Maybe those crowing about the Cal Am withdrawal should do their homework.
Seriously, those opposing it seem to take a page from Trumps handbook by repeating claims that are obviously false. I guess if you say it will effect Marina’s ground water enough times it must be true and Pure Water Expansion is the panacea for all water woes.
Actually, the (Coastal Commission) staff report says, on page 106, that their independent hydrologist states the effects would be negligible. Read page 111 of the staff report; it holds up the Orange County and Carlsbad plants as an glowing examples of recycling projects but the notes that Orange County is only producing at 55 percent of projected yield and Carlsbad’s 3-year average is only 75 percent of projected yield. At these rates the initial Pure Water Monterey, plus the expansion, still would not provide enough to meet demand.
Marina is trying to cover the fact that they blew it when they had the opportunity to make a deal on desal. They chose to litigate instead of collaborate, losing millions of Marina residence money in the process. Now they want a second bite at the apple by extorting Cal Am into making a deal by resorting to claims of harm.
Do you really think Cal Am came to Castroville because it wanted to?
Cal Am approached Castroville — along with Landwatch, Surfrider, Planning and Urban League, Monterey Farm Bureau, Salinas Valley Water Coalition and others — because Marina and Marina Coast Water District would rather sue (and lose millions) every time then collaborate on a solution. It would have been far easier to connect to Marina than be forced to pipe it all the way to Castroville. Marina’s real water problem is that it gets 80 percent of its water from the non-recharging deep aquifer, up from 30 percent in 2011. Please read the excellent articles Prehistoric Water and Deep Threat, then ask yourself why Marina is fighting a new water supply and even offering to sell 700 acre feet to the Peninsula.
The staff made their conclusion and then wrote a report to justify it. Staff toured Marina and Seaside and spoke face to face with those opposing desal but only made phone calls to Castroville after they were called on. I’ve found to many errors to list in this letter but the staff report is only good at the bottom of a bird cage
J Eric Tynan
General Manager
Castroville Community Services District
