Groups file first legal challenges in Delta tunnels fight
A coalition of environmental and fishing groups on Thursday filed the first of what are expected to be many lawsuits challenging Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17.1 billion plan to build two massive water tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The suits, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, come four days after two federal agencies said the controversial project can coexist with endangered Delta fish.
In a pair of long-awaited decisions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service said the tunnels, known as California WaterFix, aren’t likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the Delta smelt, Chinook salmon, steelhead and other imperiled species.
The Golden Gate Salmon Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife and The Bay Institute allege the findings by the agencies violate the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article158897079.html