For Immediate Release: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016
Contact:
Barbara Barrigan-Parilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053, barbara@restorethedelta.org
San Jose, CA – At a Special Board “Workshop” today, the Santa Clara Valley Water District heard from state agencies on the Delta Tunnels plan. The case for the Tunnels was made by Mark Cowin, California Department of Water Resources, David Okita, California Natural Resources Agency, and Chuck Bonham, California Department of Fish & Wildlife.
However, a majority of speakers represented environmental and community organizations. Tunnel opponents countered the agencies' claims of environmental benefits and asked for a deep look at alternatives in terms of environmental impacts, cost-benefit, and water supply security for Santa Clara County.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta said, “We believe the ecological and economic impacts of the Tunnels are troubling for everyone in California, and the project’s cost-benefit analysis for SCVWD ratepayers is dubious. Santa Clara Valley Water District rate payers are not happy about potential property tax increases to pay for tunnels that will not make more water. We are so proud of all the conservation, fishing, and community groups who stepped up to make the case against the Tunnels boondoggle today.”
Materials from the meeting are available here.
Alternatives Report: A SUSTAINABLE WATER PLAN FOR CALIFORNIA – Environmental Water Caucus (9/1/15)
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