Seadrift Harbor

Formosa Plastics Environmental Grant awarded to the City of Seadrift, TX for tire removal around the city harbor to help reduce the spread of diseases such as the West Nile virus.

First, I would like to take this time to thank Formosa Plastics for awarding a grant, as part of their Environmental Trust Fund program for 2012, to the City of Seadrift for the tire removal in our city harbor. Also, I would like to thank Mr. R. Wallace, of Formosa Plastics, Mr. D. Harkey of First National Bank, Port Lavaca, for their time in reviewing our request.

As City Councilman over the harbor it is my responsibility to see that the harbor is operational and safe. One of the issues that could be addressed immediately at the harbor was to have city employees remove trash that had built up and have them mow the overgrown weeds and to continue keeping it this way. The tires on the piling were very unsightly and a breeding ground for mosquitoes as they hold stagnant water and this is worrisome due to the threat of the West Nile Virus. This is what made me start looking for a contractor that would be willing to come to Seadrift and remove and dispose of all these tires, not an easy task.

About this time I saw an ad for Formosa Plastics Environmental Grant, just what the City of Seadrift needed. I brought forward to the City Council this grant and asked for and received their approval to submit a grant request. After numerous phone calls, emails and photos being reviewed, I finally submitted a bid by the deadline.

In January 2013 we were notified that the grant had been awarded and Steve Williams of AXIS Demolition had the winning bid. They began working soon after and completed the work by the end of February.
So, at this point, Seadrift has what looks to be a new and different harbor. This coming spring and summer there should be a difference in the comfort of working and fishing in and around the harbor, plus the benefit of better health for the harbor and everyone.

I am looking in to several other projects for our harbor, so stay tuned. I would ask for everyone’s understanding in the time this all takes, nothing happens overnight, but as a City we can start working on them one at a time.

Just this tire removal project has taken over eight months to bring it to reality, other projects will take longer, but we must start sometime. Again, my heartfelt thanks to everyone for the help received bringing this to reality.

Thank you all, for allowing me to be one of your Councilmen for the City of Seadrift.

Jack LaBarge, Councilman, Seadrift, Texas

Working on the Seadrift Tire Removal Project