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State Board Again Weakens Bay-Delta Standards; Refuses to Enforce the Law; Fish Suffer
On 6 May 2014, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) held an informal workshop on the latest changes to water quality and flow standards established to protect public trust resources in the Bay-Delta estuary. The Board, on 2 May 2014, again weakened existing standards that already provided for critically dry years situations. Specifically,…
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CSPA Protests Latest State Board Drought Temporary Urgency Change Order
On 28 April 2014, CSPA, CWIN and AquAlliance formally protested the State Water Resource Control Board’s latest Temporary Urgency Order further relaxing water quality criteria and flow standards in the Delta to expedite increased water exports. The 18 April Order is the seventh modification of Delta protection standards since 7 February. The protest asserts that…
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CSPA Issues Notice of Intent to Sue Gilroy Manufacturing Facility
On 24 April 2014, CSPA sent a Notice of Intent to Sue to Olam West Coast, Inc. for violations of the substantive and procedural requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and California’s General Industrial Stormwater Permit. Olam West Coast operates a 46-acre industrial facility that includes the manufacturing and wholesale distribution of onion and…
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CSPA Questions El Dorado Plan to Permit Water in Order to Sell It
On March 13, 2014, El Dorado Water and Power Authority issued a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for what it now calls the “El Dorado Water Reliability Project.” The project as proposed is a second run at El Dorado’s 2008 application to use a “county of origin” water rights reservation to permit…
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CSPA, Delta Water Agencies, Restore the Delta Submit Comments on Proposed Bonds
On 23 April 2014, CSPA joined Central Delta Water Agency, South Delta Water Agency, Restore the Delta and Local Agencies of the North Delta is submitting comments on three proposed Bond issues that are being considered by the state legislature. The letters urge that any Bond investments in the Delta be made with regard to…