Do you want to help stop Governor Jerry Brown’s environmentally destructive and unjust Delta Tunnels? Well, your attendance is needed on either 5/25 (Thursday) and/or possibly 5/26 (Friday) at the next meeting Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) at the Grand Sheraton Hotel in Sacramento.
”Although DSC staff informed us that a vote will not occur in May on the incorporation of these amendments, we must attend every one of these meetings in order to participate in the decision making process and have our opposition heard throughout,” according to an announcement from Restore the Delta. “This is an important step in stopping the tunnels!”
”The Delta Plan amendments are one of the most important actions in 2017. We will continue to watchdog this process and encourage all to attend. In the mean time, you can continue to take other actions here," RTD said.
On April 28, Over 200 Delta residents, including family farmers, anglers, environmental justice advocates, homeowners, business owners and elected officials, converged on Sacramento to show their strong opposition to Delta Plan amendments that push Governor Jerry Brown’s Twin Tunnels as the “preferred alternative” for new Delta Conveyance.
During the public comment period, every speaker except one slammed the Delta Tunnels project for its multitude of flaws. The only person who spoke in support of the current Delta Plan amendments was a representative of of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
The Delta Reform Act of 2009 created the controversial Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) with the mandate of implementing the “co-equal goals” of providing a more reliable water supply for California AND protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem.
Formerly chaired by Capitol political insider Phil Isenberg, who also chaired the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called “marine protected areas” on the Central Coast and the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force, the Council is currently chaired by Randy Fiorini, who presided over the meeting.
Members of the Stockton-based Restore the Delta, the Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA) out of Discovery Bay, North Delta Cares and other Delta and environmental groups said the proposed amendments “lack basic analytical documentation,” such as a needs assessment for the California WaterFix, a water supply analysis, and cost-benefits analysis.
They also criticized the proposed amendments for failing to consider environmental justice, anti-discrimination, and human right to water issues in their planning and scientific documentation.
Bob Wright, counsel for Friends of the River, criticized the Council for putting the proverbial cart before the horse by including the Delta Tunnels as the “preferred alternative” in the Delta Plan.
“The Delta Plan should be done as a whole. Conveyance is the last piece of puzzle not first,” he emphasized.
“We have heard today it is complicated problem. The DSC scientists said there is much uncertainty and controversy about the project among the scientists. So, it should not go forward given this uncertainty, on conveyance at this time,” he said.