Indiana lawmakers respond to Holcomb's announcement regarding LEAP water project

Noe Padilla, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·5 min read

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On Monday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that he had directed the Indiana Finance Authority to oversee the completion and validation of the INTERA water supply study that’s being completed for Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project.

This news came as a surprise to some residents and local officials after they’ve been calling for the IEDC to be more transparent regarding the project, as well as calling for the project to be stopped altogether.

The LEAP project would potentially pull up to 100 million gallons of water a day from Tippecanoe County and pipe it to Boone County to help support a new economic district being developed by IEDC.

After Holcomb’s announcement, Tippecanoe County’s state legislators released a statement expressing their appreciation for Holcomb granting the Indiana Finance Authority of INTERA’s study, but they also believe it’s just the first out of many steps needed to address the concerns of residents in Tippecanoe County.

In October, local legislators — state Sen. Ron Alting (R-District 22) and Sen. Spencer Deery (R-District 23), and State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette), Rep. Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) and Rep. Sharon Negele (R-Attica) ― pledged to work together in hopes of creating new legislation and regulations that will potentially limit how much water can be withdrawn from a region’s aquifer.

In Holcomb’s announcement, he also noted that the Indiana Finance Authority would immediately start a planned comprehensive regional water study for North Central Indiana to examine watersheds across 13 counties in the region, as well as install new water monitoring devices that will provide the public with the assurance that water use, and availability will continue to be tracked accurately and in real-time.

Spencer Deery’s statement - (R-District 23)

State Sen. Spencer Deery (R – District - 23) speaks to constituents regarding how he and his colleagues plan to address their concerns regarding Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project, at the Lafayette Army National Reserve building, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
State Sen. Spencer Deery (R – District - 23) speaks to constituents regarding how he and his colleagues plan to address their concerns regarding Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project, at the Lafayette Army National Reserve building, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

"Over the last month, I have worked to convey the level of concern felt by communities along the Wabash River to state officials and called for significant steps to ensure local residents have reliable access to water,” Deery said.

"Some of the measures announced this week, like commitments to new water monitoring and additional studies, are helpful, but you typically study before you act, and significant work has already started at the LEAP Innovation District in Lebanon. This action to direct the Indiana Finance Authority to have oversight of the completion of the INTERA water study feels like two steps forward when we need three.

"I believe the next logical step is to pause any action or contract that would push the state even further down the path of this pipeline proposal until independent studies are completed and the Indiana General Assembly can consider relevant issues such as water withdrawal permits, pipeline costs and reform at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation."

Ron Alting’s statement - (R-District 22)

State Sen. Ron Alting (R – District 22) speaks to constituents regarding how he and his colleagues plan to address their concerns regarding Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project, at the Lafayette Army National Reserve building, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
State Sen. Ron Alting (R – District 22) speaks to constituents regarding how he and his colleagues plan to address their concerns regarding Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project, at the Lafayette Army National Reserve building, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

"In recent months, I have heard from many Tippecanoe County residents who have expressed concerns regarding the water supply issue for the LEAP Innovation District in Lebanon,” Alting said.

"I, too, have concerns about the potential of pumping millions of gallons of water per day from Tippecanoe County.

"I was born and raised in Tippecanoe County, graduated from Lafayette Jefferson High School and Purdue University, and raised my family here. I want to see the county and its residents succeed.

"While I am happy to see the Indiana Finance Authority take oversight of the INTERA water study, I continue to have concerns for the overall project.

"During the upcoming legislative session, I plan to work with other area legislators to ensure all Hoosiers have access to the water supply they need."

Chris Campbell’s statement - (D-West Lafayette)

State Rep. Chris Campbell (D – West Lafayette), speaks to constituents regarding how she and her colleagues plan to address their concerns regarding Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project, at the Lafayette Army National Reserve building, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
State Rep. Chris Campbell (D – West Lafayette), speaks to constituents regarding how she and her colleagues plan to address their concerns regarding Indiana’s Economic Development Corp.'s LEAP project, at the Lafayette Army National Reserve building, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

“This is a step towards progress – a very small step. I’m glad that Governor Holcomb has responded to public outcry and the anxiety I’ve seen in Tippecanoe County. Everything about this potential pipeline has progressed too quickly. There’s a lot of questions and a lot of worries that need answers. With this order, Governor Holcomb shows that he’s not immune to our calls for action,” Campbell said.

“Oversight of the water supply study has shifted to the IFA. Our community has been calling for a third-party study. We want a neutral third-party to review the results. However, it’s unclear if the IFA is completely unbiased. They’re closely intertwined with the IEDC, and they’ve been involved in LEAP since the beginning. They have a vested interest in the success of this pipeline as well. I’m glad the Governor has responded to our calls for action, but there still needs to be a true third-party study of the aquifer water supply.”

Sheila Klinker’s statement - (D-Lafayette)

State Rep. Shelia Klinker (D-Lafayette) speaks to Lafayette city council about potentially creating new legislation to address the issues renters have been dealing with in Lafayette, at July's Lafayette City Council meeting, on Monday, July 10, 2023, in Lafayette, Ind.
State Rep. Shelia Klinker (D-Lafayette) speaks to Lafayette city council about potentially creating new legislation to address the issues renters have been dealing with in Lafayette, at July's Lafayette City Council meeting, on Monday, July 10, 2023, in Lafayette, Ind.

“I’d like to extend my gratitude to Governor Holcomb for his response. Elected by the people, the governor is obligated to serve the public. He’s trying to serve several counties with this order. I’m pleased with Governor Holcomb’s order for the IFA to oversee the ongoing study,” said.

“In addition to his order, I believe our community needs more information and transparency. I believe we need more studies. Information and education are vital to the Lafayette community, and we are not getting the answers we deserve. There needs to be an additional, independent third-party study that has our region’s best interests at heart. Overall, I continue to have questions concerning the entire project. I will continue working alongside my fellow legislators to support equitable access to water for our region.”

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Indiana lawmakers respond to Holcomb's announcement regarding LEAP