Yesterday, in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee hearing, Delta Coalition sponsored AB 2421, passed with a 10 to 2 vote. This bill calls for a full cost benefit analysis of the proposed canal/tunnel that constitutes the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
Assemblymember Bill Berryhill, the author of AB 2421, and his staff deserve a great deal of praise and recognition for their work on behalf of Delta communities and the water rate and tax payers of California. Assemblymember Berryhill spoke brilliantly on the need for the cost benefit analysis. His testimony, along with the outstanding testimony of Kristin Lynch, Pacific Region Director of Food and Water Watch, Conner Everts, Executive Director of the Southern California Watershed Alliance, and Tom Zuckerman of the Central Delta Water Agency, can be seen here. Click on the sixth video down and watch the first hour or so for a full review of the Delta bills reviewed by the Committee during the hearing. Click here to hear coverage of the hearing by Capitol Public Radio. And click here to see yesterday’s press release.
-photo of Assemblymember Bill Berryhill, Conner Everts, Kristin Lynch and Tom Zuckerman.
In addition, Committee Chair Jared Huffman, and his staff deserve equal praise for recognizing the merits of AB 2421 and working to move this bill forward. Restore the Delta, and the Delta communities, are truly grateful for their leadership
We also would like to thank our numerous supporters from all ends of the Delta and the fishing and environmental community who turned out to support this effort. We appreciate your gift of time and support.
Last but not least, we are asking all of our readers to share with their friends the list of those agencies opposing AB 2421. Restore the Delta is astonished that these public water agencies, water districts, and water related associations feel that a full and transparent cost benefit analysis of the largest proposed public works project in California history would not be needed. In these times of deficits, bond defaults, government project over-runs, and limitations in declining family budgets, financial transparency of large scale projects is demanded by voters. And using the reasoning that the costs are part of the project description and that said agencies “represent” the interests rate payers just doesn’t ring true.
In the weeks ahead, as this bill moves forward, Restore the Delta will be calling on all of you again for additional letter writing and support. So please read our action alerts in a timely manner and take action as needed.
Thank you!
Restore the Delta Staff