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LEAP is an acronym for Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace. A state-supported program, LEAP is designed to establish and create large (1,000-acre+) tracts of land, often called “mega-sites,” and make them shovel-ready for development.
The IEDC believes the creation of LEAP mega-sites will help the State of Indiana compete for the ample corporate investment opportunities that require such sites. The first LEAP site under development, designated as the LEAP Lebanon project site, is just south of Greater Lafayette along I-65 in Lebanon, Indiana.
To address the anticipated water needed for LEAP Lebanon and many prospective projects requiring a mega-site, the IEDC began investigating the Wabash River alluvial aquifer system, just west of Lafayette, as a potential water source. Initial test wells were drilled, and engineering feasibility studies took place to study the possible paths and costs associated with building a 45-mile pipeline from Tippecanoe County’s Wabash River aquifers to the LEAP Lebanon project site.
Governor Holcomb halted the initial IEDC-funded studies in November of 2023, and the responsibility for more significant and broader-ranging water studies has been assigned to the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA), which has experience producing such studies in other parts of the state.
The WSC takes a protective stance on all proposed projects and policies until the long-term impacts on our community’s environment and economy are known and research-informed decisions can be made.
The environmental impact of the proposed LEAP Pipeline is currently unknown. Multiple studies are underway to better assess its potential impact.
One study conducted by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has been completed and is under review by a third party. This information will be publicly available in the near future.
The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) has two studies underway to better understand water supplies in Indiana’s upper Wabash and north-central regions. This information will be publicly available in the near future.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation says LEAP Lebanon could create new jobs in future-focused industries like microelectronics, leading to additional job opportunities in high-wage fields near Greater Lafayette.
A relatively shallow aquifer comprising unconsolidated material deposited by water (clay, silt, sand, gravel), typically occurring adjacent to rivers and in buried paleochannels.
The legal right to pass through or use a specific strip of land for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure.
A geographic area of land where all surface water drains to a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean. It includes the surrounding land and the network of rivers, streams, and water bodies within it.