The Save Our Springs Alliance demonstrated at the local headquarters of Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday against the company's plans to develop the Barton Springs Watershed.
The California-based company, which produces microprocessors and flash memory devices, is planning to consolidate their Austin offices to a 60-acre plot at the corner of Southwest Parkway and William Cannon Drive.
"If AMD were to move to the Barton Springs Watershed, it would generate numerous forms of pollution in Barton Springs," said Colin Clark, SOS Alliance spokesman. Clark said the initial construction would produce silt and sediment pollutants. Further damage would result from runoff during rains, and "all of those employee-driven vehicles over the aquifer would deposit oil and grease," he said.
But Clark said he was most concerned with long-term impact.
"If they relocate 2,000 employees to this site, then those employees are going to be looking for homes in the Barton Springs Watershed. So in addition to the immediate impact from the development, there is a secondary impact of more growth where we don't need more growth," Clark said. "And it would also potentially open the floodgates for more major employers to move where they shouldn't."
Travis Bullard, AMD spokesman, said he understands and shares environmentalists' concerns with protecting the aquifer. He said that is why AMD is working to set an example of environmentally sound development.
"Fifty-eight percent of employees live within a 10-mile radius of the site at Lantana," Bullard said. "We're going to be able to take 10,000 vehicle miles per day off Austin streets."
Bullard said AMD went through a comprehensive search process, and the Lantana site was the only one that met the company's needs due to its size, location, zoning and existing infrastructure.
He added that the site is less sensitive than others in the area as most of it lies over the Williamson Creek contributing zone. He said only a small percentage lies over the Edward's Aquifer contributing zone, and none lies on the highly sensitive recharge zone. Although the SOS ordinance doesn't apply to the plot, AMD will voluntarily follow its water quality controls, Bullard said.
Additionally, Bullard said AMD is contributing $5 million towards protecting the aquifer.
"Our goal is to use that $5 million to set aside additional land over the recharge zone taking it off the developer's map." Bullard said.
Dick Kallerman, chairman of the board of the SOS Alliance, said AMD should refocus its development into the city's "designated development zone," which includes the company's current headquarters in southeast Austin.
"They want some more space. There's land across the street that's for sale," Kallerman said.
Kallerman said he was optimistic that continuing pressure on AMD would cause a change in plans as it has for HEB, Motorola and Wal-Mart after similar protest.
"It's such a bad decision, we're sure they'll wake up and realize that the place to stay is in the designated development zone," Kallerman said.
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