Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA)

TESPA filed a federal lawsuit against the Permian Highway Pipeline/Kinder Morgan for violations of the clean water act. As a result of this lawsuit, the company officially abandoned the planned drilling and crossing of the Blanco River and rerouted the pipeline away from the Blanco River. Also, the company agreed to conduct dry boring under roads and creeks throughout the Blanco and Hays County pipeline route. TESPA reached a settlement on this case with Permian Highway Pipeline/Kinder Morgan. TESPA filed a suit against the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD)regarding the Needmore Water LLC permit requesting 289 million gallons of water per year for Agricultural use, stating the use is excessive and unwarranted. This suit was filed on behalf of private property owners who have no protection under this permit if groundwater wells are affected, and because groundwater pumping from our aquifers are already occurring at an unsustainable rate. TESPA, Hays County and several landowners continued the lawsuit against Electro Purification?s (EP) groundwater permit application from the BSEACD to withdraw almost a billion gallons of groundwater a year from the Middle Trinity Aquifer. The impact of the EP wells in specific portions of the Middle Trinity Aquifer will be drawn down as far as five miles out after 7 years, if this application is approved. TESPA continued its Trinity Aquifer Protection Plan, including legal efforts in the above cases, advocating for sustainable/safe management of the Trinity Aquifer and launching a community-based groundwater monitoring network.