Alcoa applies for 25,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year

2 CommentsGroundwater,

New Alcoa wells (blue dots) in Milam County along Lee County border.

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

ALCOA HEARING
RE-SCHEDULED
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
5:30 P.M.
Milano Civic Center
120 West Ave. E
Milano, Texas 76556

Citing concerns expressed by local landowners concerning the recent notices issued by ALCOA, ALCOA today requested that the hearings scheduled by the District, to consider applications filed by ALCOA on March 13, 2012, be re-scheduled for a later date.

Originally, the District had set these hearings for August 14, 2012, 5:30 pm, at the District’s offices. It is anticipated that new notices in local newspapers and to landowners will be issued in time for hearings to be held on these applications at the regular Board of Director’s meeting of September 11, 2012. It is further anticipated that these re-scheduled hearings will be held at the Milano Civic Center, 120 West Ave. E, Milano, TX. Please see actual notices, for actual locations, dates, and times.

The Board of Directors of the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, at 5:30 P.M., for the purpose of receiving public comments on the following applications for amendments to existing permits.  If you have a well or spring near the Alcoa site you are encouraged to attend. Click here for copy of hearing notice.

Notice is hereby given of the following public hearing that will be held at the time and place listed above on the following applications, to-wit:

Drilling and Operation Permits. Aluminum Company of America, whose address is P.O. Box 1491, Rockdale, TX 76567, submitted applications on March 13, 2012, for Drilling and Operating Permits to produce 25,000 acre feet of water for Industrial use. The application seeks authorization to enable ALCOA to produce the water from 32 of 60 historic use wells and authority to drill and produce water from new wells OP-1 through OP-24 (19 of which are located in Milam County on the Lee County Line).

For a map and description of the proposed locations of wells OP-1 through OP-24 (the blue dots) please see the map and descriptions to the right.

2 Comments

  1. Charles Uptmor

    We in Bastrop County are under heavy fire to try and protect our water rights. If you want to keep your water in Lee and Milam counties, I suggest you take immediate action and tell your neighbor who doesn’t know of this information. Overpopulation and drought are the causes of the need for more water south of Austin and I imagine that is where Alcoa will try to sell their water too.

    From the Edwards Aquifer web page:

    “In December of 2008, a group of private landowners over the Simsboro approached SAWS and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority with a proposal to develop a project that would be similar to the ALCOA project abandoned by SAWS. Up to 200,000 acre-feet per year would be supplied to San Antonio, the GBRA, and other cities along the I-35 corridor. Brazos Valley Water Alliance spokesman Lourcey Sams said he had “no worries” about getting permits from local groundwater districts and said “It’s an education thing. We will have to explain how this affects existing production and existing users. It’s not going to be an easy process. It’s controversial, emotional, and political. But we should not have any problems. ”

    “In late 2010, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority proposed to team up with private water sellers to build the pipeline and deliver water to San Antonio by 2020. The proposal was in response to a SAWS request that any interested party submit ideas regarding non-Edwards projects.”

    Do something now while you still have time.

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