Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA)

We are in the midst of another very short comment response period on the Delta Tunnels due January 27th. The Final California WaterFix EIR (what used to be the “BDCP” and is now just the Delta Tunnel part) was released end of December with just a 30-day comment period. I’d appreciate if people would email requests to extend the comment period to at least 90 days. Also posted in December was responses to all of our comments we sent in during the 2013 comment review period AND the 2015 comment review period. They waited 3 years to post our 2013 comments and now give us 30 days to review! (Actually, less because it’s taken some time to even find out they were there). And to review the huge final EIR.

Please send in an email asking to extend the comment period to at least 90 days here: CalWaterFix@water.ca.gov.

Note: This will also send a BCC copy to us for reference, since in 2013 it took them THREE YEARS to post any comments! We’d appreciate that.

If you have time, also send in your comments on the new BDCP EIR Final which is posted here (in case we can’t get the review period extended):
FINAL EIR/EIS Click Here

To see what their response was to the comments you mailed in over the past years, go here:
RESPONSES TO YOUR PRIOR 2013/2015 COMMENTS Click Here

HOW TO FIND YOUR COMMENT AND THEIR RESPONSE:
There is an “Index” file for the 2013 comments and down further in the page an Index file for the 2015 comments. Look at each index file, find your name, and there will be a “Letter #” next to your name. Below the index file is a list of comments broken up by letter #s. Click the link where your letter # falls and find your comment in that list with the response next to it. See instructions/screen shot at the bottom (attachment). They don’t make it easy on us!

Here are a few good reasons to extend the comment period and hold a public hearing:

1) They failed to recirculate the Draft EIR/S after it received a failing grade from USEPA. Under the law they are required to fix the problems and recirculate a draft EIR for further public comment when that happens. So they are using this final 30 day comment period to substitute for that required recirculation which should have been a long time ago and allowed for a much longer comment period. Because of this they should allow at least 90 days and hold a public hearing now.

2) They failed to adequately respond to comments.

3) They failed to consider an adequate range of alternatives because they did not consider any alternative with a storage element or any other portfolio element.

4) They failed to comply with the Delta Reform Act because the preferred alternative does not reduce reliance on the Delta.

These are all major substantive failures and 30 days is not enough time to adequately address these issues in comments so we need at least 90 days to prepare comments so the comment period should be extended.

Item #2 above would be even better if you add one of your comments and their response that didn’t answer you adequately.

THANK YOU!