{"id":1430138,"date":"2025-07-29T04:45:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/?p=1430138"},"modified":"2025-07-30T17:10:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T22:10:58","slug":"sanderson-farms-among-businesses-to-file-lawsuit-over-water-dispute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/?p=1430138","title":{"rendered":"Sanderson Farms enters lawsuit over water dispute"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"ANDERSON COUNTY — As the water rights controversy continues to grow, several chicken farms in East Texas, including Sanderson Farms, have filed a lawsuit against the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District.<\/p>\n

According to our news partner KETK, the lawsuit follows the district\u2019s transfer of the permits for Redwater Ranch and Pine Bliss LLC to drill into East Texas aquifers and extract billions of gallons of water, intended for use in the Dallas metroplex. The permit has caused many farmers across East Texas to grow worried about the future of their livelihoods, prompting nine farms to come together and take legal action to prevent the permit from being implemented.<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are requesting that the court invalidate the district\u2019s drilling permit application and issue a temporary injunction preventing the district from engaging in any further activities related to drilling permit applications.<\/p>\n

In a court document, the plaintiffs stated that their motivation for the lawsuit is to prevent these kinds of issues from arising again, thereby avoiding further water rights controversies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAddressing these fatal errors on the front end ensures the precious time and resources spent by all are not wasted if a decision on the application is later overturned and the process must be repeated,\u201d court documents stated.<\/p>\n

The Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District was created to conserve and protect groundwater within its boundaries. The district is also a governmental entity, responsible for regulating groundwater to prevent overuse and wasteful usage.<\/p>\n

Court documents stated that Redtown Ranch Holding LLC and Pine Bliss LLC are collectively seeking permits to drill 43 wells in East Texas, which would produce 15,347,520,000 gallons of water per year. Both companies are reportedly planning to export and sell the water drained from the aquifers for profit.<\/p>\n

On June 19, the district\u2019s board of directors held a public meeting at Jacksonville City Hall to discuss the applications. Although public officials, business operators and residents voiced unanimous opposition to the application, the board of directors considered and approved Redtown Ranch and Pine Bliss\u2019s request that the application and opposition be transferred to the State Office of Administrative Hearing for a determination after the expiration of 90 days.<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs are now arguing that several members of the board approved the application because they had a financial interest in the project.<\/p>\n

Kyle Bass, a Dallas-based hedge fund manager which legal documents argue manipulated the district\u2019s process to his advantage, which the plaintiffs believe is detrimental to East Texas communities. According to court documents, during the initial stages of the process, Bass hired board member David Foster to drill more than 40 high-capacity wells, creating a perceived conflict of interest that ultimately led to Foster\u2019s resignation from the board.<\/p>\n

When the applications were filed in 2024, Donald Foster was a member of the district\u2019s board of directors and is president of Andrews and Fosters, a company associated with Redtown Ranch and Pine Bliss. Andrews and Fosters were involved in drilling high-capacity wells during the initial stages of the project. Due to Foster\u2019s involvement with Andrews and Fosters, the plaintiffs believe that his membership on the board is a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite Mr. Foster\u2019s business relationship with Redtown Ranch and Pine Bliss, Mr. Foster attended closed executive sessions on multiple occasions where the applications were discussed before he finally abstained from participating and voting on April 17, 2025,\u201d court documents said.
\nAFFIDAVIT: Man flees from Tyler PD after cashing stolen lottery tickets<\/p>\n

A few days before the June 19 public hearing, Foster resigned from the board of directors, according to court documents, stating that he wishes to continue his involvement in the project, which indicates a financial interest in the project. Landowners argue that Foster would have remained on the board if not for public outcry, despite the obvious conflict of interest.<\/p>\n

Plaintiffs are also arguing that the approval of the applications should be invalidated due to the involvement of Board of Directors member Sean Conner. Conner seconded the motion to approve the applications. However, the lawsuit says he is ineligible to serve as a member of the board because he is currently serving as a council member for the City of Palestine.<\/p>\n

Due to allegations of conflict of interest against members of the board, who are deemed ineligible to participate, the plaintiffs are disputing the approval of the proposal and requesting that the board restart its permitting process and officially remove Conner from the board.<\/p>\n

The farms involved in the lawsuit include:<\/p>\n