Please try to attend the Army Corps of Engineers in-person public hearing in Stockton on March 1, from 6 to 7:30 pm at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel, 110 W. Fremont Street, Stockton. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.
The Army Corps of Engineers is preparing an EIS on the Delta Conveyance Project separate from DWR’s EIR. After some prodding, the CORPS agreed to hold an in-person public hearing (which DWR steadfastly refused to do).
ISSUES:
The CORPS EIS is very narrow. It is only studing the construction activity around the intakes and other areas where fill is involved. It is not studying anything to do with the operations of the tunnel. In our Legal Council, Michael Brodsky’s opinion, the law requires the CORPS to study operations too, including all the impacts on wildlife, fish, and people. He plans to ask them why they believe they are not required to study operations.
The CORPS could include a study of alternate intake locations away from Hood in their own EIS. They could also require DWR to recirculate the EIR to study alternate intake locations away from Hood. Brodsky plans to ask why they have so far done neither, with some elaboration on the impacts on Hood and history of the intake locations.
If anyone can make and add to the chorus it would be good.
Do you happen to know if there will be a big display screen for us to bring slides for? That would help with what I have to say/ask.
Brodsky said he does not think we will be able to present slides. It was a lot to get them to agree to hold in person meeting so would be pushing our luck to ask to present our own slide show.