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Rep. Harder Statement on State Water Board’s Plan for San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary Plan

April 3, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Josh Harder today issued a statement regarding the State Water Resources Control Board's proposal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning revising water quality Standards for the San Francisco Bay-Delta:

"The future of California's water resources must be determined by a comprehensive, transparent, and science-based review with a Central Valley seat at the table. The State Water Resources Control Board's proposal to the EPA misses the mark. It fails to provide the transparency our community deserves. Thousands of pages of information have been sliced down into a two-page document, which fails to acknowledge harmful effects of the proposed 40 percent water grab and blatantly ignores the progress made on voluntary settlement agreements being negotiated by our irrigation districts and water users.

"Ideally, members of our community should come together to create a real solution and not rely on a drawn-out lawsuit that will slam the brakes on any progress. That's why I joined a bipartisan group of Representatives to urge the EPA and the Board to take action and conduct a thorough review of the state's proposal, ensuring the standards adopted are based on sound science. It's time to find a solution through voluntary agreements, so that our community can move forward with a plan that helps secure, better manage, and grow our water supply."

Harder was joined in calling for a thorough review by a bipartisan group of Members from California. You can read their letter HERE.