Calhoun County Independent School District must file a public notice for a new public hearing on ExxonMobil’s Tax Abatement Application
For Immediate Release: Aug. 21, 2025
On Aug. 19, Calhoun County District Court Judge Bauknight granted a conditional injunction to prevent Calhoun County Independent School District (CCISD) from taking final action to approve the tax abatement requested by ExxonMobil Corporation. As a result, Calhoun County School District agreed to file a public notice for a new public hearing on the ExxonMobil Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act (JETI) application for a $242 million tax break for their proposed Coastal Plains plastic plant.
The request for a temporary injunction came from San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SABEW), Vicki Lilly, and Diane Wilson who were represented by Lauren Ice and Marisa Perales at Perales, Allmon & Ice, P.C. The plaintiffs had concerns that CCISD did not provide adequate public notice when they voted April 29, 2025 to unanimously advance a $242 million tax break for ExxonMobil’s proposed plastics plant.
“The April 29 hearing wasn’t just flawed. We felt it was a deliberate attempt to avoid public opposition to Exxon’s $242 million tax abatement,” said Diane Wilson, executive director of SABEW. “Now the fishermen whose lives are being threatened by this giant plastic plant can have a chance to voice their concerns. This court ruling is a real victory for the bay, the fishermen, and our communities.”
ExxonMobil reported nearly $34 billion in profits last year and is proposing a $10 billion ethylene cracker and polyethylene facility on the banks of Cox Creek and Keller Bay. Their environmental impacts could destroy the Matagorda Bay Fishing Cooperative’s 60-acre oyster farm, the largest in the Gulf of Mexico. The cooperative formed in February 2024 and represents over 240 local fishing industry workers who are investing millions in sustainable seafood production as an alternative to local industrial development.
“Many of us work long hours on the water and need fair notice to participate in these critical meetings,” said Candy Bribiesca, the community outreach specialist for the Matagorda Bay Fishing Cooperative. “The proposed ExxonMobil plant would be built near Keller Bay, which is crucial to revitalizing our fishing industry. This facility could pollute our water and undermine years of work to restore our bay’s ecosystem.”
Contact: Dan Lê, dan@sanantoniobaywaterkeeper.org