HURRICANES: Did the dual hurricanes that hit the gulf stir 
up troubled waters? We'll find out on Passport to Texas.
_________________________________________________

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Two devastating hurricanes terrorized gulf coast states in 
the waning days of summer. In their wake, a torrent of 
water quality questions surfaced.

"There's a big gap between what we know and all the rumors 
that are out there."

Dr. Larry McKinney is Director of Coastal Fisheries at 
Texas Parks and Wildlife. 

"So, it was most important for us to get the facts out in front of 
people."

Sea Grant Texas at Texas A & M University called on 
McKinney and other coastal experts to sort fact from 
fiction in a document released to news media after 
Katrina hit. 

Fact: Katrina washed toxins into the gulf.

"The city of New Orleans has pretty well been flushed. So, 
everything you can think of, from gasoline to fecal coliform, to 
anything else you can think of is in there."

Fact: The pollutants flushed into the gulf from New 
Orleans were expected to have little to no impact on 
Texas, and that has been the case. 

Fact: Oysters were most impacted and they are being carefully 
monitored to assure they are safe to eat. 

"For the first time ever, the oyster industry in the entire Gulf of 
Mexico is closed down. And I haven't talked to anyone who has 
known that that's happened before. It's a combination of Rita 
and Katrina, and we do have some red tide going on right now, 
so that's complicating matters."

That's our show for today ... made possible by a grant from the 
Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program ... 
 
For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.