Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA)

NEWS RELEASE
Contra Costa County
MARY NEJEDLY PIEPHO
Board Supervisors, District III

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2009

For more information contact:
Tomi Van de Brooke – Chief of Staff
Office of Supervisor Mary Piepho
Phone: 925-820-8683
Cell: 925-457-6260

Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho
Discovery Bay Community Leaders and County Officials
Meet with Congressman McNerney

Groups Pleads for More Thorough look at 2-Gates Project

Brentwood, CA – Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho brought a delegation of Discovery Bay community leaders and county officials to Stockton and met with Congressman McNerney today to express grave concerns with the 2-Gates project currently being considered by the U.S. Department of the Interior – Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers.

“I appreciate that Congressman McNerney took the time and brought in the two federal agencies to hear first hand our reservations about the 2-Gates project and potential impacts that had been largely ignored or gone unanswered by state agencies,” stated Supervisor Mary Nejedly. “The federal agencies assured us that the 2-Gates project would get a more thorough review and questions would be answered before the project moved forward,” She added.

Working with Supervisor Piepho, the group sought the meeting because they felt there had been little opportunity to bring the local perspective to the project design and development. They expressed concern that the project is focused on a predetermined outcome and is not stepping back to see the bigger picture including serious degradation of the Delta estuary.

“I was proud to see a number of local groups come together to elevate the issue and work together to affect change,” commented Mike Guzzardo, a local realtor and representative of the Save the San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation. “The system worked as it should and it appears we were heard,” added Guzzardo.

The group’s concerns included agency oversight, public safety, water quality, and boating impediments. The agencies listened and acknowledged that the cost and the scientific underpinnings of the project may warrant additional evaluation.

Attendees included Discovery Bay Community Services District Director, Kevin Graves, Commissioner Lenora Clark with the California Department of Boating and Waterways, Discovery Bay resident Jan McCleery, Mike Guzzardo and Dave Dove representing the Save the San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation, and County staff.

The 2-Gates project proposes to mount gates on a submerged cargo barge in the Old River area of the Delta. The project’s stated purpose is to determine if Delta Smelt can be prevented from being sucked into the pumps that send water to points south. The applicant and proponents of the project include Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority. The State of California has already waived the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements for the project and is proposing to spend $44 million on the five year research project.

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Office of Supervisor Mary N. Piepho
Contra Costa County, District III
309 Diablo Road
Danville, California 94526
Ph: (925) 820-8683
Fax: (925) 820-6627

181 Sand Creek Road, Suite L
Brentwood, California 94513
Ph: (925) 240-7260
Fax: (925) 240-7261

email: dist3@bos.cccounty.us

SUPERVISORIAL STAFF:
Tomi Van de Brooke, Chief of Staff
Lea Castleberry, Deputy Chief of Staff
Marion Murphy, Scheduler/Office Operations
Karyn Cornell, East County Field Representative
Jennifer Quallick, South County Field Representative