Gulf Coast petrochemical executives are calling for massive investments in regional flood protection as they outfit their own facilities to better withstand severe storms in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Executives with LyondellBasell, Dow Chemical, ExxonMobil and other major petrochemical companies gathered this week to discuss the industry’s response to Harvey and what steps they consider necessary to safeguard their operations in the event of another massive hurricane.
They agreed on the need for a proposed $14 billion barrier project known as the “coastal spine” and hope federal funding would help make it happen. The project would include a system of levees and gates in the Galveston Bay area.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is studying the feasibility of the concept, first proposed after Hurricane Ike unleashed a massive storm surge in 2008.
