Governor Newsom takes executive action to streamline permitting for necessary water infrastructure projects
Press release from the State Water Contractors:
Today, Governor Newsom announced a suite of actions aimed at securing California’s water future. The announcement comes as recent and rapid swings between drought and flood conditions evidence the urgent need to build, repair and prepare our aging water infrastructure to accommodate this climate whiplash.
Standing side by side with leaders from California’s water, labor, transportation and energy sectors, the Governor signed an executive order and previewed a budget trailer bill package. Together, these actions represent an unprecedented commitment by the Newsom administration to provide alternative funding delivery methods, expedite environmental review, streamline permitting, allow California to receive its fair share of federal funding and more. This suite of actions will enable essential water storage and conveyance infrastructure projects to proceed with haste appropriate and commensurate to the water security risks posed by climate change.
Statement from Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors:
“Water infrastructure is climate adaptation, and with his announcement today, Governor Newsom has placed California on higher ground. Completing the projects that will ensure our ability to responsibly capture, store, release, deliver, recycle and desalinate water throughout California isn’t just smart planning, it is a climate change imperative — one the Governor is tackling head on.
California is not just any other state, we are the largest and most populous state in the nation. If we were our own country, we would be the fourth largest economy in the world. That kind of success wouldn’t be possible without our water infrastructure. Too often, critical water infrastructure projects that are crucial to California’s climate resiliency plan face unnecessary hurdles and delays, leaving everyone at risk of the next drought or natural disaster. Cutting through the green tape to get these projects done for California is the right decision at the right time.
Whether we are talking about the Delta Conveyance Project that, in one form or another, has been considered for the last twenty years, repairing subsidence damage to our canals that threaten our ability to move water throughout the state, or building local water supply projects like recycling and desalination — California needs to stop talking and start building. We are also pleased that the Governor’s actions today will help California tap into much-needed federal funding to ensure continued water affordability for residents, farms, businesses, communities and the environment. The time to get these projects done was yesterday, and we appreciate the Governor reinforcing that important and timely message in the actions he took today.”
