Delta Tunnel opponents respond to Secretary Jewell: Don’t support water export tunnels
Opponents of the proposed tunnels under the delta rally during a visit by U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to the Byron pumping plant on Tuesday, March 11. Photo courtesy of Restore the Delta.
SACRAMENTO – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today called upon U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to not support the tunnels, to let federal scientists do their job without political interference, and to embrace better policies for a sustainable water future. Federal scientists have refused to sign off on the tunnels project, noting that it cannot achieve its goal of restoring the health of the Delta estuary while removing millions of acre-feet of water from the Delta.
“Restore the Delta is disappointed that Secretary Jewell did not stop to speak with Delta protesters yesterday,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of RTD. “We call on her to meet at a later date with Delta farmers, Delta government officials, fishery experts, Delta water and reclamation districts, and community groups to learn firsthand about the impacts of the drought and water mismanagement by the State on the Delta economy and ecosystem health, and how the BDCP will lead to the destruction of Delta and coastal fisheries, the SF Bay, Delta family farms and the economy for the 4 million Delta residents. Secretary Jewell should not be misled that the BDCP would provide reliable water supplies nor restore the health of the Delta. This boondoggle benefits mainly a handful of unsustainable mega-growers.”
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