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​Current Calls to Action!

A lot of rapid industrialization is happening around us here in the Coastal Bend, and it's hard for any one person to keep up with all of it. We are asking the communities to check back often for our calls-to-action to help protect the land, air and water we love so much! Email any links we should consider adding to this page. 

Here is their Plain Language Summary listing the tons of toxic air pollutants proposed per year for the Blue Ammonia Plant at Enbridge, being filed under the named Ingleside Clean Ammonia Partners LLC.  The partnership name for Canadian owned Enbridge and Norwegian owned Yara.​


We MUST make a Public comment to the TCEQ by 12/11/23 and request a Public Meeting and a Contested Case Hearing! Comments  and requests must be submitted either electronically HERE  and reference permit #174275 or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.  
This application would authorize construction of the Blue Ammonia Production Trains (production units) 1 and 2 located at 1450 Lexington Boulevard, Ingleside, San Patricio County, Texas 78362. Don't let the Ingleside Clean Ammonia Partners name fool you. This is the Canadian owned Enbridge and Norwegian company Yara partnership. The application is being processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter J.
Permit Public Notice  
Permit Application
Air Permit Project Record
​Modeling Protocol
Suggestions for permit Comments
Please ATTEND the Notice and Comment Hearing scheduled January 11th, 7pm at Portland Community Center, 200 Billy G. Webb Drive, Portland TX.
This is in regards to Enbridge's renewal for their Federal Operating Permit #3906. 
Come out to comment or support commenters and show we citizens are outraged! 109 concerned citizens commented on this application to get this public hearing so now let's FLOOD THE ROOM! 
We will ask the EPA to object this permit and TCEQ's rubber stamping of excessive emissions and lack of enforcement.  
One concern to comment on at hearing is that TCEQ violated their duty by dividing Enbridge into two sites allow them to emit twice as much HAZARDOUS POLLUTANTS. Enbridge is one company!
​   Available documents for this Enbridge Permit request: 
​A Public Hearing will be scheduled by TCEQ regarding Enbridge's TCEQ Water Rights Permit #13775. 
The TCEQ received 94 citizens comments! Thank you! ​Enbridge water rights application 13775 is for 500 acre feet or 446,371 gallons of water a day from Corpus Christi Bay states their use is for fire pump testing but we believe it's actually a water grab for Blue Ammonia. 

Stop ALL San Patricio Ammonia Plants

Ammonia to be used as a Hydrogen carrier and the process of creating Hydrogen is anything but green!
IOBCWA is currently monitoring permit requests with state and federal agencies responsible for granting these Ammonia plant permits to these polluting industries. We will provide call-to-actions here on help needed as they become known. 
San Patricio Economic Development Corporation has presented to several local city councils new Ammonia project developments with disguised names to close to our neighborhoods for comfort!
Project Green
  • 500 acres, 8 modules(1 1/2 million tons of ammonia per module), $2B+ capital investment, 150 jobs, and advised the company has been on multiple site visits. 
Project Merlin
  • Large-scale green hydrogen/ammonia plant, 500-700 acres, 2 million tons per year for phase 1, 4M GPD water, will use cooling tower for process water, 2000 construction workers, 250 FTE, 24/hour per day operation, $3B capital investment, 4 large trains over multi-year ramp up: start with 1 train and add another every 2 years. 
Project Relic
  • Green ammonia facility, 100 acres, 30-50 jobs, $1.5B capital investment, 1.2​G power, company site visited was planned for March 2, 2023
Questions to consider asking:
  • What will the emissions be?
  • Isn't ammonia made from hydrogen which is very explosive?
  • Will there be a community notification system in case of a spill or release?
  • Isn't ammonia toxic?
  • Why cut down acres of trees for a solar farm when they use carbon dioxide?
  • What are you going to do to reduce upstream emissions of methane from the well, through the pipeline?
  • Where and how are they getting the enormous amount of water required for the hydrogen process? 
  • Why did they split their air emissions into two minor permits and not go with a major permit that have higher standards to protect our air better? 
  • How are they shipping the ammonia? Pipes or ships?
  • Will there be new pipelines through Ingleside carrying methane?
  • What process are they going to use to create the ammonia?
  • What they going to do with all the carbon dioxide produced from hydrogen driven production?
  • Where will the carbon be stored?
  • How will the carbon get there?

The Very Scary links to documented Ammonia Accidents and Explosions

Let's Talk Hydrogen/Ammonia

​The process of creating hydrogen is anything but green. It requires a source of hydrogen gas(H 2 ), which is stripped away from natural gas or coal in a reaction using pressurized, superheated steam. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is left behind, accounting for about half the emissions from the overall process. The second feedstock, N 2 , separated from air. Generating the pressure needed to meld hydrogen and nitrogen in the reactors consumes more fossil fuels, which means more CO 2.
Hydrogen is highly reactive and explosive. There is a high risk of fire and explosions along with the risk of a high pressure release without ignition. It is the smallest atom on the periodic table, very light and  high probability of leaking. It is odorless and colorless and tasteless and can be difficult to know when there is a leak. There is no known odorant that can be added the would diffuse at the same rate.
Ammonia has been attracting attention for its use as a hydrogen carrier. Ammonia is energy dense enabling efficient storage and transportation than liquid hydrogen. Ammonia is highly toxic, even in very low amounts. Ammonia production at a facility on the Live
Oak Peninsula places it down wind of residential neighborhoods and schools. Ammonia facilities are constant source of noxious odors. Ammonia is a nitrogen bearing fuel and is likely to generate large amounts of nitrogen oxide(NOx) in its combustion as a fuel. While ammonia is less flammable than hydrogen, it nonetheless carries a risk of explosion and fire.

Join an IOBCWA Community Action Team! ​

Currently organizing groups in Ingleside on the Bay, Aransas Pass, and Ingleside

We are excited to announce that we will be expanding our outreach to neighboring cities to raise awareness and provide education regarding potential impacts to coastline resources, water and air quality due to increased ship traffic and rapid industrialization happening and planned for San Patricio County. Our goal is to increase community awareness and create additional community response and action from surrounding communities to the state and federal regulators reviewing and approving the increased applications from industrialization in San Patricio County. We realize we can not do this alone and need additional awareness and activism.
Please email iobcwa@gmail.com today to get involved! 

Status of Prior Calls to Action

1.  As of 9/11/23 FERC has requested an Engineering Information Request to Cheniere regarding questions they have on application. Cheniere has 30 day to respond. Cheniere's permit application CP23-129 for its Stage IV expansion of trains 8 & 9 will more than double the number of ships passing through the La Quinta Channel. Thank you for your comments. FERC (Federal Energy Regulator Commission) has requested additional information from Cheniere. If this permit is granted IOBCWA has preserved FERC Motion to Intervene individually and with Sierra Club.  Status. 
2. IOBCWA and member Chon Serna are engaged in a TCEQ Contested Case Hearing opposing the Port of Corpus Christi's application for water rights for a desalination plant on the La Quinta Channel.​
3. Comments are now closed regarding the Railroad Commission (RRC) to regulate Carbon Dioxide storage underground! Thank you to everyone who commented! Check back for outcome later this year.
RRC has an inherent conflict of interest because they receive campaign donations by the industries they regulate.
The number of uncapped wells in Texas is growing everyday. RRC cannot keep up with the current job they have. 
Carbon Dioxide escaping a well poses serious danger to human health and the environment. 
RRC has a HORRIBLE TRACK RECORD of enforcing regulations and will fail to protect residents who reside next to potential carbon dioxide storage. ​​  
Copy of original RRC Chapter 5 rules for CO2 9/19/22
Proposed rulemaking amendment to RRC Chapter 5 for CO2
Notice of Public Comment Hearing from RRC on proposed amendments ​

Past Industry Public Notices

Climate-Related Notices
This link provides the history of industrial activity in the Coastal Bend near Ingleside on the Bay.
National Weather Service

Industry-Related Notices

Port of Corpus Christi
​Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
United States Army Corps of Engineers
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