A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
December 11, 2007
3. Watersheds
DELTA ISSUES:
District's plan didn't gauge Delta effect, judge says; EAST BAY: Jurist rules Sacramento agency failed to properly weigh impact of increased wastewater discharge - Contra Costa Times
LOWER YUBA RIVER ACCORD:
Final EIR/EIS Released for the Proposed
DELTA ISSUES:
District's plan didn't gauge Delta effect, judge says;
Contra Costa Times – 12/11/07
By Meera Pal, staff writer
A coalition of local water districts scored a victory last week when a Superior Court judge ruled that a Sacramento-area sanitation district did not properly review the impact of increased wastewater discharge into the Delta, a drinking water source for 25 million Californians.
A final judgment is being crafted by attorneys for the water districts of Contra Costa and
The final judgment will void the certification of the
According to the Contra Costa Water District and Zone 7, the sanitation district's 2020 master plan would have raised pollutant levels in the Delta by more than 40 percent.
Greg Gartrell, Contra Costa Water District assistant general manager, said that the greater level of pollutants would have effectively caused a decrease in the water levels at Los Vaqueros Reservoir, which is blended with Delta water to improve quality.
For Zone 7, the costs of treating water probably would have risen.
"It would have increased our treatment costs to achieve our goal of water quality," said Boni Brewer, public information officer for Zone 7.
The alliance of water districts filed the lawsuit more than two years ago against the Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District, arguing that in reviewing environmental impacts the sanitation district did not consider adequate treatment of its wastewater.
"We had worked for years with the Sacramento Regional District to avoid a lawsuit," Gartrell said.
Gartrell said the Contra Costa district provided information to the
Cadei faulted the sanitation district for not considering Contra Costa's data and required further review to address the shortcomings in the sanitation district's environmental report.
John Dodds, attorney for the sanitation district, said it is its policy not to comment on ongoing litigation, but he noted the judge has not made a final judgment.
Gartrell said it was unlikely the ruling would change significantly, if at all, next week.
"We are thrilled ... this additional stress on the Delta's fragile ecosystem will be considered more fully as part of (the sanitation district's) environmental planning process," said Jill Duerig, Zone 7 general manager. #
LOWER YUBA RIVER ACCORD:
Final EIR/EIS Released for the Proposed
YubaNet.com – 12/11/07
By Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, Yuba County Water Agency (YCWA), and California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announce the release of the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR/FEIS) for the Proposed Lower Yuba River Accord. The document was developed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The Draft EIR/EIS was released to the public on June 26, 2007, for a 60-day public review and comment period. Two public hearings were held August 1, 2007, at the YCWA office in
The purpose of the Lower Yuba River Accord is to resolve instream flow issues associated with the operation of the Yuba River Development Project in a way that protects and enhances lower
For NEPA purposes, a Record of Decision (ROD) will be signed no sooner than 30 days after the Notice of Availability of the FEIR/FEIS is published in the federal register. The ROD will identify the recommended actions to be implemented, including any measures found necessary to avoid, reduce, or mitigate any significant adverse project effects.
For additional information on the Proposed Lower Yuba River Accord, please contact Mr. Curt Aikens, YCWA, at 530-741-6278 or caikens@ycwa.com or Mr. Tim Rust, Reclamation, at 916-978-5516 or trust@mp.usbr.gov.
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_72553.shtml
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