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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">WATER
POLICY:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Miller
demands answers on Delta<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Contra
Costa Times – 5/7/05<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">By
Mike Taugher, staff writer</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">A Bay Area congressman and
leading voice in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> water policy is warning that
immediate action is needed to avoid a potential ecological disaster in the
Delta.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Rep. George Miller,
responding to a Sunday report in the Contra Costa Times about a sudden, sharp
decline in populations of several fish and other organisms, said the ongoing
collapse could be a sign that the Delta is facing a crisis like it did in the
early 1990s.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">"What I want to know is, are
we repeating history here, and are we putting too much pressure on the Delta?"
Miller, D-Martinez, said in an interview Friday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">In particular, Miller
questioned a basic tradeoff underlying CalFed, the highly ambitious multibillion
dollar water program designed 10 years ago to avert another Delta water crisis.
That deal assumes, in essence, that more water can be pumped out of the Delta
for farms and cities in Central and <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place> if more money is invested in environmental
improvements.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">"The basic, fundamental
assumptions that were made either were wrong or we put too much stress on the
Delta," said Miller, the author of a 1992 law that rededicated Delta water from
<st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> farms to the
environment.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Miller has drafted a letter
demanding information from state and federal water agencies about when they
recognized the problem and what has been done about it. He also wants to know
why the crisis was reported in the Times before members of Congress were
notified.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">"Given the substantial state
and federal financial investments in the CalFed program, it is incumbent on you
to demonstrate that you are responding appropriately to the potential of an
ecological disaster," the letter reads.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">On Friday, Miller distributed
the letter to <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> members of
Congress, asking them to sign it before the letter is delivered next week to the
water agencies.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">CalFed deputy director Keith
Coolidge said state and federal agencies involved in the program are handling
the situation appropriately and that it is too early to blame the declines on
pumping because several other possible causes for the ecological decline
exist.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">"They're not sure yet how to
narrow that down," Coolidge said. "It is possible that it's a combination of
many different things."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">State and federal scientists
are compiling a research plan and hope to shorten the list of possible causes by
fall.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">The Times reported May 1 that
scientists are deeply concerned about steep declines in the number of fish
caught in annual trawls in the Delta. All of the major open-water fish species
appear to be in decline, along with zooplankton. One zooplankton species that is
an important food source for other species has fallen to extremely low levels,
which could dramatically disrupt the food chain.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Scientists do not know what
is causing the crisis, but the top suspected factors fall into three categories:
invasive species, toxins, including pesticides, and increased
pumping.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><STRONG><U>Critics of the
Delta pumping note that water was moved out of the Delta at near record levels
during the past two years. And the three highest pumping levels recorded are in
2000, 2003 and 2004.<o:p></o:p></U></STRONG></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><STRONG><U> </U></STRONG></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><STRONG><U>"It is totally
obvious. You have three of the highest exports in history (in the past five
years) and now you have this problem in the Delta," said Tom Graff, a lawyer for
Environmental Defense in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oakland</st1:place></st1:City>. "Duh, is my
reaction."<o:p></o:p></U></STRONG></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">The decline in fish levels is
the latest problem for CalFed, which has been levied with severe criticism from
key state lawmakers over its plan to pay for its
programs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Some legislators have
threatened to cut CalFed's state monies next year to a "life-support"
level.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Since the CalFed program was
finalized in 2000, it has spent or committed $3 billion, with $1 billion of that
coming from state bonds, a source of funding that could begin running out for
some programs next year. Last December, CalFed's governing board released an $8
billion, 10-year plan through 2015 that a key legislator, state Sen. Mike
Machado, D-Linden, panned as highly unrealistic.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">And lawmakers have been
frustrated by CalFed's refusal, so far, to develop a more realistic financial
blueprint for the coming decade. If legislators follow through with the threat
and withdraw support for CalFed, that would complicate efforts by <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>'s
congressional delegation to win more federal money.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">In response, Sen. Dianne
Feinstein met Friday with key state lawmakers and <st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State> water officials in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:City></st1:place> to discuss
recent controversy over the finance plan.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">"It was an opportunity for
Senator Feinstein to meet with some of the leadership to discuss the importance
of keeping CalFed alive and moving forward," said Feinstein spokesman Howard
Gantman.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">The Schwarzenegger
administration is expected to make its request for CalFed funding as part of its
May budget proposal. #<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><A
href="http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/11589338.htm"><!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/11589338.htm</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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