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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><IMG id=_x0000_i1025
height=96 src="image001.jpg" width=477><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"
align=center><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Chamber of Commerce Water Bond
Proposals Fail to Address Root Causes of State’s Water Supply Problems,
Environmental Group Says<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">10am, Thursday, December 13,
2007<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Contact:
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=SV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Tom Graff, 510-593-3899 (cell) </SPAN><A
href="mailto:tgraff@environmentaldefense.org"><SPAN
lang=SV>tgraff@environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></A></FONT><SPAN
lang=SV><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=SV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Ann Hayden, 510-508-2557 (cell) </SPAN><A
href="mailto:ahayden@environmentaldefense.org"><SPAN
lang=SV>ahayden@environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></A></FONT><SPAN lang=SV>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Jesus Mena, </SPAN></FONT><SPAN lang=EN>415-293-6050 or
</SPAN>415-948-4220<SPAN lang=EN> (cell) </SPAN><A
href="mailto:jemena@environmentaldefense.org">jemena@environmentaldefense.org</A> <SPAN
class=496312721-13122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=496312721-13122007> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(<st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:City></st1:place> – December 13,
2007) Four water bond initiatives proposed by the California Chamber of Commerce
are deeply flawed and would force <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> to spend billions of tax dollars on
dams that will harm the environment and fail to supply the clean, safe drinking
water the state needs for the future, a leading environmental group said today.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN class=496312721-13122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
class=496312721-13122007> </SPAN>"</SPAN></FONT>These bond proposals are
deeply flawed because they fail to adequately address the root causes of
California’s serious water supply problems,<SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN> said Ann
Hayden, senior water resource analyst for Environmental Defense during a 10am
news conference in Sacramento with Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (<B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Oakland</SPAN></B>), Senator Mike Machado (<B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Linden</SPAN></B>), leading environmental groups, and
water agencies. Hayden is also a member of the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
steering committee that is developing a long term plan in 2008 to protect and
restore the Delta ecosystem while providing reliable water supply to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>’s farms and
cities. <SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN>These bonds would circumvent the normal approval
process for major infrastructure and subsidize questionable projects, spending
unprecedented amounts of taxpayer dollars.<SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Chamber filed four different versions of a potential
water bond, deferring to a later date the one they would submit for voter
approval on the November 4, 2008, ballot. </SPAN></FONT>All versions include
funds and mandate construction of three reservoirs without<SPAN lang=EN>
specifying </SPAN>how they would be operated, who would get the water and pay
for the local cost-share portions, or how the reservoirs would affect the
environment. Some versions of the initiative would provide authorization to
build a peripheral canal that would divert freshwater from the Sacramento River
before it gets to the Delta for delivery to farms in the <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType>, urban southern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> and parts of the Bay Area.
Environmental Defense opposes authorizing a peripheral canal by initiative, as
it would be an end run around ongoing stakeholder processes and would mandate
crucial aspects such as its size, operating principles, financing and governing
structure.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">"</SPAN></FONT>Mandating a peripheral canal through the
ballot initiative is a recipe for disaster,<SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN> said Tom
Graff, regional director for Environmental Defense and a former member of the
Bay-Delta Advisory Council. <SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN>It is not the right approach
for the environment or for major policy and science decisions involving the
management of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>’s water resources.<SPAN
lang=EN>"</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Environmental Defense is working cooperatively with many
other parties, through both the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan and the Delta Vision
Blue Ribbon Task Force, to develop a long term plan to protect and restore the
Delta ecosystem while providing reliable water supply to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>’s farms and
cities. The Chamber’s initiatives would preempt those efforts and prejudge the
findings of hundreds of biologists, engineers, water agencies, Delta
communities, fishermen and environmental groups, leaving the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> taxpayer to
pick up the tab.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">"</SPAN>We call on the Chamber to withdraw these
reckless initiatives,</FONT><SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN> </SPAN><SPAN
lang=EN>Graff concluded.</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN> </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN>We
urge them to roll up their sleeves and join those of us who are working
thoughtfully and cooperatively to solve <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>’s water supply and environmental
problems.<SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> <SPAN
class=496312721-13122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT><I><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">Environmental Defense, a leading
national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 supporters.
Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and
innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the
most serious environmental problems. </SPAN></FONT></I><A
title=http://www.environmentaldefense.org
href="http://www.environmentaldefense.org"><I><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: italic">www.environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></I></A>
<o:p></o:p></P>
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