|
|
|
|
|
Could we lose 40% of the water we use? What’s MCHA doing about this?
In mid-January the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) issued a draft Cease and Desist Order (CDO) to California American Water (Cal Am). What SWRCB proposes is that Cal Am stop taking, over the next seven years, about half as much water from the Carmel River as it is taking right now. What that would mean to us is that we would have to cut back our current water use by approximately 40%.
MCHA will do whatever it can to make sure the cutbacks in water use that are proposed either do not go into effect or do not go into effect as quickly as proposed. Because MCHA has been the primary private sector partner in a public-private effort to conserve on water use, we know cutting back another 40% is simply not possible without drastic reductions in operations and massive layoffs of employees. Hospitality Industry establishments have already reduced water use by between 40% and 50% in the last two decades. We have cut to the bone, so to speak; any more water reductions and we are cutting bone!
Cal Am filed a protest against the draft CDO, so SWRCB will hold a hearing on whether the CDO should be finalized. MCHA filed to be a party to this action and hired Lloyd Lowery of Noland, Hamerly, Etienne and Hoss to guide us through the proceedings. The first step in the process is complete. Lowery and I attended an SWRCB pre-hearing meeting in Sacramento in mid-March to hear the ground-rules for the proceedings and hear the concerns of others who filed to be parties.
The next step is an SWRCB meeting in Monterey April 1 to accept “Public Policy Statements” about the draft CDO. This is an opportunity for anyone in the community to tell SWRCB how much damage its draft CDO would do to our residential and business lives. It was clear at the pre-hearing meeting that any organization that wishes to be a party to the CDO hearing should not file a formal ‘public policy statement’ on April 1, so MCHA will not file a formal statement. Nevertheless, MCHA encourages its members to attend that meeting and let SWRCB know how much damage its CDO would do if adopted as proposed.
IF MCHA as a party to the CDO hearing and proceedings, and SWRCB decides who can be a party, MCHA will file an opening statement, present witnesses to make our case, and be prepared to cross-examine other witnesses.
Here’s what you can do to help:
Attend the SWRCB meeting to hear ‘public policy statements on April 1. The meeting starts at 1 pm and will be in De Anza 1 at the Portola Hotel in downtown Monterey.
Attend Government Affairs meetings to stay current on what MCHA is doing to protect our businesses (Government Affairs meets the first Thursday of the month at 8:30 am at the Beach and Tennis Club in Pebble Beach; our next Government Affairs meeting is Thursday, April 3rd. Once in while we have to change the day or the location to avoid conflicts so always check with me – 642-9809 or bobmck@mbay.net - or with MCHA Executive Director Bonnie Adams – 626-8636 or info@mcha.net |
