Commissioners come out against LEAP water pipeline

Tyler Juranovich, Kokomo Tribune, Ind.
·2 min read

Apr. 19—The Howard County Board of Commissioners have joined a number of other counties in officially opposing the diversion of water from the Wabash River to the mammoth LEAP District in Boone County.

The all-Republican board unanimously voted Monday to approve a resolution explicitly stating the commissioners' opposition to a proposed plan by the state to pipe water from an aquifer in Tippecanoe County to a planned industrial campus in Boone County — dubbed the Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace Research and Innovation District.

The plan has faced opposition, with concerns largely stemming from the potential negative effects the diversion could have on the water supply and quality for communities that rely on the Wabash River. The plan has also stirred up debates over Home Rule and how power the state should have over the natural resources of a community.

The pushback led to Gov. Eric Holcomb halting any diversion plans until a water study by the Indiana Finance Authority is completed.

To be clear, the resolution is not a passage of a new local law but merely a formal statement of opinion by the three-person board.

The resolution also states the commissioners oppose the "diversion of deportation of water from Howard County to areas outside of Howard County," Commissioner Jeff Lipiniski, R-District, said.

Howard County Commissioners say their opposition to the state's proposed water diversion plan comes after being approached by constituents regarding the issue.

"I've had numerous people come by my house, give me calls about how they're really concerned about water being shipped out of the county," Lipinski said.

Notably, the resolution does not mention anything about large water diversion projects within the county.

As previously reported by the Tribune, Indiana American Water is exploring tapping into aquifers around the town of Russiaville as an additional water supply for the county.

While officials with the water utility said a town hall meeting held last month at the Jeff Stout Community Center in Russiaville said any additional water supply would stay in the county and be used to meet growing demand, they would neither confirm nor deny if that, at least in part, meant needing to tap into more water supplies to help supply the two StarPlus Energy electric vehicle battery plants and the numerous complementary companies opening facilities the city's northeast side.

Tyler Juranovich can be reached at 765-454-8577, by email at tyler.juranovich@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @tylerjuranovich.