UPDATE - January 2004 It's been fairly quiet since the Summer of 2002 when the City began discharging to Lick Branch under a temporary 2-year agreement to find a final solution - and time is running out. Recently things have heated up again as it now looks pretty obvious that Spencer will not make the August 2004 deadline to stop discharging to Lick Branch and will have to ask the court for their first one year extension (of 2 possible). At a status hearing before Judge Haynes on Friday January 16, 2004 it was explained that the city is awaiting a decision from a federal funding agency (EDA) on a grant to build a pipeline to the Caney Fork River. Meanwhile a citizen opposition group has organized on the river to stop the pipeline and this could jeopardize the funding. This means that Spencer will likely ask for an extension to stay in Lick Branch another year, and may have to look at another alternative - meaning land application might be back on the table.
For older stories and items on the issue visit peer.org