They're hamstrung by poor coordination and a lack of funding for studies and personnel. That's true by some measures. Spill response has improved, reducing damage from accidents. And the Galveston Bay Estuary Program helped craft a long-range plan to address some of the bay's thorniest issues, such as how to control polluted runoff from urban areas. But by other measures, the agencies may be dead wrong.
Surveys show increasing destruction of vital coastal wildlife habitat.
Another study found potential elevated cancer risks for people who eat lots of Galveston Bay seafood. Though some of the trouble can be traced to such natural conditions as drought and above-average temperatures that have warmed the bay's water, Moore says climate isn't the biggest issue facing bay shrimpers. The oil slick discovered by Joe Nelson percolated for another seven or eight hours before the offending pipe was finally located and capped. The GLO dispatched a boat to the scene, but the investigator was confused by a second spill he discovered en route. The Coast Guard flew over the area but somehow failed to spot the oil.