[smartslider2 slider=”35″]

‣ December 2015: A document obtained under a Public Records Act request revealed a taxpayer grant of a $17 million from the USBR to the DWR on July 30, 2015 received under false pretenses. While the agreement describes a habitat conservation planning effort to help recover fish and wildlife, the funds were used instead to plan and promote the Delta Tunnels water export project. _{Press Release} Furthermore, experts identified that the recently passed Federal Omnibus Spending Bill includes more U.S. taxpayer funding for the tunnels. Together, more than $275 million dollars of federal tax dollars have been used to promote and plan the Delta Tunnels using deceptive practices._{Press Release}

‣ November 2015: At the close of the Delta Tunnels public comment period, opponents of the Delta Tunnels announced that over 30,000 public comments were submmited against the Delta Tunnels. Governor Brown responded with a statement accusing tunnel opponents of doing a “profound disservice to California’s future.” Former point person of plan, Jerry Meral, also added his commentary stating, “I’m sure there were people who didn’t like the pyramids, but in the end they got built because, frankly, the people who had the power to build them built them.” _{Media Alerts}

‣ September 2015: Local Delta farms and landowners submit a letter opposing “Change Petition” and pushed for its withdrawal based on misleading and false information provided by DWR and USBR, utter failure to disclose injuries to other water users, impacts to communities and economic livelihoods based on present water right diversion points. _{Press Release}

‣ August 2015: During the open public comment period on the Delta Tunnels, Restore the Delta discovered confidential documents gained through a Public Records Act request revealing that water exporters and the Delta Design Construction Enterprise housed within the California Department of Water Resources have already developed plans to “acquire” family farms and right of way in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through eminent domain for the Delta Tunnels plan — even though the plan has not yet been approved._{Press Release Associated Press} Days later, still in spite of the open public comment period, DWR and the USBR announced that they have jointly submitted a permit “Change Petition” to get approval for construction of the Delta Tunnels. _{Press Release}

‣ July 2015: A broad coalition of nonprofit environmental and community organizations and California Indian Tribes reacted to the accelerated 45-day public comment period for the 48,000 page Delta Tunnels’ Revised Environment Impact Report (EIR). Groups submitted a letter opposing the short and unreasonable public comment period and sought an extension for a standard 120-day comment period, ending on November 14, 2015._{Press Release} Although State and Federal agencies still refused to post detailed public comments on the original EIR Draft in 2013, BDCP agencies agreed on an October 30, 2015 deadline with only two faux “science-fair” type public meetings on the plan that took place on weekdays in Sacramento and Walnut Grove._{Press Release}

‣ May 2015: “Until you put a million hours into it, shut up,” Brown said to laughter during a speech at a Association of California Water Agencies conference in Sacramento. Restore the Delta responded, ““We won’t go away. We won’t shut up.” _{SF Gate Article & Video}

‣ April 2015: Governor Jerry Brown announced the abandonment of the habitat restoration component of the BDCP tunnels project, violating the statutory ‘co-equal goals.’ _{The Guardian San Jose Mercury News} A couple of days later, his administration admits that they could use money from Proposition 1 to pay for habitat mitigation for construction and operation of the tunnels, breaking the Governor’s Prop 1 promise._{Press Release}

‣ March 2015: “Gov. Brown is suppressing nearly 1,000 (928) public comments, keeping Californians in the dark about the facts and alternatives to his unsustainable water export project submitted by those who are not BDCP Water Tunnels advocates,” said Friends of the River Senior Counsel Bob Wright. “Thousands of comments from individuals have also been suppressed by the Brown Administration. Since the BDCP agencies are not airing both sides of the issues—in the traditional American way—Friends of the River is now doing the government’s job of informing, as opposed to propagandizing, the public.” _{Press Release Sac Bee}

_Top

‣ October-November 2014: Governor Jerry Brown inadvertently undermined his own message at a recent Stanford water conference. He claimed Prop 1 would provide components missing from the State Water Project “enacted by my father.” These components, Brown ominously intoned, would “deal with the Delta.” A couple of days later, Governor Brown approaches Restore the Delta at a Prop 1 rally, watch video. _{Press Release Provisions in Prop 1 Press Release}

‣ August 2014: Governor’s water bond measure, Proposition 1, is NOT “tunnels neutral,” and contains $485 million to buy water to replace what will be pumped into the tunnels. “The governor and others claim their proposals are ‘tunnels neutral’ while at the same time funding mitigation or replacement water,” said Barrigan-Parrilla. _{Press Release Provisions in Prop 1 Press Release}

‣ June 2014: Restore the Delta filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) charging former Brown Administration BDCP point man, Jerry Meral, with illegal lobbying. _{Press Release}

‣ May 2014: Environmental Justice Representatives announced at a press conference that BDCP violates non-English speakers’ civil rights and calls for access to 600,000 limited-English speakers who reside in the Delta. _{Press Release}
 

‣ January 2014: Conservation, community and fishing organizations called on the Brown Administration to stop the suppression of opposing viewpoints on the proposed peripheral tunnels project. Friends of the River, the Environmental Water Caucus, and Restore the Delta submitted a formal Demand letter to the State and Federal agencies demanding that they immediately commence posting all comment letters on the BDCP web site as they are received. _{Press Release}

_Top

‣ November 2013: Capital Public Radio reports that Brown Administration has failed to pay for land it acquired from thirty-six counties. Restore the Delta responds,“Why should we trust deadbeat state agencies to pay billions for seized farmland, habitat, which they intend to do under BDCP, when they don’t pay for lands already bought?” _{Press Release Capital Public Radio}

‣ October 2013: The Brown Administration was asked to cease funding multiple public relations firms around the state to sell the governor’s tunnels. “It is outrageous that taxpayers are paying for a statewide propaganda campaign for these unnecessary tunnels. These front groups have not disclosed that funding when pumping the tunnels. It’s unacceptable, especially since the State has said it has not yet chosen a preferred alternative,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla. _{Press Release}

‣ September 2013: Brown administration bars news media from BDCP/Delta Tunnels public meeting. Central Valley Business Times reporter Gene Beley joined local residents at the Brentwood Library public meeting and was told that no press was allowed, even though it was a public agency in a public setting. Jim Wheaton, Founder and Senior Counsel of the First Amendment Project and Lecturer in Journalism Law in the Graduate Schools of Journalism at Stanford and University of California, Berkeley said BDCP’s actions prohibiting videotaping of a public meeting is illegal. _{Press Release First Amendment Project Press Release}

‣ August 2013: “Caltrans maintenance workers removed signs reading “Save the Delta, Stop the Tunnels” from private property along the highway…Caltrans called it a misunderstanding, insisting the signs were removed for safety reasons. Residents called it a violation of free speech.” _{The Reporter}

‣ May 2013: “Speaking with Tom Stokely of the California Water Impact Network last Monday, Jerry Meral allegedly blurted, “BDCP is not about, and has never been about saving the Delta. The Delta cannot be saved.” _{The Record}

_Top

To see the chronology of the Delta Tunnels plan before June 2012, see this document from DeltaTunnelsBoonDoggle.com.