Desal plant could face yet another delay
Mayors to address issue Thursday in special meeting
By JIM JOHNSON Herald Staff Writer, 01/29/2014 07
Excerpt Highlights:
On Monday, a state Public Utilities Commission judge ruled that the release of the draft environmental impact report, which is crucial to the project, would have to be postponed about six months because California American Water had not secured permission to test source water for its proposed desalination plant. The draft EIR, due for release next month, will now be issued in the third quarter of the year.
However, Monterey Peninsula mayors are still hoping they can help muscle the water testing ahead in an attempt to keep the project on schedule. They have scheduled a special meeting for Thursday to address the issue with Marina Mayor Bruce Delgado and City Manager Layne Long.
While the commission continued the request to next month, Cal Am went ahead and filed a permit application Monday. In response, the city set a special planning commission meeting for Feb. 10 to consider it.
However, Stedman said Cal Am still hopes to secure a permit for the bore holes and conduct the testing by the end of next month, outside the snowy plover season. The proposed source water site is near critical habitat for the protected shorebird, but Stedman said if the bore hole testing extends past March 1, Cal Am would work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials to "mitigate the impacts."
MPRWA Special Meeting Agenda Packet 01-30-14 AGENDA PACKET, SPECILA MEETING
January 30, 2014
DRAFT MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING
MONTEREY PENINSULA REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY (MPRWA)
January 30, 2014
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