NEWS: Harder Leads Entire Delta Congressional Delegation Urging Sacramento to Halt Delta Tunnel
Delta communities have been left out of the Delta Tunnel planning process
Sacramento appears ready to steamroll project through despite the state’s own Environmental Impact Report acknowledging significant negative impacts
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-9) led his Delta region colleagues in demanding California Natural Resources Agency halt all Delta Tunnel activity following the release of the California Department of Water Resources’ final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The report acknowledges what Harder and other Delta Tunnel opponents have known for years: the project threatens endangered fish populations, will destroy farmland, and make water in the Delta region undrinkable. Harder hosted multiple town halls after the Army Corps of Engineers refused to host their own in-person town hall to discuss the Delta Tunnel project.
Harder was joined by six other Delta region representatives.
“I am glad to be joined by the entire Delta delegation in pushing back against this boondoggle of a project. ” said Rep. Harder. “From day one, Sacramento has ignored our region’s voices. Surely, they can’t ignore the state’s own Environmental Impact Report outlining the damage the Delta Tunnel would do. We will fight tooth and nail, using every avenue possible to stop this $16 billion water grab to ship our water down south.”.
Read Rep. Harder’s full letter here:
Dear Secretary Crowfoot,
We write today to express our concerns regarding the California Department of Water Resources’ recent publication of the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project, also known as the Delta Tunnel.
As you know, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the largest freshwater tidal estuary on the West Coast supporting California fisheries, thousands of acres of farmland, and the livelihoods of millions living in the region. Despite its critical environmental resources, the final EIR continues to propose a scheme that would compromise water quality and destabilize the levees protecting Delta communities from devastating floods. The report itself acknowledges the project’s significant negative impacts to the Delta, such as threatening endangered fish populations and imperiling farmland. Due to these ramifications, the State of California should not move forward with this misguided project.
The final EIR also disregards the voices of those most impacted by this harmful water project, Delta communities and Central Valley residents. Delta residents feel completely left out of this process.
In addition, the economic consequences of this ill-conceived project cannot be underestimated. The most recent cost estimate of the proposed Delta Tunnel Project is $16 billion. This places a financial burden on taxpayers without creating a single new drop of water in California. The State should focus on innovative water infrastructure projects that can be built and enjoy broad-based support.
With the certification of the final EIR approaching, we urge the State of California to not move forward with this water project as a result of the harmful impacts outlined in the final EIR. Our
communities rely on the Delta ecosystem and waterways for their work, drinking water, and recreation.
Implementing the proposed Delta Conveyance Project would devastate the entire region and effectively end the Delta as we know it.
Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Josh Harder
John Garamendi
Mike Thompson
Mark Desaulnier
Doris Matsui
Ami Bera, M.D.
Jared Huffman
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