475 Acres of Texas Wetlands to Be Preserved in Proposed Restoration Plan
JANUARY 19, 2021 — Per a Federal Register Notice on January 14, 2021, the Department of Justice announced that a consent decree was lodged in the hazardous waste case of DuPont Beaumont in Jefferson County, Texas.
Under the proposed settlement, the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc. and the Chemours Company will implement a restoration project to preserve a 475-acre tract of habitat. The proposed area includes tidal intermediate wetlands, expanses of open water, and bands of upland forested habitat in Orange County, Texas. The conserved area will provide important habitats for many species of fish, migratory birds, and waterfowl. These habitats would be preserved in perpetuity via a conservation easement to be held by the Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust, a local conservation group. NOAA worked alongside our co-trustees, the U.S Department of the Interior, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas General Land Office, to assess environmental impacts and develop the restoration plan.
The public can view and comment on the consent decree on the Department of Justice website through February 15, 2021.
Please contact Kevin.Kirsch@noaa.gov for further information.