Oh just the IEDC claiming that they have their own Roman Empire here in Indiana.

Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire after power shifted away from a representative democracy to a centralized imperial authority, with the emperor holding the most power, becoming a dictatorship.

The Roman Empire: Slavery, Brutal Emperors, Forced Suicides & Proscription, Religious Persecution, extreme poverty rates, threats of being in a constant state of war, government imposed huge tax burdens on the people, and of course it fell due to corruption.

 Holcomb Defends Water for Boone County 11/16/2023

Every answer Holcomb gives in this article says the exact same thing. This article actually scares me.  

Holcomb's EGO is driving this train now. And a man in a position of power will do everything he can to protect his EGO. Every time he answers, he speaks about "the attention" and essentially how his train is already rolling and it isn't going to stop now. 

"WE WANT to continue TO GROW AT THE SCALE AND PACE that WE strategically SET out,” the Republican governor said. “When I’m with the governor of Ohio and the governor of Michigan, and they say they have an overabundance of water, we have water, we just have to prove it.” - Translation: We said we were going to do this thing and we have the power. So we decide. And we want it fast. We want it NOW. All my friends say they have water. Well I have water too! They aren't better than me. I'll prove it!

 "(Holcomb) ORDERED the Indiana Finance Authority to MOVE UP THE START DATE for a larger study reviewing Wabash River watersheds" even though there have been protests for months from landowners who say THEY WERE NEVER PROPERLY CONSULTED. 

When Sanders asked if the study was to understand the problem or to find water for LEAP, Holcomb responded “the state needs INVESTMENTS and those investments will require WATER." Translation: The pushback is getting bigger. I want this fast tracked even more than it already was. I don't care about the consequences to the local citizens. We want money. And we must have their water to get that money. So we're going to take the water.

Did you know that the population of Boone County is 74,00 as of 2022? And that 25% of their population is under 18? Or that 15% of their population is over 65? That they have about 45,000 people between the ages of 18-64? And that their total residence labor force is about 38,000 people as of 2022? That Lebanon is not the biggest city in Boone County? Lebanon has a population of 17,000 while Zionsville has a population of 32,000. Their unemployment rate is about 2% yearly? Or that both their per capita income and median household income rank #2 in the state? (#1 being the highest paid)

So why would the state decide to put a HUGE industrial park, that will require 1,000’s of employees (that they do not have- in fact they are not underpaid or unemployed) and an insane amount of water (that they do not have)? Why would the state pay such high prices per acre of land? Why is the state working so hard  to pour concrete all over some of the most fertile farmland in the world? 

Boone county will have to import workers and water for the LEAP project. They will also require all the infrastructure that goes along with it. Including, electricity, roads, housing, retail, food, plumbing, etc. 

It’s halfway between Purdue and Indy? So what? Think about it. Does that really mean much? There was nowhere else that would be a similar distance to either of those places?

Will Clinton County Water Be Pumped to Supercharge Boone County Growth? - August 2022 article explaining why Clinton County decided to hire legal counsel after the state started looking at their water resources. They speak about how they were often left in the dark regarding information and how they were treated during this time. It’s a good read.

Clinton County Water Will Not Flow Into Boone County, Wabash River Water Will Be Used – “Hundred Million Gallons A Day” - September 2022 article discussing why the IEDC decided not to use their water and what the State’s new plans were - taking it from the Wabash

The Gov. Candidate and Fort Wayne businessman (R-Doden) echoed those fears on Tuesday, emphasizing that the public has only seen preliminary data, “handpicked” by the IEDC — of which he was formerly the president from 2013 to 2015. He said the full dataset from the water study should be released to independent experts for review, as local leaders have requested.

“Any state-sponsored project demands a high level of accountability,” Doden said in a news release. “With a resource as vital as water at stake, Hoosier taxpayers deserve greater transparency than IEDC provides.”

Doden argued the IEDC water study is not independent, however, and maintained that “the same organization trying to divert the water for its own project paid for it.”

“This is the latest example that shows Indiana desperately needs a long-term vision to grow our small towns into thriving communities,” Doden continued. “The LEAP project would divert natural resources from a smaller region to support a larger one — a decision without regard for, or belief in, our small counties and towns. We can and must be a state where all 92 counties thrive, and Indiana needs new leadership to achieve this vision.”

An article from 2020:  

“In Indianapolis, where summer drought risk is growing and the number of days with extreme heat is predicted to triple, Citizens Energy Group is looking for new water sources to meet its needs through the next 50 years.

By 2070, the utility expects needing to increase its water capacity by 100 million gallons per day, a 40% increase from the current capacity.” That is the same amount they’re now trying to take from Tippecanoe county! Odd isn’t it?

“Almost two-thirds of Indiana is farmland, which alone requires 133 million gallons of water in irrigation per day, according to data from the United States Geological Survey. That’s more than half of Indianapolis’ current daily use.” So in total, all the farms in Indiana use only 30 million gallons of water more per day than the state wants to take from Tippecanoe County. However we are being told that 100 million gallons is only a ‘drop in the bucket’ and not very much at all…

Potential Climate Impacts on Wabash River Basin : 

By the end of this century, the IPCC predicted that the global surface temperature is likely to be 2°C warmer than the temperature experienced during the period of 1850–1900. Even small perturbations in temperature can result in significant impacts on the mean annual streamflow, and the local impacts of 2°C warming are beyond what many societies can cope with. The Wabash River runoff is highly sensitive to temperature alteration; thus, it is essential to quantify the potential impacts of future climate changes on the hydrological regime over the Wabash River Watershed. This information may assist policy-makers and water managers in adopting strategies.

An Article from JANUARY 2023: 

IEDC officials have said that one of the early drivers of the LEAP District location was addressing the long-term water availability needs of central Indiana.

“The reason we are targeting the Wabash Alluvial Aquifer is because it is recharged by the Wabash River, providing a stable source of water,” Erin Sweitzer, IEDC’s vice president of communications, said in an email. “By tapping into the aquifer, we should manage any potential impact to the Wabash River, and we are installing water level recorders in the vicinity of the wells to track changes in stream and aquifer levels.”

Sweitzer said the agency is currently conducting design and engineering studies and has installed water level recorders in the vicinity of wells in the area to track changes in stream and aquifer levels. - So where is the data from almost a year of collecting this information? Why haven’t we been shown the data?

An Article from 2022: 

When reached for comment on questions of transparency, chief operating officer and chief of staff for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation David Rosenberg said in a statement that the Lebanon project is still “very early on in the process.” - Sounds very familiar to those of us in Tippecanoe County as of October 2023 doesn’t it? Hmmm… Also the people of Lebanon need to vote their Mayor out - he sounds so condescending in this article towards them! 

Image above is from a state report about water, specifically the Teays Aquifer area -note that it states the aquifer water moves very slowly, typically less than 1 foot per day. Also that the aquifer does not get water from the Wabash but instead actually supplies water to the rivers and streams including the Tippecanoe and Wildcat. 

From a June 2022 article in the Lebanon Reporter: 

So not only does the IEDC intend to take Tippecanoe County's water and give it to Boone County - they also intend to take our graduates as well! It’s a main pillar of their plan! 

A blog post from 2014 discussing Boone County Water Resources - This post discusses Lebanon’s plans at sneaky annexation tactics and also about how they might eventually consider taking Lafayette’s water instead of doing their due diligence to ensure they have enough on their own! 

An article that was in the Clinton County Today in March of this year (2023). The pipeline will actually be closer to over 50 miles long. The article also has an embedded link to the map from American Structure Point: https://share.zight.com/RBurWwk2

FRANKFORT, Ind. (March 21, 2023) – The State of Indiana has given Frankfort Municipal Utilities (FMU) 21-days to respond to requests for information on a 52.6 mile long dual water mains design project for Project LEAP starting at the Wabash River near the intersection of W 200 S and S 500 W in Tippecanoe County and terminating at the intersection of State Road 32 and 500 W in Boone County; the water mains will pass through Clinton County on both sides of U.S. 52 according to project maps reviewed.

The request for information came via email to FMU from American Structurepoint, Inc. – tasked to perform utility coordination – according to FMU Utility Service Board chairman Kent Brewer during Monday’s USB meeting, March 20th.

“We received an email that was forwarded around 3:30 to 3:45 [Monday] from American Structurepoint,” stated chairman Brewer during the meeting. “We, as a utility, … only have some electric crossing 52. I don’t believe we have any underground stuff – we don’t have water out that far, we definitely don’t have sewer out that far. As far as an effect on our utilities, we don’t see that.”

Brewer stated the Clinton County government was not made aware of this.

“I forwarded that email to my son (Jordan Brewer, president of the Clinton County commissioners) and was totally shocked. He claimed they – the County – has not received anything. I forwarded it to Dan Sheets (county surveyor) as well.”

The specific items requested according to the email shared by chairman Brewer with Clinton County Today include: map(s) of the size, material, and location of the facilities within the limits of the proposed project and copies of any as-builts or easement documents. The email does not contain information as to when the project would begin.

Project LEAP is an economic development zone consisting of over 10,000 acres in Boone County to the west and north of Lebanon. Eli Lilly has started construction on a $2.1 Billion project in the area. The dual water mains are vital to provide the necessary water to the planned development area.

https://www.clintoncountytoday.com/state-to-pump-water.../

Wells dry near Parr, Indiana

A well went dry near Parr, forcing the family to shower and wash laundry at relatives' houses. They fill a bucket with water from the swimming pool to flush the toilet. This well was one of about a dozen in the immediate area that went dry. An inquiry by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources revealed that heavy pumping most likely drew down the water table in the neighborhood. Indiana law dictates that large water users that deplete area wells of its neighbors pay a share of remedying the problem, according to the head of the agency's water rights and use section. Northwest Herald (Ill.), Aug. 14, 2012

Wells running dry in Indiana

Between 100 and 150 people reported to Indiana state officials that their wells were dry or nearly dry from mid-June through the end of July, said the head of the water rights and use division of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. New York Times, Aug. 23, 2012

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources noted a number of benefits to the drought that was searing the state. Some of them were that waterfront homeowners could access manmade features that were normally submerged, cicadas singing earlier in the year, better fishing in Lake Michigan and Asian carp dying, due to low water levels in oxbows and cut off sections of river in southwestern Indiana and in particular, the Wabash River. Evansville Courier and Press (Ind.), July 13, 2012

Drought dropped water level in Celery Bog in West Lafayette, Indiana

Drought in 2012 began the decline of water in Celery Bog in West Lafayette, but deep pockets of water supported fish and other animals, which are expected to repopulate the bog. Winter snowfall provided the needed moisture to replenish the popular wildlife viewing site. Evansville Courier and Press (Ind.), March 25, 2014

Pond water used to irrigate sports fields in Westfield, Indiana

Central Indiana has set a new historical low for rainfall with records dating back to 1871 as little rain has fallen since July 18, although conditions were much wetter prior to mid-July. In Westfield, Grand Park has begun consolidating their ponds and irrigating its sports fields, but has enough for the next month. WXIN-TV FOX59 (Indianapolis, Ind.), Aug 19, 2021

Residents with dry wells south of Columbus, Indiana

Residents with dry wells south of Columbus think that excessive irrigation in nearby fields during hot, dry weather may be to blame for the wells running dry, which occurred in the last week of August. The water table fell six feet in four months. Louisville Courier-Journal (Ky.), Sept. 1, 2013

Modernizing the states approach to a critical resource: A Chamber of Commerce report from 2014 about water and economic development. 

 Drought in the Twenty-First Century in a Water-Rich Region: Modeling Study of the Wabash River Watershed, USA

Governor Holcomb shifts oversight of LEAP water study to Indiana Finance Authority - Don’t get too excited though! Also, what is the IFA? And what do they know about water?

Developing now: Notice that we are all confused about where exactly they plan to draw the water from. “They” keep saying the “Wabash Alluvial Aquifer”. We’ve been told that is another name for the Teays Aquifer by professionals. We’ve also been told it is a totally different aquifer. I have yet to find any mention online of an aquifer with this exact name (WAA) online previous to the LEAP project information coming out. It is important to figure this out, use the correct names, and learn how extracting water from this source affects the water in the ground and in the river and how it recharges! 

Early tests showed, according to the IEDC, the underground aquifer “is well connected” to the Wabash River and that “water can move easily between” the two. The study concluded that because Lafayette-area homeowners’ wells get water from the Wabash, rather than the alluvial aquifer itself, the impact would be minimal. - This essentially says that the water will be coming from the Wabash River! 

Citizens Action Coalition

From the report:

"Proposed LEAP Project in Boone County Reveals Severe Deficiencies in Indiana’s Water and Economic Development Policy"

December 2023

We recommend the following:

●The LEAP project should be put on hold indefinitely or proceed only with the Eli Lilly facilities if transparent, reliable studies show transferring water from Hamilton or Marion County will not impair water availability in those counties into the future.

●If the Eli Lilly facilities move forward, Eli Lilly should pay for the portion of water infrastructure and water supply required for its facilities.

● The state, with meaningful opportunities for public involvement, should adopt integrated water resource management (IWRM) principles and formulate strong policies around those.

●Part of developing sustainable water policy should include determining how to approach utility rate design coupled with comprehensive conservation measures, in a balanced approach that protects the interests of customers, addresses the acute bill affordability challenges faced by low-income customers, and allows utilities to maintain financial stability.

●As an initial step, the General Assembly should adopt the concept behind the legislation proposed by area Lafayette legislators to impose a modicum of structure to large water withdrawals.

● As an additional initial step, the General Assembly should return groundwater resources to local control in order to foster cooperation between neighboring utilities (regionalization) and stem water wars between communities and regions.

●Funding for water infrastructure should come from taxpayers, not utility ratepayers, if the infrastructure envisioned is shown to benefit the public. That way, utilities do not earn a profit off these public projects. This is what was proposed by IFA and what was envisioned in the initial agreement between Citizens Water and IEDC.

●The General Assembly should either replace the IEDC with a transparent department of commerce or significantly reform the IEDC to inject transparency and public participation upfront, without compromising sensitive negotiations. In either case, the state must engage the public early on about economic development and water usage. Having those discussions and disclosing the type of business, scale, and cost of the development to taxpayers and/or ratepayers would not divulge the specifics of the negotiations.

●The state should begin the process of reviewing current production systems in agriculture, manufacturing, and power generation, prioritizing economically efficient means of reducing or eliminating pollution of surface water and groundwater (whether that pollution is airborne, landfilled, or directly discharged into water ways) and reducing overall water usage to ensure future availability and enhance public health efforts.

Article on Report- December 2023

Interview with Gov Holcomb by Dave Bangert 12/20/23

Question: Is there anything you would see in that study that would say this is a bad idea and we need to go to another part of Indiana for water or import from somewhere else?

Eric Holcomb: Well, if don't have the water. But that's what these studies will produce, in that region and others. This is something that years ago was revealed that we need more water for this region. Long before this idea ever came forward, long before people started saying the Hard Tech Corridor would be a good place for talent density, the Hard Tech Corridor would be an ideal place for brain gain, not drain. The Hard Tech Corridor would be a case study in determining the future of microelectronics, data, our AI strategy, as a state, country, etc. So, there's part of carpe diem that requires action, not theoretical or rhetorical.

Question: Do you think that this, then, is just a pretext to have LEAP pay for the extension of a pipeline to at least Lebanon and then feeding Hamilton County, Hendricks County, Marion County?

Eric Holcomb: What the IEDC did rightly is they were very aggressive to the market and said we're going lay out some options on how we can solve some things. And talent is one big one. Cost is another. Utilities is another – water, power. The regulatory environment’s another one. You just go down the list. But the IFA is the entity that will show us the supply – where is the supply of water – and project out what the demand will be. I predict that we will have multiple straws punched into the ground that will show where water can come from – show that we were blessed with an overabundance of water.

Question: Are you talking about across the state? Or are you talking about (the Lafayette) region?

Eric Holcomb: Both.

Question: I was talking to Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry a few weeks ago and he puts you in the room when the initial ask was brought to him (for the LEAP district). March of 2022 is the date he gave. And he apparently said, But we don't have the water, and raised that question to you. Then he said this pipeline idea was brought up.

Eric Holcomb: We don’t need that level of need for water.

Question: For Lebanon? You’re correct, for Lebanon. He didn't say that Lebanon didn't have enough water for itself. He said they didn't have enough to handle more than Eli Lilly. (Note: Eli Lilly broke ground in 2023 on a $3.7 billion campus in the LEAP district, a project expected to create 700 jobs.) But triangulating that locally, people in Lafayette didn't know about it until maybe September, probably October, when they started reading about it (in media accounts). Do you think that's a problem, that gap? Is that something you wish you could take back? Why wasn't that also taken to Greater Lafayette to say, Here's what we're going to do, or what we're talking about possibly doing?

Eric Holcomb: You usher in these deals one by one, and you’ve got to start somewhere. We work with, and continue to work with, additional companies – not just this one big one. As you mentioned, Eli Lilly, who has their own timelines, as well. Part of being pro-business is working with the businesses. And part of doing business that is a premium is speed. I get that fast speed can kill, but so can slow. For us to truly realize the inventory of sites that are ready to go, we have to have sites of different sizes. It just so happens that one of these is a mega-site, this LEAP district. I meet with other governors who say, I’ve got three of those. OK, so do we go, well, we're going to slow down then and hope you stay in touch. It just doesn't work that way. So, you have to balance being thorough and right and data driven with landing the deal, hopefully.

Question: It was June when David Rosenberg (then chief operating officer of the IEDC, now secretary of commerce) said that as long as there’s water in the Great Lakes, the Wabash River will be fine – as he sold a request of $122 million worth of land acquisition for LEAP to the State Budget Committee. Was that unfortunate? Was it a hydrologic misunderstanding? The groundwater expert I've talked to at Purdue called it a lie to get money. What do you think?

Eric Holcomb: I think the IEDC is built to be aggressive and to win. And the IFA is built to do water studies and present to the legislature, to communities, to our administration, the facts. We'll follow the facts. Data will determine our next steps.

Question: What do you think about Tippecanoe County's moratorium, which, I think, shows they're looking for any kind of guardrail for the pipeline they can find. Also, (state Sen. Spencer Deery and state Rep. Sharon Negele) are trying to craft a bill that comes at regulations in similar ways. Where do you stand on either one of those?

Eric Holcomb: I think that the stakeholders that were present (at the Purdue Airport Friday) heard from the president pro tem and the speaker that there will continue to be legislative involvement – there just will be on a project of this scale, concerning water and other considerations. Whatever Tippecanoe County does, we get. We're going to make sure that we, A. Don't lose the deal. But, B. Get the deal because we have the water and the power and the talent.

Lilly to invest another $5.3B in Lebanon site

05/24/24

"Construction is taking shape, with plans to erect 12 buildings, several of which will be equipped to make drug ingredients and therapies in highly-automated, advanced manufacturing systems." - So tell me again about all those jobs LEAP will bring to the state... Also..."To support Lilly’s expansion project, Indiana officials said the state will offer a raft of incentives, such as road improvements, water, electric and other utilities, as well as workforce development commitments and certain economic incentives tied to the company’s achievement of investment and employment goals. The financial value of those incentives has not yet been spelled out." - What do they mean the state will offer? Is the state offering to pay Lily's utility bills? That can't be what it means, right?

“Happy to entertain information and suggestions around [increasing transparency],” Holcomb told the press, “but IEDC has been extraordinarily successful over the last few years of bringing a ton of great economic activity to Indiana. We don’t want to do anything that doesn’t support that.” Translation: Sure I will pretend that we will consider increasing transparency but the IEDC's wants and needs are way more important than anything else.”

Holcomb touts record-breaking capital investment numbers every year. They may not be the whole picture.