Facing stiff opposition from his own party, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has released a plan intended to ease concerns around the development of the Delta Tunnel.
Newsom also allocated $200 million to benefit communities near the construction sites of the water conveyance project.
The backstory: First proposed decades ago to enhance water deliveries to Southern California, Newsom has made the project one of his top priorities since he took office in 2019.
- The project would consist of one 45-mile tunnel that would pipe water from the Sacramento River to bypass the Delta. Water would be redirected into Bethany Reservoir before feeding into an aqueduct headed south.
Flashback: Newsom pushed to fast-track the Delta Tunnel during the budget negotiations earlier this summer.
- That effort included a $20 billion allocation in his proposed budget that would have circumvented environmental reviews for the project.
- But the project proved to be a sticking point for the Legislature, leading to Newsom to drop his request in this year’s budget.
The big picture: The California Department of Water Resources released an Accountability Action Plan on Wednesday, detailing a number of actions that it says will hold itself accountable to the local community.
- The plan also establishes a $200 million Community Benefits Program for areas near the construction sites.
- Newsom’s office said the goal of the plan is to avoid, minimize or offset any potential impacts of construction to residents, businesses, tribes and visitors to the Delta.
What he’s saying: “Critics of the Delta Conveyance Project, including those in the Legislature, have repeatedly made false claims that the concerns of the communities in the Delta are not being heard,” Newsom said in a statement. “This Accountability Action Plan shows that my administration is listening, and we are taking action to hold ourselves accountable and respond to community concerns during the construction of this important infrastructure project.”
Zoom in: The plan consists of five components: an ombudsman office, regulatory mitigation, the $200 million community benefits program, community advisory groups and project communications.
- The ombudsman office will serve as a single point of contact for any concerns or grievances.
- Regulatory mitigation includes the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program to avoid, minimize or offset environmental impacts.
- At least one community advisory group will engage community members in decision-making related to the project, while the plan also includes a communication effort to keep local communities informed about the project’s progress, impacts, schedule and available resources.
