Opinion: Delta tunnel is too risky to bend environmental rules

Expediting this project would cause severe environmental, ecological, cultural and economic impacts.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans to ease environmental rules and bypass the legislative process to get statewide infrastructure projects fast-tracked would pave the way for California ratepayers to fund a multi-billion-dollar environmentally disastrous and divisive Delta tunnel.

The Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), representing the five counties that comprise millions of residents who live in and around the California Delta, strongly oppose the administration’s inclusion of the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta tunnel) in its infrastructure package and hastily considering it in the opaque state budget process.

Dating back to 2009, the Legislature and administration have consistently avoided legislative provisions that facilitate highly controversial and expensive isolated new conveyance in the Delta. This was done with purpose. Changing laws for the explicit benefit of this highly controversial project would pick “winners and losers” between those living within and near the Delta (the losers) and those who seek to export more water (the winners) through new diversions in the north Delta.

Weakening environmental standards for the Delta tunnel is also contrary to the governor’s leadership on climate change, disadvantaged communities and the environment. The Delta tunnel — which would span three counties, cost $16+ billion and take 14 years to construct — would increase greenhouse gas emissions, harm endangered species on land and in waterways and cause irreversible harm to disadvantaged and culturally significant communities.

As the infrastructure package makes its way through the legislature, the Delta Counties Coalition urges legislators and Gov. Newsom to seriously consider the following revisions:

• The reference to “Delta Conveyance Project” must be stricken from the “CEQA Judicial Streamlining” section. The Delta tunnel wouldn’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions or protect people from the worst extremes of climate change. If built, construction emissions would be 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and operational emissions would be 260,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. In addition, removing freshwater flows with new diversions would reduce through-Delta flows, causing more saltwater intrusion and worsening water quality for local residents, farms and businesses.

• Any language that eases the permitting pathway for “Fully Protected Species” should be removed. The package proposes to make major changes in law pertaining to Fully Protected Species. The reclassification of Fully Protected Species would allow treasured wildlife such as the iconic golden eagle, greater sandhill crane, southern sea otter and 34 other birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish to be more easily harmed or killed by projects like the Delta tunnel. If Fully Protected Species provisions of state law are to be modified, those changes must occur within the legislative process with appropriate public and expert input.

It is also important to note that the $16 billion ratepayer funded price tag that was estimated several years ago doesn’t account for double-digit inflation that has occurred in the past year. We know that with other mega-infrastructure projects, original costs tend to double or triple. On top of that, a recent report from the California Water Impact Network revealed that the primary beneficiary of the Delta Tunnel (Metropolitan Water District) has no plan on how to pay for the project.

While we agree that climate change requires the state to move forward with climate resilient infrastructure, the Delta tunnel has no place in these discussions. Expediting this contentious project would cause severe environmental, ecological, cultural and economic impacts for the Delta without producing any new water.

We urge the Legislature to honestly address our climate goals without hastily making major changes in law and due process to benefit powerful special interest groups at the expense of the California Delta.

Ken Carlson represents District 4 on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. Oscar Villegas is chair of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.