Sacramento, CA – Lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) are set to reconsider a full audit of the California Department of Water Resources’ spending on the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) at an upcoming hearing.
“The vote for the audit received six ‘aye’ votes and only a single vote against it in what Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom called the most significant and consequential topic for discussion at the committee’s Tuesday hearing,” according to a Restore the Delta press release.
“The DWR is currently estimated to be spending $1 million per day on the DCP amidst a myriad of issues including expired water rights, growing legal and environmental concerns as well as broad opposition from tribes, environmental justice groups and fishing communities. Projected construction costs for the DCP are expected to exceed $20 billion, before accounting for inflation or unforeseen expenses,” the group wrote.
To proceed, the audit needs four votes from Assemblymembers and four votes from Senators on the committee. The audit received strong support from the committee’s Assemblymembers, with a single present member abstaining. Senate members voted with two in support, three abstaining and one no.
“An abstention on this vote does not serve the economic interests of committee member’s districts and constituents” said Restore the Delta’s Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla. “The fact is that the communities who rely on the Delta — one of California’s most diverse and delicate ecosystems, and a cornerstone of the economy for 4 million people — are in support of this audit, and we are nearing $1 billion dollars spent on various iterations of the DCP. There must be accountability, and we urge lawmakers to keep their word in making water affordable and ensuring we have a clear understanding of what is being spent.”
In a press conference immediately following the vote, Assemblymember Ransom, who requested the audit said, “the DWR does not have commitments from ratepayers for this project. If this project moves forward at a time when Californians are struggling with the cost of water, who is going to pay and how much are they going to pay? We deserve answers.”
