5’
CMC will be operating 24 hours per day / 7 days per week (Monday through Sunday). Mariners are urged to transit at their slowest safest speed to minimize wake between lights 43/44 and 47/48 while a scow swap is occurring. While approaching the DB Avalon, mariners are urged to proceed with caution after passing arrangements have been made.
All manned equipment will monitor VHF-FM Channels 13, 11 and 05A. The dredge DB Avalon can be reached by phone at (562) 600-9854. Our Project Manager, Mr. Mike Patria can be reached at (630) 418-1190). Regards,
Mike Patria, Project Manager mpatria@curtinmaritime.com
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL (HSC) & BAYPORT SHIP CHANNEL (BSC) EXPANSION CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (ECIP) PROJECT 11: SOUTH BOATERS CUT TO BAYPORT (BEACON 76): HSC STA 57+000 TO HSC STA 14+500 & BAYPORT SHIP CHANNEL
GENERAL NOTES:
1. ALL EXISTING CHANNEL CONDITIONS SHALL BE VERIFIED BY THE CONTRACTOR PRIOR TO COMMENCING CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL NOTIFY THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY AND ENGINEER IMMEDIATELY OF ANY CONFLICT OR DISCREPANCIES.
2. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL MAKE HIS OWN ARRANGEMENTS AND OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM APPLICABLE PROPERTY OWNERS FOR STAGING AREAS AND LOADING BARGES ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY. ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PREPARATION AND USE OF SUPPORT FACILITIES FOR THIS PROJECT SHALL BE PAID BY THE CONTRACTOR AT NO COST TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY. THESE AREAS SHALL BE RESTORED TO PRE-PROJECT CONDITIONS UPON COMPLETION OF WORK.
3. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT ALL EXISTING IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN AND ADJACENT TO THE WORK AREA. ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CONTRACTOR'S ACTIVITIES SHALL BE REPLACED OR REPAIRED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CONTRACTOR AND AT NO COST TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY. STRUCTURES THAT ARE TO BE PROTECTED FROM DAMAGE OR REPAIRED IF DAMAGED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO FENCES, LEVEE EMBANKMENTS, OUTLET STRUCTURES, DRAINAGE PIPES, ROADS, DITCHES, PRIVATE OR PUBLIC GROUNDS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES OR IMPROVEMENTS.
4. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL TAKE PRECAUTIONS, SECURE EQUIPMENT AND PROTECT THE WORK AGAINST ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SURGE / WAKE INFLUENCES FROM PASSING VESSELS. PROVISIONS SHALL BE MADE TO ACCESS SHALLOW AREAS THROUGH THE USE OF LIGHT-LOADED BARGES OR OTHER EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR SHALLOWER WATER. EXCAVATION FOR ACCESS AND FLOTATION SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO AND OBTAINED IN WRITING BY THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY.
5. THE DREDGING PROJECT MAY BE ADJACENT TO ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL AVOID / MINIMIZE DAMAGES TO THESE AREAS DURING THE COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION. ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE CONTRACTOR'S ACTIVITIES SHALL BE RESTORED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CONTRACTOR AND AT NO COST TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REQUIREMENTS FROM ALL RELEVANT STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. FOR PURPOSES OF CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS, SCOPE CHANGES, OR CHANGE ORDERS, THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY WILL BE THE SOLE DETERMINANT OF DAMAGES. THIS PROVISION IN NO WAY RELIEVES THE CONTRACTOR FROM COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF ANY COLLATERAL FEDERAL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS OR LEGAL OBLIGATION OF THE CONTRACTOR. THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND WORK AT ANYTIME IF DAMAGES OCCUR AND UNTIL SATISFACTORY CORRECTIVE MEASURES ARE IMPLEMENTED BY THE CONTRACTOR. 6 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT SHALL NOT OPERATE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY UNLESS PERMISSION HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY THE CONTRACTOR FROM THE LAND OWNER.
7. THE PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE THE HOUSTON SHIP AND BAYPORT SHIP CHANNELS, WHICH ARE HIGHLY UTILIZED BY MARINE TRAFFIC. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL NOT STAGE EQUIPMENT WITHIN THE NAVIGATION CHANNEL NOR INTERFERE WITH OR INTERRUPT COMMERCIAL VESSEL NAVIGATION.
8. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL REQUEST A NOTICE TO MARINERS FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD PRIOR TO COMMENCING CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES.
9. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL REMOVE ANY ENCOUNTERED DEBRIS AND DISPOSE OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
10. THE LOCATIONS OF EXISTING UTILITIES AND SUBSTRUCTURES SHOWN HEREIN HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM AVAILABLE RECORDS. THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY DOES NOT WARRANT THE COMPLETENESS OR CORRECTNESS OF THE LOCATIONS OF UTILITIES AND SUBSTRUCTURES. IT SHALL BE THE CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO IDENTIFY AND PROTECT EXISTING UTILITIES AND SUBSTRUCTURES. SHOULD UTILITIES, PIPELINES, CABLING OR OTHER SUBSTRUCTURES BE ENCOUNTERED THAT ARE NOT IDENTIFIED AND INDICATED ON THESE PLANS, THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY SHALL BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY.
11. ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TO THE SPECIFICATIONS WHERE BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO EXAMINE AND DETERMINE, AS THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY THE LOCATION, PHYSICAL CONDITIONS, AND SURROUNDINGS OF THE PROPOSED WORK.
12. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL OBTAIN THE REQUIRED PERMITS AS MAY BE REQUIRED BEYOND THE AUTHORIZATIONS PROVIDED TO PERFORM THE WORK.
13. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL ADHERE TO ALL SAFETY CODES, REGULATIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE DURATION OF THIS CONTRACT.
14. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL COMPLETE ALL WORK SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS AND IN THE SPECIFICATIONS, UNLESS INDICATED AS NOT IN PACKAGE(N.I.P.)
ARMY CORP ENGINEERS
December 13, 2022
Army Corps Must Reevaluate Toxic Dredging Project After Gulf and Environmental Groups’ Lawsuit
Victory: Dredging Matagorda Bay to increase oil exports would have devastated the fishing community, increased climate pollution, and harmed public health
CONTACTS
Alexandria Trimble, atrimble@earthjustice.org
Legal document
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, a coalition of Gulf and environmental groups represented by Earthjustice announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has withdrawn approval to dredge the Matagorda Bay shipping channel through an EPA Superfund site, and committed to extensive additional environmental review, including a full Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (“SEIS”).
The Corps action comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the groups after new information came to light about the anticipated use of the shipping channel and the risks of mercury contamination, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and significant impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people working in the fishing industry.
Our fishing community will not stand by and let this toxic dredging project upend decades of hard work to bury industrial waste dumped in the bay,” said Diane Wilson, fourth-generation shrimper and executive director of San Antonio Estuarine Bay Waterkeeper. “We’re celebrating today but we know the fight isn’t over to protect our health and livelihoods from dirty fossil fuel companies trying to make a profit.”
“Matagorda Bay is in a state of an environmental emergency as a result of Alcoa’s industry practices which permanently depleted the life of the oyster population,” said Chrystal Beasley, Texas Gulf Coast campaigner at Earthworks. “Texas Gulf Coast residents deserve a full risk assessment that not only focuses on the environmental impacts but the human health risk and toxicity exposure through consumption of food.”
“The dredging project’s risks to human health, marine life, and the climate are significant and were not carefully considered in the Corps’ analysis,” said Lauren Fleer, Environmental Engineer at Environmental Integrity Project. “Dredging up a contaminated site to ship more oil overseas is simply not worth the risks to human health and the environment.”
The Corps agreed to go back to the drawing board and redo its environmental analysis of the dredging project. No work can continue until after a complete analysis of the project’s impact on public health, the surrounding ecosystem, and the damage the project would do to the local fishing economy. The extensive additional review will provide opportunities for public and expert input.
“The proposed dredge project for the Matagorda Bay system would have substantial negative environmental effects on the estuarine system including the resuspension of mercury, intensification of low dissolved oxygen levels, placement of dredge spoils potentially contaminated with mercury and clay, increased turbidity and salinity, and harm to sea grasses, oyster beds, fish, and sea turtles,” said Joanie Steinhaus, Gulf Program Director at the Turtle Island Restoration Network. “The EIS did not properly evaluate these potential impacts and I am thrilled to learn the Corps has decided to do a comprehensive environmental review of the Matagorda Bay Project.”
“The law requires agencies to fully understand and disclose the impacts of their actions. The federal proposal to dredge up a toxic waste site so that we can export more crude oil failed that test,” said Erin Gaines, senior attorney at Earthjustice. “We’re glad that the Corps has chosen to follow the law without further litigation, and we look forward to ensuring the full assessment properly considers the environmental, human health, and local economic impacts.”
The timeline for the revised SEIS has not been announced, but such processes can take years to complete. In addition to the revised SEIS, the Corps has committed to reinitiating federal consultation under the Endangered Species Act and performing a new analysis under the Clean Water Act. The lawsuit challenged the Corps’ compliance with all three statutes.
Plaintiffs San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, Earthworks, Environmental Integrity Project, Turtle Island Restoration Project, and Texas Campaign for the Environment are represented by lawyers Erin Gaines and Jan Hasselman of Earthjustice.
BACKGROUND
In 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed to deepen and widen the Matagorda Bay shipping channel to allow for “Suezmax”-size oil tankers, which are as long as football fields and can carry about one million barrels of oil, to pass into the Gulf of Mexico.
The project would also include dredging through an EPA Superfund site located in a shipping channel contaminated with mercury by a now closed Alcoa aluminum smelting plant. The Army Corps performed an initial Environmental Impact Statement in 2019 for the dredging of the channel for a much smaller oil terminal project, but that did not capture the scale of the current proposal or include an examination of the most recent data on mercury contamination in the sediment.
Earthjustice, Environmental Integrity Project, and allies sent letters to the Army Corps in October and December 2021 and February 2022 requesting additional study of the possible impacts of the dredging project in a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. In the letters, expert reports supported the need for a re-evaluation of the risks from mercury contamination, including sediment sampling data which found mercury levels six times higher than EPA’s goal for the Superfund Site in the dredging area.
In May 2022, Earthjustice represented San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, Earthworks, Environmental Integrity Project, Turtle Island Restoration Project, and Texas Campaign for the Environment in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over its proposal to dredge the Matagorda Bay shipping channel.
The project to dredge the Matagorda Bay shipping channel has faced strong community-led opposition since its proposal. Max Midstream, the company which hoped to profit from the dredging project to allow larger oil tankers to reach the company’s proposed oil export terminal, had previously stated it would pay for the entire federal dredging project. It has since had significant financial troubles and is facing legal challenges from community groups. In September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would delay seeking bids on the dredging project.
Since 1988, an area of Lavaca Bay has been closed to fishing because of high levels of mercury in finfish and crabs. Matagorda Bay and Port Lavaca, across the bay from Point Comfort, historically had a thriving fishing, shrimping, and oystering industry that has sharply declined in part due to industrial pollution. Despite the setbacks, the fishing community is fighting hard to survive. The dredging project would have increased greenhouse gas emissions, harmed public health, and dumped 20 million cubic yards of dredging spoils in areas that are important aquatic and fisheries habitats.
NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF RECORD OF DECISION
Federal Defendants Michael L. Connor, in his official capacity as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) hereby provide notice that on December 5, 2022, the Corps signed the attached Memorandum for Record withdrawing the Record of Decision for the Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement that is challenged in this case. See Exhibit A, Memorandum dated December 5, 2022, signed by Michael L. Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. As addressed in the attached Memorandum, the withdrawal is based on the Corps’ decision to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement for the Project. See Ex. A.
Dated: December 13, 2022
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY OFFICE OF THE ASSSISTANT SECRETARY CIVIL WORKS
108 ARMY PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20310-0108 SACW
MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
SUBJECT: Withdrawing Record of Decision for Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement
Project, Port Lavaca, Texas Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement
1. In 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project. The Record of Decision was signed on April 22, 2020. During the pre-construction, engineering, and design (PED) phase, the USACE reported a discrepancy between its PED calculations concerning the quantity of material to be dredged from the Matagorda Ship Channel and the quantity of such material that was evaluated in the EIS.
2. Due to the discrepancy in dredged material quantities, the USACE has determined it will prepare a supplement to the EIS. Accordingly, I am withdrawing the Record of Decision signed on April 22, 2020, for further consideration in light of findings in the supplemental EIS.
1 July 2010
Impacts of Dredging Activities on the Accumulation of Dioxins in Surface Sediments of the Houston Ship Channel, Texas
Kevin M. Yeager, Robin Brinkmeyer, Chet F. Rakocinski, Kimberly J. Schindler, Peter H. Santschi
Author Affiliations +
J. of Coastal Research, 2010(264):743-752 (2010). https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-09-00009.1
Abstract
The Houston Ship Channel (HSC) and upper Galveston Bay (GB), Texas, are known to be contaminated with dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans), the majority of which are associated with sediments. Since 1914, dredging operations to establish, sporadically expand, and consistently maintain a navigable channel for large ships has been and remains continuous here. The objectives of this research focus on determining if dredging activities have any significant impact on the quantities of dioxins associated with surface sediments in the HSC and GB. Four transects were sampled, located on the dredged and undredged sides of two dredge-spoil islands. Sediment samples were characterized in terms of their organic carbon contents, grain size fractions, indicator dioxin concentrations (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin [TCDD], 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran [TCDF], and toxic equivalents), and fallout radionuclide activities. The physical and geochemical data were examined using a combination of principal components analysis and one-way analysis of variance. Results of the statistical tests show that (1) sedimentary dioxin concentrations are significantly higher adjacent to the northernmost dredge-spoil island, which is located closer to a recently identified dioxin point source (San Jacinto waste pits); and (2) while mean sedimentary dioxin concentrations were slightly higher for undredged as compared to dredged transect samples as a whole, these differences were not significant (p > 0.05). Mean fallout isotope ratio values (7Be/137Cs, 7Be/210Pbxs) were greater for the dredged sample population, indicating that dredged sediments contain more of the shorter-lived radionuclides (i.e., 7Be), as their buildup is more rapid after dredging than those isotopes with longer half-lives (210Pb) or those for which a longer time has passed since introduction into the environment (137Cs).
Citation Download Citation
Kevin M. Yeager, Robin Brinkmeyer, Chet F. Rakocinski, Kimberly J. Schindler, and Peter H. Santschi "Impacts of Dredging Activities on the Accumulation of Dioxins in Surface Sediments of the Houston Ship Channel, Texas," Journal of Coastal Research 2010(264), 743-752, (1 July 2010). https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-09-00009.1
Received: 20 February 2009; Accepted: 19 May 2009; Published: 1 July 2010
DSHS Revises Fish Consumption Advisories for Houston and Galveston Area Waters
News Release June 26, 2013 The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued revised fish consumption advisories for certain Texas waters. The following advisories are in effect:
San Jacinto River – Houston Ship Channel: People should limit or avoid the consumption of all species of fish and blue crab from the Houston Ship Channel, the San Jacinto River below the Lake Houston Dam and all contiguous waters north of Highway 146. The advisory was issued after laboratory testing of fish and blue crab from the San Jacinto River and Houston Ship Channel indicated that concentrations of dioxins, pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs exceeded DSHS health guidelines. Regular or long-term consumption of fish or blue crab from these waters may increase the likelihood of long-term health risks.
Women of childbearing age and children under 12 years old should not consume any species of fish or blue crab taken from the San Jacinto River and Houston Ship Channel. Women past childbearing age and adult men should consume no more than one meal per month.
Galveston Bay: DSHS has removed the consumption advisory for spotted seatrout from a portion of Galveston and Trinity Bays and all of East and West Bays. The area is south of a line from Red Bluff Point to Five-Mile Cut Marker to Houston Point. Laboratory testing of spotted seatrout from these areas indicated that concentrations of dioxins and PCBs have decreased to acceptable levels and no longer pose a significant health risk.
Upper Galveston Bay: Consumption of spotted seatrout from the Upper Galveston Bay continues to pose a health risk and the advisory remains in effect for this area. Concentrations of dioxins and PCBs exceed DSHS health guidelines. Regular or long-term consumption of spotted seatrout from these waters may result in adverse health effects. An advisory also remains in effect for blue crab from this area.
Women of childbearing age and children under 12 years old should not consume spotted seatrout from Upper Galveston Bay. Women past childbearing age and adult men are advised to consume no more than one meal per month. Upper Galveston Bay includes the portion of the Galveston Bay estuary north of a line from Red Bluff Point to Five-Mile Cut Marker to Houston Point.
An advisory for all species of catfish remains in effect for all of the Galveston Bay System.
To view the map, advisories and other information about fish testing, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/seafood.
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(News Media Contact: Christine Mann, DSHS Assistant Press Officer, 512-776-7511.)
DSHS Recalls Oysters Harvested in Area of Southeastern Galveston Bay
The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of southeastern Galveston Bay after reports of a few dozen cases of gastrointestinal illness among people who ate oysters from those waters. The recall includes oysters in the shell and shucked oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7. A map of Galveston Bay oyster areas is available at
Consumers who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17 should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1. If the oysters were unpackaged, they should contact the seller to find the source. Restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be discarded.
DSHS closed the TX 1 area to harvesting on Dec. 8 after receiving reports from health departments in Southeast Texas and Florida that people who had consumed oysters from the area had gotten sick. Reported symptoms include fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills and headache. People experiencing any of these symptoms after eating oysters should contact their health care provider and tell them about the exposure to oysters. No hospitalizations have been reported at this time.
DSHS epidemiologists are working with local health departments to investigate cases of illness, and DSHS will test water samples collected in the recall area to determine when it may safely reopen to oyster harvesting. No other species of seafood is affected.
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(News Media Contact: pressofficer@dshs.texas.gov)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2022
DSHS Recalls Oysters Harvested in Area of Southeastern Galveston Bay
very sad imo...
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