AMD: 1, Environmentalists: 0

[jread]

Judge refuses to halt AMD project
Austin Business Journal - 2:57 PM CDT Tuesday
by Mary Alice Kaspar
Austin Business Journal Staff

An environmental group's legal challenge has failed stop Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s planned 870,000-square-foot corporate campus in Southwest Austin.

Travis County District Judge John Dietz denied the Save Our Springs Alliance's request for a temporary injunction, according to parties involved in the case.

Representatives with the City of Austin and AMD say they are pleased with the ruling, adding it allows the $200 million-plus project to move forward.

A representative with the SOS couldn't be reached for comment.

The SOS filed a lawsuit on February 21 against the city of Austin, claiming the city is violating the 1992 voter-approved Save Our Springs ordinance by allowing the AMD project to move forward. The ordinance governs development in environmentally sensitive parts of the city.

The judge denied the request for a temporary restraining order, but ordered four parties to participate in a 30-day mediation period to see if a solution could be found with regards to the other parts of the suit. Parties ordered into mediation are: AMD, the city of Austin, SOS and landowner Stratus Properties Inc. (NASDAQ: STRS).

AMD plans to build the project on 58 acres at the southeast corner of Southwest Parkway and William Cannon Drive.

"AMD is happy to participate in that [the mediation] process ... and work towards putting together an agreement working towards the best interest of everybody concerned," says Travis Bullard, AMD spokesman.

Bullard says AMD hopes to receive its site development permit soon and break ground in a few weeks.

A city representative says it is also pleased with both parts of the judges ruling.

"We felt that, pursuant to Texas law, that even though the city didn't want AMD to be located on that site, there was nothing we could do to stop them," says Laurie Eiserloh assistant city of Austin attorney.

She says now all four parties are working together in "good faith."

Beau Armstrong, president and CEO of Stratus, says the ruling validates the development agreement it struck with the city back in 2001.

He also says his company is interested in working with the SOS to "see if there's some way to alleviate their concerns."

Kinda sucks that they're building directly over the aquifer recharge zone. Looks like there will be "AMD in the drinking water". That could be a good thing, though. Either way, there are going to be an assload of jobs opening at the place soon and it's really close to my house

 

[tfinch2]

Just in time for me. I'll look forward to their job openings.

 

[DaShen]

Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

 

[FoBoT]

get a job! (with them)

 

[Shawn]

Well if we continue to destroy our environment we might as well advance our technology so we can find a new home.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Well thats ok. 30 years from well just sue their asses for polluting Edwards acquifer. I hear those fab plants use millions of gallons of water a year....and we just through our worst drought since the 1950s in North Texas. :roll:

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

It would actually be very easy for them to use porous concrete and other measures to maintain infiltration.

 

[jread]

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

Yes, the Aquifer is suffering tremendously these days. The population explosion of the Austin Metro Area in recent years has already passed sustainable levels. I don't know what we'll do in the future... pipe water in from somewhere else in the state? It's sad really. The aquifer is all we've got yet we keep allowing development to destroy it. Did you know that the water coming out of the springs from the aquifer is 4x more pure than the EPA standards for drinking water? It's amazing how pristine it really is.

At the same time, it is a great boost to the economy to have a company like AMD build a big ass facility within the city. I wish the urban planners and developers could find a way to allow economic development while still protecting the environment here. It is VERY possible... but money talks.

It is also a difficult subject for me since my two biggest interests are technology and city planning.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Well thats ok. 30 years from well just sue their asses for polluting Edwards acquifer. I hear those fab plants use millions of gallons of water a year....and we just through our worst drought since the 1950s in North Texas. :roll:

it's not a fab. it's office space. get your facts right before you do the :roll:, you look like a douche.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

It would actually be very easy for them to use porous concrete and other measures to maintain infiltration.

Yeah... IF they choose to do that.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Well thats ok. 30 years from well just sue their asses for polluting Edwards acquifer. I hear those fab plants use millions of gallons of water a year....and we just through our worst drought since the 1950s in North Texas. :roll:

I don't think it's a fab at all. It's an office. The issue isn't pollution from AMD itself. It's the impervious cover, which will reduce infiltration into the soil and increase runoff and pollution to creeks and the Edwards Aquifer.

 

[jread]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
The issue isn't pollution from AMD itself. It's the impervious cover, which will reduce infiltration into the soil and increase runoff and pollution to creeks and the Edwards Aquifer.

Bingo! I'm glad to see that someone knows how this works.

Then again, you can't expect that many people to even know what impervious cover is or what it means.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: jread

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

Yes, the Aquifer is suffering tremendously these days. The population explosion of the Austin Metro Area in recent years has already passed sustainable levels. I don't know what we'll do in the future... pipe water in from somewhere else in the state? It's sad really. The aquifer is all we've got yet we keep allowing development to destroy it. Did you know that the water coming out of the springs from the aquifer is 4x more pure than the EPA standards for drinking water? It's amazing how pristine it really is.

At the same time, it is a great boost to the economy to have a company like AMD build a big ass facility within the city. I wish the urban planners and developers could find a way to allow economic development while still protecting the environment here. It is VERY possible... but money talks.

It is also a difficult subject for me since my two biggest interests are technology and city planning.

A VERY small portion of Austin's water comes from the aquifer. I think it's a couple neighborhoods. The vast vast majority of Austin gets water from Lake Travis or Lake Austin or whatever they call the dam on the Colorado. It's San Antonio that uses the water.

http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Well if we continue to destroy our environment we might as well advance our technology so we can find a new home.

QFT Maybe Mars...

We would be Martians then though

 

[FelixDeCat]

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Well thats ok. 30 years from well just sue their asses for polluting Edwards acquifer. I hear those fab plants use millions of gallons of water a year....and we just through our worst drought since the 1950s in North Texas. :roll:

it's not a fab. it's office space. get your facts right before you do the :roll:, you look like a douche.

I thought it was a fab. Oh well. FU anyway.

 

[jread]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
A VERY small portion of Austin's water comes from the aquifer. I think it's a couple neighborhoods. The vast vast majority of Austin gets water from Lake Travis or Lake Austin or whatever they call the dam on the Colorado. It's San Antonio that uses the water.

http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/

Well, I really meant Central Texas in general. At the same time, isn't the Colorado fed by the aquifer as well?

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: jread

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

Yes, the Aquifer is suffering tremendously these days. The population explosion of the Austin Metro Area in recent years has already passed sustainable levels. I don't know what we'll do in the future... pipe water in from somewhere else in the state? It's sad really. The aquifer is all we've got yet we keep allowing development to destroy it. Did you know that the water coming out of the springs from the aquifer is 4x more pure than the EPA standards for drinking water? It's amazing how pristine it really is.

At the same time, it is a great boost to the economy to have a company like AMD build a big ass facility within the city. I wish the urban planners and developers could find a way to allow economic development while still protecting the environment here. It is VERY possible... but money talks.

It is also a difficult subject for me since my two biggest interests are technology and city planning.

Does Austin really need any more money than it already has?

If we screw up the aquifer, you might as well kiss the beautiful scenery and natural beauty of Austin goodbye. There is no way AMD is going to spend the kind of money to make their facility Environmentally friendly.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: jread

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

Yes, the Aquifer is suffering tremendously these days. The population explosion of the Austin Metro Area in recent years has already passed sustainable levels. I don't know what we'll do in the future... pipe water in from somewhere else in the state? It's sad really. The aquifer is all we've got yet we keep allowing development to destroy it. Did you know that the water coming out of the springs from the aquifer is 4x more pure than the EPA standards for drinking water? It's amazing how pristine it really is.

At the same time, it is a great boost to the economy to have a company like AMD build a big ass facility within the city. I wish the urban planners and developers could find a way to allow economic development while still protecting the environment here. It is VERY possible... but money talks.

It is also a difficult subject for me since my two biggest interests are technology and city planning.

Does Austin really need any more money than it already has?

If we screw up the aquifer, you might as well kiss the beautiful scenery and natural beauty of Austin goodbye. There is no way AMD is going to spend the kind of money to make their facility Environmentally friendly.

They could have easily built out of the contributing zone, but CHOSE not to. Their employees want to live in the sprawling suburbs that already destroy Austin's natural beauty, so AMD decided to relocate from East Austin to make those assholes happy.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Well if we continue to destroy our environment we might as well advance our technology so we can find a new home.

Progressive development is destroying the environment to you?

 

[jread]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: jread

Originally posted by: DaShen
Being a CS major and GEO minor from Austin, I am unsure what to think about this.

All I know is that the Aquifer system is already depleted enough. Everyone is going to regret this because it will seriously mess with Austin.

Yes, the Aquifer is suffering tremendously these days. The population explosion of the Austin Metro Area in recent years has already passed sustainable levels. I don't know what we'll do in the future... pipe water in from somewhere else in the state? It's sad really. The aquifer is all we've got yet we keep allowing development to destroy it. Did you know that the water coming out of the springs from the aquifer is 4x more pure than the EPA standards for drinking water? It's amazing how pristine it really is.

At the same time, it is a great boost to the economy to have a company like AMD build a big ass facility within the city. I wish the urban planners and developers could find a way to allow economic development while still protecting the environment here. It is VERY possible... but money talks.

It is also a difficult subject for me since my two biggest interests are technology and city planning.

Does Austin really need any more money than it already has?

If we screw up the aquifer, you might as well kiss the beautiful scenery and natural beauty of Austin goodbye. There is no way AMD is going to spend the kind of money to make their facility Environmentally friendly.

They could have easily built out of the contributing zone, but CHOSE not to. Their employees want to live in the sprawling suburbs that already destroy Austin's natural beauty, so AMD decided to relocate from East Austin to make those assholes happy.

LOL! So very true!

 

[zanieladie]

Have to weigh the benefits against the detriments, I guess.

I know...very astute...LOL.

 

[theeedude]

I remember when I interviewed with AMD in Sunnyvale a few years back, they fenced off part of their own campus because there was some endangered owl living there. Not sure if that's still the case, but it's not like AMD is anti-environmental or anything.

 

[SparkyJJO]

awww why couldn't it be in ohio, I need a good job

 

[Jeff7]

Psh, not like anyone really needs clean fresh water anyway.

Hopefully AMD doesn't screw things up too badly there.

 

[mchammer]

Intel ftw!!