Delta Caucus Leaders Call on State Commission to Appeal Certification of Destructive Tunnel Project
Delta Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) and Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) on Thursday called on the Delta Protection Commission to file an official appeal of the certification of the costly and destructive Delta Tunnel Project.
The Delta Protection Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday evening on whether to appeal the certification of consistency of the project, also known as the Delta Conveyance. If the commission decides not to appeal, then it could further pave the way for the $20 billion-plus, 45-mile-long water tunnel through the heart of the Delta region.
“The Legislature established the Delta Protection Commission to ‘protect, restore, and enhance the Delta ecosystem,’ so we call on the commission to appeal the certification of the Delta Tunnel Project because it will devastate communities, farms, the environment, and historic and cultural resources surrounding the largest and most important estuary on the West Coast,” said Sen. McNerney and Asm. Wilson. “The deeply flawed certification of the tunnel project must not move forward because it fails to adequately address the widespread destruction that the project will inflict on a generation of Delta residents and their communities.
“The project also directly conflicts with California law, which requires the state to protect and enhance ‘the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource and agricultural values of the Delta.’ And finally, the certification neglects to sufficiently consider alternatives to the tunnel project that would be far better for the environment, the Delta, and the state, such as fortifying Delta levees and expanding water recycling and groundwater storage.
“The Delta Caucus looks forward to working with the governor to meet California’s water needs through mutually supportable actions, such as recycled water, levee repair, dredging to restore capacity in the existing water system, and continued water efficiency measures.”
On Oct. 17, the California Department of Water Resources submitted the official certification of consistency for the Delta Tunnel Project – a necessary and significant step for the project to advance – to the Delta Stewardship Council. State law requires any appeal of the certification to be made to the council within 30 days. As a result, the Delta Protection Commission must decide at its Nov. 13 meeting whether it will appeal the certification. If the commission appeals, the council must consider that appeal in deciding whether to require more study and analysis of the tunnel project.
Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy), who is also a member of the Delta Caucus, is also calling on the Delta Protection Commission to appeal the certification of the tunnel project.
