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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>For Immediate Release, June 3, 2010<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .75in" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2>Contact:<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Carolee
Krieger, Executive Director, C-WIN: 805-969-0824<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .75in" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Bill Jennings, Executive Director, CSPA:
209-464-5067<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .75in" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=2><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Adam Keats, Senior Counsel, CBD: 415-436-9682
x304<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>Ratepayers, Farmers,
& Conservationists File Suit to <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>Block Southern Ag Water
Grab<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>SANTA BARBARA, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Calif</I>.– Today groups are seeking to
block a secret backroom deal signed by five water contractors along with the
Department of Water Resources [DWR] to undo water contracts underlying voter
approved bonds four decades earlier.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Absent court action, contract changes that largely benefit southern
central valley corporate irrigators at the expense of urban ratepayers will
trade away ratepayer funded projects and allow massive diversions of water from
the Delta charging only pumping costs.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>“These contract changes
break promises made to bond holders and ratepayers,” said Carolee Krieger,
President and Executive Director of the California Water Impact Network [C-WIN],
one of the groups seeking to block the contract changes.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“These changes undo decades of urban
ratepayer protections for the benefit of a few agribusiness corporations and
real estate developments at the expense of ratepayers and
bondholders.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>The back room deal, known
as the “Monterey Amendments” signed in 1995 without public input was challenged
in court.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The courts ruled the
contract changes, deeding of portions of the State Water Project known as the
Kern Water Bank, and removal of protections for southern <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> ratepayers
would not be valid until a new analysis of the impacts had public review and was
certified as complete. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNoSpacing><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=2>“The
State Water Project and the Kern Water Bank were developed by the state, at
ratepayer expense, to benefit all of California—our cities, our farms, and our
fish,” said Adam Keats, lead attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.
“But with the Monterey Plus Amendments it has been hijacked by private interests
who are using it for their own ends, including stockpiling water to enable
destructive speculative development. Meanwhile the state’s entire water system
gets closer and closer to collapse and multiple fish species—salmon, Delta
smelt, even <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City> splittail—are brought closer to the
brink of extinction so that subsidized growers can make profits off of water
sales and new sprawl development can be built in the last of our wild
places.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNoSpacing><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNoSpacing><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=2>The
suit, filed today in Sacramento Superior Court, was brought by C-WIN, the
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the Center for Biological
Diversity, and the Central Delta Water Agency and the South Delta Water Agency
agencies charged with protecting the in-channel water supply for Delta-area
farmers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The suit challenges the
legality of the following:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNoSpacing><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.25in 0pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>• Institutionalizing the
concept of “paper water” – water promised by contract that can never
realistically be delivered.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.25in 0pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>• Eliminating the “urban
preference,” which prioritized water deliveries to municipal customers during
drought. This change resulted in water shortages and higher utility rates for
southern <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>
ratepayers.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.25in 0pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>• Illegally transferring
state property known as the Kern Water Bank to private entities and undermining
the California Water Code by masking the purpose and place of water
use.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.25in 0pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=2>• Increasing water
exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, thus worsening water quality
problems and triggering the collapse of the Delta’s ecosystem and
fisheries.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.25in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Body><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
size=2>The lawsuit seeks to reinstate the urban water preference during drought
in State Water Project contracts, reduce the pumping of Delta water that has
resulted in the collapse of fisheries, and return the Kern Water Bank to public
ownership. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Body><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Body><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
size=2>“This was a poorly negotiated backdoor deal that put the wealthy growers
of subsidized crops ahead of fisheries and the need for a sustainable and
reliable supply of clean drinking water for <st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State>'s cities,” said Bill Jennings, chairman of the
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Stockton</st1:place></st1:City>. “The Metropolitan Water District
gambled it could raid the Delta for ‘surplus’ water. It not only lost that bet,
but the Monterey Plus Amendments triggered the collapse of Delta ecosystems and
our once-great salmon fisheries.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm
align=center><FONT size=2 face=Helvetica># # #</FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm
align=center><o:p><FONT size=2 face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><FONT face=Helvetica><FONT
size=2><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">For more information on the
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Monterey</st1:place></st1:City> Plus
Amendments, see</I> </FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face=Helvetica><A
href="http://www.c-win.org/press-room-monterey-plus-amendments-and-environmental-impact-report-lawsuit.html"><FONT
size=2>http://www.c-win.org/press-room-monterey-plus-amendments-and-environmental-impact-report-lawsuit.html</FONT></FONT></A><FONT
size=2 face=Helvetica> and </FONT><A
title=http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/monterey_plus_amendments/index.html
href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/monterey_plus_amendments/index.html"><FONT
color=#0000ff size=2
face=Helvetica>http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/monterey_plus_amendments/index.html</FONT></A><FONT
size=2 face=Helvetica>.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p><FONT size=2
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><FONT face=Helvetica><FONT
size=2><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The <st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State> Water Impact Network promotes the equitable and
environmental use of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>'s water</I><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">, including instream uses, through
research, planning, public education, and litigation.</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><A
title=http://www.c-win.org/ href="http://www.c-win.org/"><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Helvetica>www.c-win.org</FONT></A><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p></o:p></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><o:p><FONT size=2
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><FONT size=2><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><FONT face=Helvetica>CSPA is a non-profit
conservation and research organization established in 1983 for the purpose of
conserving, restoring, and enhancing the state's water quality and fishery
resources and their aquatic and riparian ecosystems.</FONT></I><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'"> </SPAN></I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT><A
href="http://www.calsport.org/"><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
face=Helvetica>www.calspo<SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">rt.org</SPAN></FONT></FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"><o:p><FONT size=2
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=FreeForm><FONT face=Helvetica><FONT
size=2><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Center for Biological
Diversity is a nonprofit conservation organization with more than 200,000
members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species
and wild places. </I><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><A
href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/"><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Helvetica>www.biologicaldiversity.org</FONT></A></P></DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: '?????? Pro W3'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><BR
style="PAGE-BREAK-BEFORE: auto; mso-break-type: section-break" clear=all></SPAN>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Tom Stokely<BR>Water Policy Analyst/Media
Contact<BR>California Water Impact Network<BR>V/FAX 530-926-9727<BR>Cell
530-524-0315<BR></FONT><A href="mailto:tstokely@att.net"><FONT
size=2>tstokely@att.net</FONT></A><BR><A href="http://www.c-win.org/"><FONT
size=2>http://www.c-win.org/</FONT></A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>