This Chronicle article from yesterday reports on the deplorable grade the Port of Houston was given recently in a review released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a nationwide environmental advocacy group. It was the lowest grade given to any of the nation’s 10 largest ports. Here is a copy of the full report.
For as long as I can remember, the Port of Houston has had a lousy relationship with its neighbors in the eastern part of Harris County, and this report reflects one of the reasons why. “We are up against an opponent that not only has a bad local reputation but at this point also a bad national reputation,” said Nancy Edmonson, mayor of Shoreacres. Public officials in Galena Park, another suburban community near the Port, have made similar public statements over the years.
Here’s hoping that elected officials take notice of the mess that the Port of Houston has become and do something about it, like appointing some real reformers to the Port’s Board. However, I will not hold my breath waiting for that to occur. As we have seen recently with several compliant corporate boards that have overseen disastrous judgment by management, it’s easier to appoint friends and political hacks to these boards than people who will really roll up their sleeves and perform the hard work that is the duty of a board member.