Early morning news flash: EPA says Bay Delta Conservation Plan could violate federal law

Today’s top story in the Sacramento Bee:

EPA says California’s Delta water tunnel project could violate federal law:  “The pair of giant water diversion tunnels proposed in the Delta could violate the federal Clean Water Act and increase harm to endangered fish species, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which released its formal comment on the project Thursday.  In a 43-page letter sent Tuesday to the National Marine Fisheries Service and released publicly on the EPA’s website Thursday, the EPA said its research found that by diverting freshwater from three new intakes proposed on the Sacramento River – further upstream from existing intakes – the project is likely to increase concentrations of salinity, mercury, bromide, chloride, selenium and pesticides in the estuary. … ”

Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: EPA says California’s Delta water tunnel project could violate federal law

Read the EPA’s comment letter here …

More to come …

More on this story, including reactions, on the Notebook today, so stay tuned.  I’m also watching to see what happens with groundwater legislation as the session winds to a close …

Print Friendly, PDF & Email