BDCP Releases Chapters 1-4; Proposal Still “Fatally Flawed”

I wanted to alert you that the latest draft of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) was released today.  Restore the Delta has already come out calling the latest proposal “fatally flawed” and accusing the BDCP of not including any cost-benefit analysis of alternatives.

This is a $23 billion plan which includes a twin tunnel project to carry Delta water to Southern California. You can link directly to the BDCP here, or follow the links below.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta said in a press release the following:

“In its rush to build a project that would exterminate salmon runs, destroy sustainable family farms and saddle taxpayers with tens of billions in debt, mainly to benefit a small number of huge corporate agribusinesses on the west side of the Central Valley, the Administration has yet to complete a valid cost-benefit analysis of its Tunnels and seriously examine alternative solutions,” said Barrigan-Parrilla.

BDCP is rigging a cost-benefit analysis of the proposal by refusing to include alternatives, and excluding some costs that would fall on water ratepayers. How much will rates need to increase if this project moves forward?

“This project will still cost billions upon billions of dollars to give ever-increasing amounts of taxpayer and ratepayer subsidized water to corporate agriculture and real estate developers to make millions upon millions in profits. California will not go dry without these tunnels. There are no guarantees that southern California residents will even receive more water,” said Barrigan-Parrilla. “The proposal takes a build it now, figure it out later approach. But after billions are spent building new tunnels, the pressure would be overwhelming to maximize water exports no matter the consequences on Delta communities and fisheries.”

You can read Restore the Delta’s full release by clicking here.

Preliminary Draft BDCP Chapters Available for Review

March 14, 2013 – Today, the California Natural Resources Agency released the first four of 12 draft chapters of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The release of these first chapters is another major milestone in the seven-year effort to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem and provide a reliable water supply for two-thirds of California’s population.

• View Chapters 1-4, here
• Press Release – Brown Administration Releases Preliminary Bay Delta Conservation Plan – March 14, 2013
• BDCP Overview Fact Sheet
• Biological Goals and Objectives Fact Sheet
• BDCP: Restoring the Delta Ecosystem Fact Sheet
• BDCP Conservation Measure 1: Water Facilities and Operations Fact Sheet
• Q & A
• BDCP Document Release Schedule
• BDCP Video
• Video Recording of March 14, 2013 Press Conference (coming 3/15/13)

Draft BDCP Availability

Beginning Thusday, March 14, the California Natural Resources Agency plans to release a preliminary draft of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. A public review draft plan and formal comment period will be announced later this year.

The preliminary draft chapters will be available for viewing on the day of the release on the BDCP website. The release will occur in three stages and each release will be followed by a public meeting. The anticipated schedule is as follows:

STAGE 1

    March 14 BDCP release:

•     Chapter 1: Introduction
•     Chapter 2: Existing Ecological Conditions
•     Chapter 3: Conservation Strategy
•     Chapter 4: Covered Activities and Associated Federal Actions

    March 20 Public Meeting on Chapters 1-4

•    Ramada Inn, West Sacramento, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

    STAGE 2

    March 27 BDCP release:

•     Chapter 5: Effects Analysis
•     Chapter 6: Plan Implementation
•     Chapter 7: Implementation Structure

    April 4 Public Meeting on Chapters 5-7

    STAGE 3

    Week of April 22 release:

•     Chapter 8: Implementation Costs and Funding Sources
•     Chapter 9: Alternatives to Take
•     Chapter 10: Integration of Independent Science into BDCP
•     Chapter 11: List of Preparers
•     Chapter 12: Glossary

    Week of April 29 Public Meeting on Chapters 8-12

Source
http://baydeltaconservationplan.com/Home.aspx