VICTORY!!!

AUSTIN MAYOR WILL WYNN ANNOUNCES THAT WAL-MART AND ENDEAVOR ARE WITHDRAWING
THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR ! EDWARDS AQUIFER SITE AT MOPAC AND SLAUGHTER!!

Austin Mayor Will Wynn, Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman and Council Member
Betty Dunkerley announced in a press release this afternoon that Wal-Mart
and Endeavor Real Estate have agreed to withdraw their plans to develop at
MoPac and Slaughter Lane in southwest Austin! Congratulations to the No
Aquifer Big Box coalition and all who supported the community effort to
oppose this development and protect the Edwards Aquifer!

Best,
Mark Nathan
www.saveaustin.com

Excerpts from the press release:

Austin, Texas, October 1 - Austin Mayor Will Wynn, along with Mayor Pro Tem
Jackie Goodman and Council Member Betty Dunkerley, announced today that
Wal-Mart Stores and Endeavor Real Estate Group have chosen to withdraw from
involvement in the development at MoPac and Slaughter Lane in southwest
Austin. Both companies said they were acting in response to the unique
nature of the site and its location within the! Barton Springs / Edwards
Aquifer recharge zone.

"I am very ple ased to join Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman and Council Member
Betty Dunkerley in announcing today that Wal-Mart and Endeavor have agreed
to withdraw from the site at MoPac and Slaughter, over the Edwards Aquifer,"
said Wynn. "I think this decision by these two companies show that they have
been listening to the environmental concerns expressed by this community,
and I applaud their decision. Today, Wal-Mart and Endeavor Real Estate Group
have done the right thing for Austin."

Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman and Council Member Betty Dunkerley also praised
the decision by Wal-Mart and Endeavor. "I am gratified that Wal-Mart and
Endeavor have chosen to act in the best interest of Austin by canceling
their plans to build within the Barton Springs / Edwards Aquifer recharge
zone," said Goodman. Added Dunkerley: "This is a very responsible decision.
I am pleased that Wal-Mart and Endeavor have both chosen to proceed in this
manner."

Wynn also said that while the decision! by Wal-Mart and Endeavor to withdraw
from this site is a positive development for the Edwards Aquifer, he noted
that it is "only a first step in the longer journey toward ensuring water
quality protection in southwest Austin." Said Wynn: "While we are all
pleased with this decision, now it is time for our community to work toward
a comprehensive, long-term plan for ensuring water quality protection where
major development entitlements may still exist over the Edwards Aquifer,
including on the MoPac and Slaughter site."

Wynn said that he would reach out to Austin's community of environmental
advocates and other concerned citizens to solicit ideas for ensuring the
protection of sensitive aquifer lands. Noting that Austin voters have
approved more than $75 million in funds to purchase environmentally
sensitive tracts over the Edwards Aquifer over the last five years, Wynn
said that he favored exploring the possibility of future bond proposals to
secure additional fund! s to continue purchasing and preserving land
critical to the protectio n of the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs.