An oil spill occurred on Christmas Eve at the Flint Hills facility near Ingleside, TX. Initial estimates said 3,800 gallons of light crude oil had leaked from a pipeline into Corpus Christi Bay; however, a recent figure puts the volume at 335 barrels, or 14,070 gallons. Local television news stations have been providing updates, but some people feel that the U.S. Coast Guard, the Texas General Land Office and Flint Hills should have been more transparent to the public from the start regarding the extent of the spill and the ongoing cleanup.
While the cleanup efforts have focused on the north side of the bay, some people have seen signs of it near the southern shore of the bay by the TAMUCC campus and Oso Bay. This is entirely possible with winds blowing out of the north.
Anyone who sees a sheen or other signs of this spill (or any other spill) can report them at the USCG National Response Center Home Page or by calling the Texas General Land Office at 361-396-2831.
If you have concerns about how this spill has been managed, including providing timely updates to the public, you can attend the next meeting of the South Texas Coastal Zone Area Committee hosted by the Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office. It will be on Wednesday, March 25, 2023 at 10 am in Room 1003 of the Natural Resources Center Building at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.
