LAFAYETTE — In a continued effort to pump the brakes on the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s plan to support the Lebanon LEAP project, Tippecanoe County commissioners voted to extend the existing moratorium on high-volume water exports and radial collector wells.
Originally passed by county commissioners as a nine-month moratorium in December, the extension passed on Monday extends the moratorium to Sept. 3, 2025.
Residents along the Wabash River and beyond have criticized the IEDC’s plan to pipe up to 100 million gallons of water a day from Tippecanoe County to Lebanon — one-third of the width of the state. Lebanon is the epicenter of the organization's Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace project. Lebanon, however, does not have the water resources for the development, and the project proposes to pull the water it needs from Tippecanoe County aquifers lying beneath or near the Wabash River.
Locals support extending moratorium
Elizabeth Solberg, a member of the League of Women Voters of Greater Lafayette, said the organization supports the commissioners' efforts, hoping to see more work to address residents' concerns at the statewide level.
"We commend you for this moratorium on high-volume water exports and radial collector wells for an additional year," Solberg said. "The league also supports efforts to create a statewide water plan, which we hope will appropriately address the broader issue of water distribution and apportionment."