Delta Caucus Calls on Legislature to Once Again Reject Plan to Fast-Track Delta Tunnel Project
The California Legislative Delta Caucus on Wednesday once again urged leaders of the California Senate and Assembly to reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s renewed effort to fast-track the Delta Tunnel Project.
The governor on Wednesday renewed his request that the Legislature approve his fast-tracking proposal before the end of this year’s Legislative session in September. In June, the Legislature rejected the governor’s attempt to include the fast-tracking plan in the state budget.
On Wednesday, the governor also proposed to create a $200 million “community benefits” plan for Delta communities that will be severely impacted by the 45-mile-long, $20 billion-plus water tunnel, should it ever be built.
“The Legislature rightly rejected the governor’s ill-conceived plan to fast-track the Delta Tunnel Project in June and should reject it again. Delta communities that will be devastated by this unaffordable and unnecessary project cannot be bought off with $200 million. In fact, no amount of money can compensate for the destruction of thousands of acres of prime farmland and the loss of fisheries and historic tribal resources,” said Delta Caucus co-chairs, Senator Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, and Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson, D-Suisun City. “We once again call on California to abandon the tunnel project boondoggle and instead pursue less costly and destructive alternatives, including fortifying Delta levees and increasing water recycling, water efficiency, and groundwater storage.”
Gov. Newsom’s proposal to fast-track the Delta Tunnel Project would effectively eliminate environmental and judicial review of the project, while giving the state a blank check to float bonds to pay for the water tunnel.
Building the Delta tunnel is expected to take at least 15 years, meaning that much of the Delta region and its 500,000 residents will be at ground zero of a giant construction project for nearly a generation. The project will require massive amounts of earth-moving because the 36-foot-wide tunnel will be 100 to 130 feet underground.
The tunnel project is opposed by every city and community in the Delta region and the broad bipartisan coalition against the tunnel fast-tracking plan includes more than 100 legislators; cities, counties, and public agencies; good government groups; environmental and tribal organizations; and nonprofits and local businesses.
The Delta Caucus is a bipartisan group of legislators dedicated to safeguarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the largest and most important estuary on the West Coast.