Texas community battles industry over desalination plants
Residents of Corpus Christi, Texas, are fighting against the construction of desalination plants that threaten their bay and local environment.
Aina Marzia reports for Al Jazeera.
In short:
- Corpus Christi residents, including Encarnacion “Chon” Serna, oppose five proposed desalination plants set to discharge wastewater into the bay.
- Local communities, especially Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, fear losing homes and facing increased environmental and health risks.
- Desalination plants primarily benefit industrial operations, with little to no benefit for local residents' water needs.
Key quote:
“They don’t care about the people. They don’t care about our natural resources.”
— Encarnacion “Chon” Serna, retired chemical engineer
Why this matters:
Desalination, while a potential solution to water scarcity, is not without its controversies. The process is energy-intensive and often releases highly concentrated brine back into the ocean, which can harm marine life and disrupt delicate coastal habitats. For the people of Corpus Christi, these risks are too significant to overlook. They worry about the impact on the bay's water quality, which is crucial for local fisheries, tourism, and overall environmental health.
