For Immediate Release: September 16, 2019
Contact:
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053, barbara@restorethedelta.org
Stockton, CA – The politics surrounding SB1 are as murky as Delta water in late September.
But there is a clear story illuminated by an article today by LA Time’s veteran Sacramento-observer George Skelton. Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) has shown great courage in “standing up to a powerful new governor of her own party.”
In defying Newsom, she tried to protect California from Trump — and showed how legislating should work – Los Angeles Times 9/16/19
While Governor Newsom has vowed to veto this bill, San Francisco Bay-Delta advocates today asked him to reconsider.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta said:
“We have spent 2019 working to be the voice of reason from the Delta and to build a bridge with the Newsom administration. That is all now in danger of crumbling. If Governor Newsom continues to echo the talking points of water contractors and vetoes SB1, he will allow Delta fisheries to collapse.
“SB1 is based on the 2011 biological opinions and all the related fishery management science of the Delta, and fishery protections equal water quality protections for the Delta’s 4 million people. He will be rejecting protection of the estuary and its people, plus a host of needed water quality and air quality protections for the state. He is choosing big ag and big water interests over public health and a healthy and clean environment for all Californians.
“We have tracked the Voluntary Agreements to reset flow standards for the Delta tributaries, but like other Delta public entities, were never invited to the table. When the California Department of Water Resources, and California Fish and wildlife introduced the Voluntary Agreements to the State Water Resources Control Board, they promised agreements that would be more protective of the Delta than the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. But a veto of SB1 will open the door to make the Voluntary Agreements meaningless. We spent years working at the State Water Resources Control Board to advance a Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan that was protective of the Delta. We will not accept the imperfect Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan being replaced with a disastrous Voluntary Agreement based on a gutting of environmental protections.
“Governor Newsom, please sign SB1!“