Rare spider puts halt to pipeline project

upi ^ | Feb. 26, 2013

[JoeProBono]

SAN ANTONIO, - Construction of a Texas water pipeline was halted due to the discovery of the same spider that halted a highway project.

The San Antonio Water System said construction of the six-mile pipeline was halted with less than 1,500 feet to go when a Texas Department of Transportation crew working on a different project uncovered a cave containing the endangered Braken Bat Cave meshweaver spider, a federally protected species, the San Antonio Express-News reported Tuesday.

SAWS spokeswoman Anne Hayden said the spider, which also caused construction at Loop 1604 and Texas 151 to be halted, has left the future of the water pipeline uncertain.

"All of this is still up in the air," Hayden said.

Josh Donat, spokesman for the Department of Transportation's San Antonio office, said officials are redesigning the underpass project to allow it to continue.

However, SAWS officials said it could take years for the pipeline project to get back on track since obtaining a permit to carry out construction in an area inhabited by an endangered species could take two years.

[JoeProBono]

[SWAMPSNIPER]

[huldah1776]

seems to me it is not as rare as they think!

[teeman8r]

just because no one has ever seen one before, doesn’t make it rare... or endangered. the world is a very big place, and this proves its vastness. keep the spider alive in a jar until after construction, and then release it back, i am sure it will be ok.

sheesh.

t

[JoeProBono]

[teeman8r]

i guess the sign could’ve been worse... leaving off the l instead of the b

t

[fruser1]

Can folks escape the death penalty by claiming to be an endangered species since their DNA is unique?

[Squidpup]

S S S

Squish, shovel, and shut up

[Vigilanteman]

Sort of reminds me of the endangered owl who was later discovered nesting inside the “a” at the local Wal-Mart . . . even though there were plenty of trees nearby which could not be used because they were supposedly the only places where the owl would nest.

[GSWarrior]

Using eminent domain to seize private property = good. Using a bulldozer to disturb a rare spider nest = bad

[The Mayor]

OMG! The crap just goes on and on and on and on...........

[dirtboy]

SAWS spokeswoman Anne Hayden said the spider, which also caused construction at Loop 1604 and Texas 151 to be halted, has left the future of the water pipeline uncertain.

Braken Cave is about 20 miles away from that intersection. If that spider is so endangered, how does it manage to have populations so far apart?

The Texas Hill Country is riddled with caves, most of which are unknown until construction stumbles upon them (that's how they found Inner Space cave up in Georgetown, for just one well-known example). So-called endangered cave species probably are quite plentiful in those undiscovered caves. But they make for a handy method for enviro-nuts to hold up development.

[Longbow1969]

If I ever encountered an endangered spider while building something like this I would simply kill the spiders as quickly as possible. The environmental and endangered species laws have become so unreasonable that I bet that is what a lot of people do. More species are probably being killed off because people don’t want to deal with the government halting their projects for years on end. If the government were reasonable, I think most people would like to go out of their way to protect things like this.

[XenaLee]

It's just the usual attempts of the US leftists (America's 'enemy within') to halt production, exert their power and to penalize states that don't bow down to their leftist agenda. Any time the federal government has the power to do that....since they can declare 'anything' an ""endangered species"".... it's just a short step away from real tyranny. And I hate to point this out (the rather obvious)....but with the Obama regime in power....we are already "there".

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Dam, how did I do that?

[o_zarkman44]

I call it squash with my foot. End of problem.

[sunny48]

That stupid spider is everywhere around here and costantly putting stops/ delays to projects which then cost thousands to get permits and research.
Projects all over the place.
That thing stops highways, bridges, malls, housing. Ridiculous.
Time to reclassify that critter and just step on him next time.

[apillar]

When will these contractors learn to just run them over with the bulldozer, not tell a soul, and continue on?!?

[Hot Tabasco]

halted due to the discovery of the same spider that halted a highway project.

Somebody should have stepped on it when they first had the chance........

[SWAMPSNIPER]

[txrefugee]

This oppressive government has no problem throwing farmers off land their families homesteaded a hundred years ago, but if a EPA-protected spider or minnow showa up, huge water projects that benefit thousands of people are halted. This is crazy.

[MaxMax]

Who found the spider there? I'm sure the diggers are not enviro whackos.
Sounds like a nanny leftist poking around where they don't belong.

Want to protect jobs, keep the area locked down with armed security.

[Made In The USA]

Very interesting spider, amazing the translucent features, truly an amazing animal. OK, well, now that’s done - get a can of Raid, kill it, and go back to building a water pipeline for HUMAN BEINGS.

[skinkinthegrass]

HELP ME!
HELP ME!
HELP ME!
HELP ME!
....NOoooooooo....

[Cicero]

[kenmcg]

Insanity!

[JoeProBono]

[FAA]

“If I ever encountered an endangered spider while building something like this I would simply kill the spiders as quickly as possible...”

Ding, Ding, Ding!

[bgill]

As I said at the time and I’m still saying - this was all a set up. When you’re on a bull dozer, you’re not looking for a tiny little spider.

[Fedupwithit]

Please...if this is a union job, the workers are all for having the project streched out that much more, since they are getting paid for it.

Union Motto: 'Don't Kill The Job'

[spokeshave]

MMMM...fried spider in batter....with arugula salad......yummy.

[wbill]

Hey, youse. Fer the price of a plane ticket, a rolled-up newspaper, and 10 large, I can make yer spider problem disappear.

Forgettaboutit.

[Oztrich Boy]

Construction of a Texas water pipeline was halted due to the discovery of the same spider that halted a highway project

That Luddite spider needs killing.

[dalereed]

Squash them and shut up!!!

[Fresh Wind]

Who found the spider there? I'm sure the diggers are not enviro whackos.
Sounds like a nanny leftist poking around where they don't belong.

My money's on the whacko bringing the spider to the construction site in a jar, then "discovering" it.