Bill Forcing Public Vote on Delta Tunnels Passes Key Committee

Bill Forcing Public Vote on Delta Tunnels Passes Key Committee

by Dan Bacher

A bill prohibiting the building of Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels unless the project is approved by California voters passed out of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife on April 19 by a vote of 8 to 4.

Assembly Bill 1713, authored by Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), targets the California Water Fix plan, Governor Brown's name for the massive Delta Tunnels. This project would divert water from the Sacramento River to supply corporate agribusiness interests, Southern California water agencies and oil companies conducting fracking and extreme oil extraction methods in Kern County.

After the bill passed committee, Assemblymember Eggman said, “Today’s vote was about choice. AB 1713 will shed some light on a project with huge implications and its passage is a huge win not only for the San Joaquin Delta, but also for the people of California."

"The Governor’s proposal is financially questionable, potentially environmentally detrimental, and based on an outdated and outmoded plan from over 50 years ago. The people of California have consistently weighed in on important infrastructure projects since the early 20th century and this initiative should be no different," she explained.

"Building tunnels won’t solve California’s water crisis, but investing and developing new technologies and tools may be the best and only way to create a sustainable and long term solution for our water needs," Eggman concluded.

AB 1713 will require approval via ballot initiative on or after January 1, 2017 for any infrastructure project that conveys water directly from a diversion point in the Sacramento River to pumping facilities of the State Water Project or the federal Central Valley Project south of the Delta.

The also would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to complete an economic feasibility analysis prior to a vote authorizing the construction of a peripheral canal.

AB 1713 is now headed to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

California voters overwhelming rejected the peripheral canal at the ballot box in November 1982 — and it is expected that they would reject the newest incarnation of the canal, the California Water Fix, in a future vote. However, it is likely that Governor Jerry Brown, who views the tunnels plan as his “legacy” project, would veto AB 1713 if if passes through the Legislature.

The bill enjoys support from a wide array of organizations including Restore the Delta, Planning and Conservation League, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, County of Sacramento, Delta Counties Coalition and San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors also back the legislation.

Opponents of the legislation feature a large number of state and federal water contractors including the Association of California Water Agencies, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Kern County Water Agency and Westlands Water District.

The opponents claim this bill "will cause unnecessary delays and bureaucracy, jeopardizing the only viable solution available to secure water supplies for 2/3 of the state while improving the health of the Delta," according to the legislative analysis.

Opponents also claim, "Fundamentally, the state should not ask voters to approve the construction of infrastructure projects, particularly those that are not funded by taxpayers."

On April 13, fourteen fishery conservation and environmental groups sent a letter to Assemblymen Eggman in support of her bill.

"Our concern goes beyond whether the Delta tunnels will be built or not," the letter states. "There is a clear and undeniable connection between the tunnels and proposed upstream surface storage projects."

The letter also says, "As a controversial multi-billion dollar infrastructure project, the permitting process for the twin tunnels should be transparent. Accordingly, ultimate approval should rest with the ratepayers and taxpayers who may be required to pay for the project. In particular, the people most impacted by the twin tunnels project deserve the right to vote to approve or disapprove this project, which will do irreparable harm to the Delta and upstream tributaries to benefit one part of the state at the expense of another."

Those signing the letter include Eric Wesselman, Friends of the River; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta; Bill Jennings, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; Jennifer Clary, Clean Water Action; Cecily Smith, Foothill Conservancy; Lowell Ashbaugh, Northern California Council of the International Federation of Fly Fishers; Carolee Krieger, California Water Impact Network (C-WIN); Lucas Ray RossMerz, Sacramento River Preservation Trust; Amber Shelton, Environmental Protection Information Center; Lloyd Carter, CA Save Our Streams Council; Jonas Minton, Planning and Conservation League; Konrad Fisher, Klamath Riverkeeper; Dan Bacher, Fish Sniffer magazine; and Adam Scow, Food & Water Watch.

To read the complete letter, go to: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/04/19/18785366.php

At this time, no fishing groups, Indian Tribes or environmental groups, with the exception of Jerry Meral’s Natural Heritage Institute, back the tunnels.

The Delta Tunnels would hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, as well imperil the steelhead and salmon populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers.