SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Huge swaths of land in Western Tennessee could potentially be up for commercial development, but activists are concerned the move would come with environmental risks far greater than the benefits.
House Bill 1054 would limit state oversight over about 430,000 acres of protected Tennessee wetlands, the majority of which is in the western part of the state. The bill would open the land up for potential commercial development particularly around the upcoming BlueOval City complex in Haywood County
“We know that the pressure for growth in West Tennessee is very real, but this is a very important thing to get right," said Sarah Houston, executive director for environmental activist group Protect Our Aquifer. "Our aquifer will always be the primary water source, so we have to make sure we balance that development with those protections.”
The bill’s sponsor, Kevin Vaughan, (R- Collierville) is himself a developer and the owner of Township Development Services. He said the bill aims to clean up legislative red tape and foster economic growth in the region.
“It is your property, but a third party is going to tell you if you can use it," Vaughan said at a committee meeting early in February. "And if you can’t use it, then you have to pay another third party money for you to be able to use your property. That's the origins of where this bill came from.”
Wetland reduction also depletes the underground aquifer that supplies all of the water in Shelby County and beyond. Once wetlands are depleted, they can have a more dramatic, immediate impact as well.
“Increased flooding. We are already seeing rain storms that come down in much bigger bursts than we've ever seen before, and wetlands act like a sponge," Houston said. "They suck it up and they hold that water and release it slowly over time. Versus concrete, rain hits it and runs off.”