Opinion: Rushed California groundwater bills hurt Valley communities [Fresno Bee]
…We
joined together as Democrats and Republicans to oppose recent groundwater
legislation.…Make no mistake, we agree that something needs to be done to
ensure there are sustainable groundwater supplies for future generations.…But
rushing through a vast rewrite of groundwater law during the waning days of the
2013-14 legislative session is not the right answer. If the state is truly
interested in preventing groundwater depletion, it would recognize groundwater
recharge as a beneficial use and would provide incentives to develop regional
groundwater plans and projects. The state must also streamline the legal
process regarding water disputes to ensure fairness for all sides. The bills on
the governor's desk do not accomplish these objectives.
SLO
County moves toward banning exportation of groundwater [Santa Maria Times]
San
Luis Obispo County is another step closer to banning the exportation of
groundwater. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to further
develop an ordinance that would regulate exporting groundwater from the
county's 22 basins. The county has no rules in place governing the exportation
of groundwater from its basins, which range from very small to much larger
aquifers, such as the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin and Santa Maria Valley
Groundwater Basin, which stretches from northern Santa Barbara County to Pismo
Beach. Assistant County Counsel Tim McNulty told the supervisors they have the
power to impose a ban exporting groundwater, as has been done in at least 20
various counties in the state, but must adopt rules that can be legally
enforced.
Poll:
California water bond looking good to voters [San Jose Mercury News]
The
$7.5 billion water bond Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature put on the
November ballot during a deepening drought has a strong chance of passing
muster with voters, according to a new Field Poll. The measure has the support
of 52 percent of people surveyed even though almost two-thirds of respondents
were unfamiliar with it and the water projects it would fund. Another 21
percent of likely voters are undecided on the Proposition 1 water bond, the
poll found….The more voters know about the water bond, the more they like it,
the poll found….Democrats support the water bond more strongly than any other
voter subgroup, while Republicans were the greatest reservoir of opposition.
Valley
communities lobby Congress one more time for drought help [Fresno Bee]
Seventeen
California cities and counties urged Congress on Tuesday to complete drought
legislation that's currently hung up in closed-door negotiations. The municipal
resolutions passed in recent weeks by small towns like Dos Palos and counties
like Kern and Kings were presented to the House Natural Resources Committee as
part of a public drumbeat that included a several-hour long hearing on easing
environmental rules….The GOP-controlled House passed an ambitious, 68-page
California water bill in February, without a committee hearing….The Senate countered
in May with a slimmed-down 16-page bill passed by unanimous consent, also
without a committee hearing. Since then, there have been hints that Democratic
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and backers of the House bill have closed
their major differences, while Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and the Obama
administration remain cautious. All of the participants in the negotiations
have sworn themselves to secrecy.
House
votes to block EPA water rules [Associated Press]
The
Republican-controlled House on Tuesday approved a bill to block the Obama
administration from implementing a rule that asserts regulatory authority over
many of the nation's streams and wetlands — an action that critics call a
classic Washington overreach. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed
a rule that it says will clarify which streams and waterways are shielded from
development under the Clean Water Act, an issue that remains in dispute even
after two U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Agriculture groups and farm-state
politicians call the proposed rule a power grab that would allow the government
to dictate what farmers can do on their own land.
Injunction
to keep Drakes Bay open rejected by judge [Marin Independent Journal]
A
federal court judge rejected an injunction request Tuesday that would have
helped keep the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. open. Businesses that use Drakes Bay
asked for the injunction, saying the LEGAL FILING represents a new argument —
different from the one rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this summer —
to keep the oyster farm open….But in a tone that was sometimes harsh, U.S
District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers rejected the argument, saying the
plaintiffs had no standing to bring a request for the injunction "given
the lack of merit."…Drakes Bay owner Kevin Lunny attended the hearing.
Gross said he would consult with his clients before deciding a next step, but
it appears as though Lunny may be out of legal options.
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