SABINE PASS, Texas — Sabine Pass Independent School District officials and residents in Sabine Pass say major industry traffic is impacting their every day lives.
With one way into the community and one way out through Highway 87 they're being forced to share the road with 18-wheelers hauling heavy loads to build the new Sempra LNG facility.
To reach Sabine Pass School, parents must drive down Highway 87. Right now, the road is congested with 18-wheelers hauling heavy loads, trucks filed with gravel and more.
District administrators say it's a safety concern and a traffic nightmare.
"I think any teacher will tell you they need their kids in class. And when you don't know when they're gonna get there, that's hard to plan," said Sabine Pass ISD UIL coordinator and former high school principal, Andrew Bates.
Bates says students and teachers are often late to class and parents say they're also late to work.
"This is our only way in and out of town. And you know regrettably our town is being suffocated. Just due to the proper planning by our state, local and county officials and industry. And we're hoping that our voices are heard," said Chris Deslatte, a parent.
Sabine Pass ISD is a commuter district. Drivers say it's hard to see when driving up to the campus.
"We can't go a week without one of them being turned over, one of them just breaking down. Or something happening to the road because of over use. The lines are gone. There's dirt on it constantly. You can't see," Bates said.
This ultimately adds hours to the commute.
"And then the school tries to adapt. We change the schedule, we change the practice times. But it's hard for parents to just jump through all those hoops. It's hard for the school and our workers, and our children to jump through all those hoops," Bates said.
Deslatte started a community based focus group with industry leaders to find a solution.
"Presented some documentation on, what the community sees as a risk and as a hindrance," Deslatte said.
Sempra LNG, Golden Pass LNG and the school district are all on the Sabine Pass traffic task force, aimed to help the community share the road.
Golden Pass LNG is not a part of the Sempra LNG project.
In a statement, Sempra LNG told 12News that they have been working to alleviate issues, by:
- Providing escorts for school buses
- Staggering work schedules
- Busing in 75% of their workers
- Hiring off-duty officers to monitor the road
However, parents say they're still frustrated.
"Those companies were going to go back and see if they could make any changes, which we haven't noticed any," Deslatte said.
The next community focus meeting is this Wednesday, September 18 at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Sabine Pass Community Center.
Read full statement from Selby Bush Lilley, Regional Vice President of External Affairs and Communications for Sempra Infrastructure:
We recognize and acknowledge the traffic issues Sabine Pass residents face in light of the increased industrial activity in the area, including the construction of our facility. We have been working with the Sabine Pass ISD for the past 13 months on ways to mitigate our impacts and as a result of this collaboration have actioned the following:
- Our EPC contractor provides escorts for school buses in the morning and afternoon
- We participate in a staggered work release schedule with the other industrials along Highway 87, that helps minimize impact of traffic during peak hours
- We have hired off-duty officers that are strategically located in three to four locations along the highway to monitor and address traffic situations that may arise
- We provide bus service for more than 75% of our workforce to avoid an additional 1500 vehicles traveling to site each day
We remain committed to working with local residents to ensure the roadways are safe and accessible, and to addressing issues as they arise
Read the full statement from Sabine Pass ISD Superintendent Kristi Heid:
The school district has helped develop and foster a community focus group to discuss concerns about the traffic situation and share them with the companies involved. There is also a task force that involves representatives from the local businesses, elected officials, and community stakeholders that has met to look at possible solutions for the safety concerns we have.
As a district we are obligated to give the community, parents, and staff as much information as we can about possible dangers, delays, or concerns. We disseminate all pertinent information via our website, social media, and our district messaging service. Unfortunately, we are not always made aware of situations until after they occur and our parents and students are caught in the middle of them. We continuously review our procedures to try and adjust release times, practices, and events to avoid potential issues, but without reliable and consistent information we are forced to be reactive rather than proactively plan for solutions.
As a district, safety is our first priority. Unfortunately, some situations are inherently more unsafe and the only real solution is to change the dynamics. We want to be an active partner, but without meaningful engagement from industry we are limited in how much we can affect change.