Contact: Brian Smith, 415-320-9384, [email protected] Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, 209-479-2053, [email protected] In Case You Missed It… Revised Delta Tunnels EIR Further Worsens The Project’s Already Lousy Economics http://valleyecon.blogspot.com/2015/07/revised-delta-tunnels-eir-further.html “In 2012, I estimated the net benefits of the Tunnels’ as -$6 billion. In 2013, BDCP consultants estimated +$5 billion. Virtually all of the $11 billion difference was driven by differing water yield estimates that were entirely due to the regulatory assurance (50-year permit) assumption. After these changes, I think my -$6 billion from 2012 look overly generous, and something like -$8 billion in net benefits seems more likely. “The project just keeps getting worse for the water exporters. If the water agencies’ leaders were really looking out for their ratepayers and the best [...]
CA Water Fix
DELTA TUNNELS – Public Demands More Time for Review
For Immediate Release: 7/16/2015 Contact: Bob Wright – Senior Counsel, Friends of the River 916-442-3155 x207 [email protected] Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta 209-479-2053 [email protected] Conner Everts – Environmental Water Caucus 310-804-6615 [email protected] DELTA TUNNELS – Public Demands More Time for Review Expedited process makes informed feedback on massive plan “virtually impossible.” Sacramento, CA – In a letter sent to federal and state agencies today, a broad coalition of nonprofit environmental and community organizations, and California Indian Tribes called for more time for the public to consider “one of the most controversial public works projects in California history.” Read the letter here: http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/site/DocServer/7_16_15_comment_time_ext_req.pdf?docID=10261 The letter sent today to the Department of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, California Natural Resources Agency, [...]
Special Report: Retiring Toxic Farmland in San Joaquin Valley
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2015 Contacts: Sandra Lupien, Food & Water Watch, 510-681-3171, [email protected] Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053, [email protected] Tom Stokely, California Water Impact Network, 530-926-9727, [email protected] SPECIAL REPORT: Retiring Toxic Farmland in Western San Joaquin Valley Would Save Water, Environment and Taxpayer Money Land retirement 25x cheaper than Tunnel plan and could save 455,000 acre-feet of water Sacramento, CA – A new report by EcoNorthwest, an independent economic analysis firm, estimates that 300,000 acres of toxic land in the Westlands Water District and three adjacent water districts could be retired at a cost of $580 million to $1 billion. Read the report here. Retiring this land and curbing the water rights associated [...]
10 Questions Delta Tunnels Boosters Don’t Want Asked
Contact: Brian Smith 415-320-9384 [email protected]; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209-479-2053 [email protected] Top Ten Questions Delta Tunnels Boosters Don’t Want You to Ask 1. How will construction of the tunnels over a fourteen-year period help with drought? 2. Will the state conduct a full cost-benefit analysis of the project that includes the value of freshwater to the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary? 3. How much water is available for export through the tunnels in a drought after prior water rights and public trust needs are met? And if there isn’t any, how often will the tunnels be dry? 4. How does California Water Fix help reduce reliance on Delta imports as mandated by the 2009 Delta Reform Act? 5. The State Water Resources Control [...]
Delta Flows: July 12, 2015
“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” – Charles E. Weller Now is the time for all good Californians to stand up for the Delta (LAST PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE TUNNELS) We are sure that most of our followers know by now that the Delta Tunnels/CA Water Fix/BDCP/Dated Peripheral Canal Retread is now back in the public commenting period. Listen to our press teleconference by clicking here and learn how new lipstick on this pig of a project fails to make it any more appealing. A revised partial EIR/EIS (Environmental Impact Report) was posted July 9, 2015 and public comments are due August 31, 2015. The Brown Administration’s official propaganda push [...]
Action Alert: Let’s transform the open house 7/28 in Sacramento!
California friends, Note: ARE YOU PLANNING TO ATTEND? Click here to get all the info you need to know! This is the last of two public hearings on the Delta boondoggle tunnels project. They are making it an open house so that they don’t have to listen to public comments or respond to the outrage of hundreds of thousands of Californians who oppose the destruction the largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas. Help us transform the open house. Our goal: a video of how large we really are to share with the Secretary Jewell at the Department of the Interior and with President Obama. We will provide you with insightful questions to ask, help you craft your [...]
DELTA TUNNELS: New Plan, New EIR, Same Old Water Grab
For Immediate Release: Wednesday 7/8/15 Contact: Brian Smith, 415/320-9384, [email protected] Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, 209/479-2053 [email protected] DELTA TUNNELS: New Plan, New EIR, Same Old Water GrabThree government actions imperil the largest estuary on the West Coast Listen to our teleconference: Sacramento, CA – Today, Restore the Delta and a coalition of advocates for the San Francisco Bay-Delta held a teleconference to preview the EIR/EIS for the revised Delta Tunnels project (formerly known as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan) to be released on Friday, July 10. The old plan failed to meet federal standards under the Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act, or to pencil out for water users. Under the leadership of Governor Brown’s administration, and public relations efforts like Californians [...]
Delta Flows: June 30, 2015
“History never really says goodbye. History says, ‘See you later.” – Eduardo Galeano Articles • Gifted RTD alums • Speaking of the CA Water Fix…The Fix Is In Gifted RTD alums Restore the Delta, throughout its nine-year history, has been fortunate to work with brilliant talented people from every age and background – from Delta farmer Alex Hildebrand to local activist Javier Padilla Reyes; from river advocate Jerry Cadagan to League of Women Voters water leader Jane Wagner-Tyack; from fishing advocate Corey Cate to campaign assistant Jessica Iniguez. Some of our friends have passed from this world; some have retired and taken breaks from extreme public advocacy; some have left to further their education. As it has been with those [...]
CA Water Export Pumps Have Run Every Day During Drought
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 Contact: Brian Smith 415/320-9384; [email protected] Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta; Bill Jennings 209/464-5067 [email protected]; Native Fish Species Near Extinction; State Water Resources Control Board Violated Prohibition Against Unreasonable Use of Water Sacramento, CA- Restore the Delta (RTD), the leading opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build massive underground water tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today, along with with the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance made detailed comments at the State Water Resources Control Board workshop on drought management of the Delta and the State’s water system. Both organizations charge that the SWRCB is violating key laws in its management of the [...]
Big Ag exploits farmworkers’ plight for pro-tunnels campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 18, 2015 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta In case you missed it… Fresno Bee: Valley Voices Esperanza Vielma: Gov. Brown, abandon delta tunnels plan By Esperanza Vielma 6/13/15 Excerpts: “Growers are paying farmworkers to ride buses to serve as props for their pro-delta tunnels campaign “Pro-tunnels growers decry pollution of rural drinking water — which their pesticides polluted “We who live and work in the delta need water, fish and farms … “…My personal perspective leads me to strongly oppose the governor’s massive underground water export tunnels. It saddens me to see huge growers and water exporters using farmworkers’ unemployment to push for even more exports that [...]
