Rep. McNerney Blasts Attempt to Block Delta Tunnels Litigation

Statement

In response to the inclusion of an outlier provision in the FY 2019 Interior and Environment funding bill -- which would exempt the Environmental Impact Report and the Environmental Impact Statement for the California WaterFix plan from state or federal judicial review -- Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) issued the following statement:

"This is another attempt to force the ill-conceived tunnels proposal on Californians, and undermine state and federal law -- specifically those concerning the protection of our environment. California has led the nation in shaping forward-thinking policy that prioritizes environmental preservation, setting high standards in an effort to safeguard our natural resources. Mandatory environmental impact analyses are essential in determining whether a project can move forward. Prohibiting the option for judicial review of the WaterFix environmental impact studies would eliminate a critical check in our system and help clear a path for the tunnels to proceed without further oversight. This provision has no place in a crucial funding bill, and was dropped in as a last-ditch effort to circumvent the voices of Californians throughout the state who have said "no' to the disastrous tunnels plan."

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