CSPA Submits Comments on Grassland Monitoring

On 26 November 2013, CSPA and a coalition of environmental, fishing, environmental justice and tribal organizations submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. EPA on the proposed reduction in monitoring requirements for the Grasslands Bypass Project. The letter accuses the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation of violating Endangered Species Act requirements by not complying with conditions specified in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinions and not initiating consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service when significant new information became available.

Pollutant discharges from the Grasslands area contain high concentrations of selenium, salts, boron, arsenic and mercury.  The letter is a follows up previous comment letters sent 22 April 2013 and 11 August 201 by the coalition to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation concerning proposed reductions in water quality monitoring.

Coalition Letter on Violations of Monitoring Reductions