In October 2018 , the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the Coastal Surge Protection Barrier Project, also known as the Coastal Spine or Ike Dike, was their preferred choice for protecting the Texas coastline from future storm surges. The proposed project, also called the “Tentatively Selected Plan” or “TSP,” includes a series of structural and non-structural measures designed to protect the Gulf Coast from hurricane and tropical storm related surges.
On Tuesday, December 4, at 5 p.m. at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center, the City of League City is hosting host a presentation that will provide an overview of the proposed project and a brief outline of the process that it will go through before it can be approved and funded by Congress.
Two attorneys, Lowry Crook and Rebecca Andrews, from the firm Best Best & Krieger, will deliver the presentation. Crook is a former Army Corps attorney with extensive knowledge about how these types of projects move through public review, sponsorship, committee review, congressional approval, and appropriations. Andrews is a Houston-area attorney whose practice focuses on environmental law for public agencies.
The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public input on the project before finalizing it and sending it to Congress for possible approval. During the month of December, citizens are invited to several public meetings in the Bay Area. If approved by Congress in 2021, the coastal barrier would stretch 76 miles along Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula, would cost an estimated $21 to $31 billion, and take anywhere from 10-50 years to construct.