<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
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</style><![endif]--><title>The actual letter that EWG sent re: Westlands - attached</title><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>To: Interested Federal and State Agencies, Other Interested Parties</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>From: Hal Candee, counsel to Bay Institute and NRDC in pending drainage litigation (Firebaugh Canal Co v. US)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Re: Additional grounds for expanding land retirement in the drainage impaired lands in Westlands Water District</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>The Commissioner of Reclamation recently advised Senator Feinstein and other congressional leaders that the Administration favors a long term solution to the west side drainage problems that includes a minimum of 200,000 acres of land retirement in Westlands and a corresponding reduction in the amount of water provided to Westlands by long term CVP contract. And of course, Westlands is now attacking that proposal in the pending court case in Fresno. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>However, new research by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates that the existing economic analyses by federal agencies have understated the burdens on federal taxpayers of keeping these drainage-impaired lands in production, and therefore also undervalued the benefits to taxpayers of expanding land retirement beyond the minimums called for by the Administration. Attached is a new letter from EWG to federal officials urging a more expanded land retirement effort and a more complete economic analysis of current federal proposals for solving this longstanding drainage problem.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:green'>Hamilton Candee</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:green'>Altshuler Berzon LLP</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:green'>177 Post Street, Suite 300</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:green'>San Francisco, CA 94108</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:green'>(415) 421-7151 (phone)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:green'>(415) 362-8064 (fax)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:blue'><a href="mailto:hcandee@altshulerberzon.com" title="mailto:hcandee@altshulerberzon.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>hcandee@altshulerberzon.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:green'>This email may contain material that is confidential, privileged and/or attorney work product for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, reliance or distribution by others or forwarding without express permission is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and delete all copies.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Renee Sharp [mailto:renee@ewg.org] <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 16, 2010 4:41 PM</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>....................... . . . . . . . . .<br>Renee Sharp<br>California Director<br>Environmental Working Group :: www.ewg.org<br>2201 Broadway Suite 308 Oakland CA 94612 <br>p >> 510.444.0973 + 302 :: f >> 510-444-0982<br><br>Join us on Facebook and Twitter! <br>facebook.com/ewg.org<br>Twitter.com/ewgtoxics<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>