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Wednesday, October 17, 2001
Beach can be fixed by 2002
Poor monitoring of sand conditions led to high clay levels
By Neal Falgoust
Caller-Times

   Replacement of the sand on Corpus Christi Beach could be completed before Christmas, said city engineer Angel Escobar.
   Escobar told City Councilmen on Tuesday that the beach's renewal project went bad but could be fixed by removing only the top 18 inches of sand. The sand's quality likely would be monitored by a testing firm hired by the city, he said.
   City officials said last week that a $2 million state project to replenish the beach had gone awry after the firm hired to monitor the quality of the sand failed to detect clay and silt levels that were more than three times the acceptable level.
   Pasadena-based contractor Phoenix Demolition - the firm overseeing the project - hired Fugro South to perform the tests on the sand.
   Testers are supposed to wash the sand to remove any clay, then weigh the sand and clay separately to determine the sand's clay content.
   The high clay content in the sand has caused it to turn hard after soaking rains and has caused pools to form on the sand's surface. The clay traps the water on the beach.
   The lab failed to conduct that test and instead weighed the sand and only the clay content that fell freely from the sand particles, project officials said.
   The firm has pledged to cover any reasonable costs associated with fixing the project.
   But those who rely on the beach for business are worried that the poor sand quality will affect their businesses. At least a few people using the beach said the quality had changed their minds about using the beach.
   Darlene Medina and her family decided to flee the beach because of the muddy waters.
   "We're just going to a public pool," she said.
   Councilmen took the issue into an executive session, where they discussed the contractual obligations the testing firm had with the government agencies running the project. Senior city officials said they have not ruled out the possibility of litigation.
   Councilman Brent Chesney chastised project officials for failing to detect the problem, even after numerous residents complained about the poor sand quality.
   "I hesitate to say, 'I told you so,' so I'm not going to do that," he said. "We were assured that these problems were taken care of."

   Contact Neal Falgoust at 886-4334 or falgoustn@caller.com

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