North Texas Municipal Water District expresses thanks for legislation providing exemption to Federal Lacey Act

After passage in the House and Senate, the President signed legislation on Monday which provides NTMWD exemption to the Lacey Act for all aquatic invasive species

WYLIE, TX (June 16, 2014) Officials with the North Texas Municipal Water District deeply appreciate the efforts of Congressmen Ralph Hall and Pete Sessions and Senator John Cornyn for securing passage of H. R. 4032, the North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014. The bill, signed by President Obama on June 9, 2014, has become Public Law 113-121 and grants NTMWD an exemption from the Federal Lacey Act for all aquatic invasive species transported from Lake Texoma to the District’s water treatment plant in Wylie.

“We appreciate the efforts of Congressmen Hall and Sessions and Senator Cornyn for their leadership in moving this important legislation through Congress and to the President’s desk in less than four months,” said Tom Kula, executive director of NTMWD. “H. R. 4032 will allow the NTMWD to use Texoma water through a closed pipeline without violating the Lacey Act.”

NTMWD will transport water from Lake Texoma through pumps that are located in both Texas and Oklahoma. With the Texoma water being infested with an aquatic invasive species, the transport of water falls under the jurisdiction of the Lacey Act. The new legislation expands the district’s ability to use raw water from Texoma by including all aquatic invasive species, including zebra mussels.

In December 2012, Congress passed and the president signed legislation, specific only to the zebra mussel that allowed NTMWD to build and use a closed pipeline system to restore and transport water from Lake Texoma to the Wylie water treatment plant where the zebra mussel would be destroyed. The recently signed Bill, the closed pipeline and the water treatment process will prevent any invasive species, including the zebra mussel, from being released into the environment while restoring 28% of the NTMWD’s water supply. The pipeline extension project was completed in May and is now transporting water from Lake Texoma.

NTMWD ceased using water from Lake Texoma in 2009 after zebra mussels were found in the lake. Even with the Texoma water supply being restored, NTMWD remains in Stage 3 water restrictions due to persistent drought and low lake levels.

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  lacey act, north texas water municipal distrcit, NTMWD, Ralph Hall, Wylie, zebra mussels