Some environmental reviews waived in drought emergency
Colin Sullivan
E & E Greenwire
03/02/2009
SAN FRANCISCO -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) waived some environmental reviews of desalination and wastewater recycling projects last week as part an emergency declaration to deal with more than three years of drought.
Schwarzenegger also placed a moratorium on all "nonessential" irrigation on state lands and highways, though he stopped short of ordering mandatory water rationing statewide. That step, which would mark the first-ever mandate to cut water use, is still an option in the months ahead, a senior state official said.
"Hopefully, we do not need to resort to that," said Lester Snow, director of the state's Department of Water Resources.
The state of emergency was declared Friday largely to help the state's massive agriculture sector, which has been forced to fallow many fields and lay off thousands of farm workers. Snow estimated the statewide economic loss at $2.8 billion and 80,000 lost jobs.
The convergence of poor economic conditions and the lack of water has elevated the significance of what is already the fourth-worst drought in state history.
"Even though it's the fourth-worst, it may be the worst in terms of economic impact," Snow said.
Consequently, water districts around the state have been asked to implement their own conservation measures and cut use by 20 percent. And the governor has directed senior officials at the state EPA and natural resources agencies to identify what projects would benefit from a waiver under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Snow said the CEQA exemptions would be limited to water-supply projects that would help offset the impact of the drought. He did not comment on whether this could include new surface storage facilities (such as new dams) or plans to build a peripheral canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta...
