On the final day of public comments for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on Governor Jerry Brown's proposed Delta Tunnels, a coalition of fishermen, environmentalists, residents, and elected officials will reveal why the Delta Tunnels (BDCP/WaterFix) would be an "ecological and economic disaster for California."
The press conference will take place on the North Side, of the State Capitol in Sacramento on Friday, October 30, 2015 at 11:00am
Speakers include State Senator Cathleen Galgiani; Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman; Conner Everts, Environmental Water Coalition; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta; Bob Wright, Friends of the River; Tim Sloane, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; Esperanza Vielma, Café Coop; and Ryan Camero, Delta Activist, 2015 Brower Youth Award Winner.
"Grassroots organizations have mobilized Californians to speak up during the public comment period on the EIR for the Delta Tunnels. The results of that grassroots campaign will be announced," according to the media advisory for the event.
"Delta experts will explain what they found in the proposed Tunnels’ 48,000 EIR/EIS, and how this second attempt to make the project legal has gone from bad to worse. The Californian Water (non) Fix cannot meet standards set in the Clean Water Act or under the Endangered Species Act. It contradicts the Delta Reform Act, the California Constitution, and numerous administrative codes under CEQA and NEPA," the coalition stated.
"Speakers will call on Governor Brown to end his push for the Delta Tunnels once and for all, as the revised EIR/EIS is once again incomplete and inadequate after nine years and one-quarter of a billion dollars spent. It is time redirect state investment, time, and planning to projects that build local water sustainability in California communities for far less tax and ratepayer expense than the Tunnels," the advisory concluded.
If you haven't already, you should sign the Restore the Delta petition at Change.org: http://restorethedelta.us3.list-manage1.com/...
The petition letter outlines three objections to the Tunnels plan for officials based on 1) environmental, 2) public health, and 3) economic concerns. It also encourages investment in shovel-ready water projects that will bring jobs and sustainability to California.
If you have more time, I highly recommend writing a letter based your experience and expertise: http://restorethedelta.org/...
The Delta Tunnels Plan cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the many dark connections between the Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California Water Fix and a parallel neo-liberal "environmental" process, the privately funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative to create questionable "marine protected areas" in California that was "completed" in December 2012.
In spite of some superficial differences, the two processes are linked through their leadership, funding, greenwashing goals, racism and denial of tribal rights, junk science and numerous conflicts of interest. I believe that people can more effectively oppose the Governor's twin tunnel plan by understanding the dark links between the MLPA Initiative and BDCP.
For a complete discussion on the links between the Delta Tunnels Plan and the MLPA Initiative, go to: https://www.indybay.org/...