From Congressman Ami Bera:
Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. introduced a bill today with his colleagues Congressmen Jerry McNerney and John Garamendi to block FY 2015 federal funds from being used for California’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).
California has asked the federal government to contribute nearly $4 billion to help it implement the BDCP.
“The BDCP is a flawed plan that does nothing to increase our water supply and only diverts more water from the Sacramento area to Southern California” said Bera. “Not only that, but it will cost taxpayers billions, and hurt countless farmers and small businesses in our region. We must stop this misguided plan and continue to fight for real bipartisan solutions to secure water access and storage throughout our state.”
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan includes a proposal for two 35 mile-long tunnels that would divert water from the Delta and send it south. Two weeks ago, the state delayed the plan’s implementation due to concerns about the economic an environmental impact of the tunnels. Both the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers raised objections to the BDCP’s assumptions and called for major changes to the plan. It is estimated to cost $25 billion, but analyses by independent groups show that the final expense could be more than $64 billion.
For more information on ways Bera is working to address California water issues visit: http://bera.house.gov/ca-drought
