media alerts

Media alert: My 417-mile trip down the ‘endangered river’ by John D. Sutter, CNN

In case you missed it: “My 417-mile trip down the ‘endangered river’ by John D. Cutter is an exquisitely written article (with accompanying photos and videos) on the harm inflicted on the San Joaquin River and the South Delta. The BDCP tunnels project and related water bond projects will do the same harm to the Sacramento River. My 417-mile trip down the ‘endangered river’ by John D. Sutter, CNN On and sometimes in the San Joaquin River (CNN) — Halfway through my three-week, 417-mile journey down the “most endangered” river in America, the water began flowing backward and the mud started talking. It spoke in baritone gurgles, like Barry White trapped in a bong. You know what this is, John? [...]

Documents for August 6 Press Release

1. State Water Contractors: Bay Delta Conservation Critical Issues February 19, 2014 2. Kern County Water Agency: Critical Issues January 27, 2014 3. Kern County Water Agency: Summary of Assurances Water Funds

L.A., Statewide Consumer & Environmental Advocates to Tell LA City Council: Don’t Back Gov. Brown’s $60 Billion Water Tunnels; No New Water for LA, But Huge Bill

Media Advisory For: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Contact: Conner Everts, 320/804-6615; [email protected]; Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546 [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; L.A., Statewide Consumer & Environmental Advocates to Tell LA City Council: Don’t Back Gov. Brown’s $60 Billion Water Tunnels; No New Water for LA, But Huge Bill Call for Independent Cost-Benefit Analysis of $60 Billion Tunnels Los Angeles, CA – The Southern California Watershed Alliance, the Environmental Water Caucus, Planning & Conservation League, Food & Water Watch, Café COOP and Restore the Delta today announced a news conference for Wednesday, June 18, to oppose Los Angeles City Council support of Governor Brown’s proposed multibillion Delta Tunnels project. “Who would get the water and who would pay the bill, now estimated to be [...]

Tunnel Opponents File FPPC Complaint Against BDCP Architect Jerry Meral for Illegal Lobbying

For Immediate Release: Friday, June 13, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: Restore the Delta Tunnel Opponents File FPPC Complaint Against BDCP Architect Jerry Meral for Illegal Lobbying Sacramento, CA- Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels to drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today announced they filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) charging former Brown Administration Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) point man, Jerry Meral, with illegal lobbying. Meral appears to be violating the law prohibiting former administration officials from lobbying within one year and one day of leaving office. Since January 2014, Meral has [...]

Media alert: BDCP – A Misleading Plan for California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2014 The Environmental Water Caucus has responded to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its associated Environmental Impact Report with a stinging 250-page critique of BDCP’s inadequacies and multiple failures to conform to state and federal laws. Among the criticisms detailed in the Caucus’ review are that it is contrary to the Delta Reform Act of 2009, it fails to provide adequate ecological assurances under state and federal endangered species laws, it fails to assure funding for the project, and it fails to analyze reasonable alternatives to the preferred plan for huge tunnels under the Delta. Other points highlighted by the Caucus include: · Exporting more water out of the Delta was a foregone conclusion [...]

BDCP Violates Non-English Speakers’ Civil Rights To Call for Restart & Extension of Public Comment Time; No Access to BDCP for Limited-English Speakers

Media Advisory for Thursday, May 29, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta Environmental Justice Representatives: BDCP Violates Non-English Speakers’ Civil Rights To Call for Restart & Extension of Public Comment Time; No Access to BDCP for Limited-English Speakers Sacramento, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, and salmon and other Pacific fisheries, announced today they will hold a teleconference on Thursday, May 29, calling on State and Federal officials to restart and extend the public comment period for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and its EIR/S and to do adequate public outreach to [...]

Media Advisory for 4/7: Update on Harm from Peripheral Tunnels (BDCP) Teleconference

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Monday, April 7, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta   Restore the Delta, Experts: Governor Brown's Tunnels Would Force Relocation of Byron residents; Permanently Degrade Groundwater; Senator Feinstein’s Pumping Bill “Reckless”   Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s plan to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, announced today that it will detail in a teleconference on Monday, April 7, permanent, significant and unavoidable negative impacts, including the forced relocation of up to 1,000 Contra Costa County residents. RTD criticizes Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s “reckless” bill to ignore long-term good to pump water for mega-growers in drought.   "The [...]

Media Advisory for 3/19: Call for Drought Relief for Delta Farmers & Businesses

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta Restore the Delta to Call for Drought Relief for Delta Farmers & Businesses: Slam Congressional Committee for Harmful Rhetoric Fresno, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s plan to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today announced that they will call on the federal government to provide drought relief to Delta farmers and business owners, and to stop focusing solely on aiding Westlands Water District and other west San Joaquin Valley mega-growers. RTD Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla will tell a House Natural Resources Committee field hearing “we [...]

Media Advisory for Monday, March 10, 2014

Media Advisory for Monday, March 10, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta Delta Tunnel Opponents to Address Occupy Forum: How the Tunnels Would Harm SF Bay Delta Sacramento, CA- Restore the Delta (RTD), and Food and Water Watch, opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, will address a forum in San Francisco on Monday, March 10, to outline the damage the governor’s project would do to the San Francisco/San Joaquin Bay delta and estuary, businesses and families. “The governor proposes to sacrifice salmon and other fisheries, sustainable farming and wise water management to mainly benefit the top [...]

Listen to Audio for 3/4 Teleconference Following Release of Map Showing Selenium-Damaged Land, Oil Deposits for Fracking, & More

On Tuesday, March 4, we released a new map depicting the overlap between the largest agricultural users of Bay-Delta water exports, land impaired by selenium concentrations that make farming unsustainable, and oil and gas basins that could be fracked. “This map will show a remarkable overlay of where our water is going, how the public subsidizes unsustainable crops on drainage-impaired lands, selenium concentrations that pose a threat to the public, and underlying oil deposits that could be fracked with water from the governor’s tunnels,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of RTD. “Unsustainable farming has damaged these lands. And the taxpayers have been subsidizing it. Fracking is another water intensive industry in the San Joaquin Valley that will further contaminate groundwater [...]