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For many years the
hydrogeologic area known as North Monterey County has had a worsening
situation with regard to its water supply. Each year the water table
drops more, some say at the rate of one foot per year. At the same time
there are more and more wells becoming contaminated with seawater
intrusion and with nitrate loading, both of which make the water
unusable for human consumption.
Water Use Moratorium Accordingly, Monterey County
adopted interim Ordinance 4083 on September 26, 2000 to limit
water-using developments in the area for a period of eighteen months
while the county was in the process of completing its comprehensive
Water Resources Management Plan. FANS played a key role in initiating
this moratorium and worked diligently with many other organizations to
bring this about. At the end of the eighteen months, the ordinance was
extended for an additional six months.
Legal ActionNo solutions were in place at the end of the moratorium extension, but some believed that Title 19 (the County Subdivision Ordinance) would protect the area from over-development. Title 19 contains language, which requires that a potential developer must prove to the Environmental Health Department, at the beginning of the application process, that there is a sufficient, sustainable water supply available to serve the project. Considering the documented state of the water supply, it was felt unlikely that such proof was likely and that projects would not go forward unless and until solutions were in place to address the water crisis.  Attorneys for the developers
suggested legal action over water use issues. FANS retained the
services of a renowned attorney specializing in CEQA and land use
issues, to analyze existing codes and present circumstances of water
quality and quantity. The opinion of the firm supports our position
that approval of new water-using developments in this area is not a
legally supportable position for Monterey County to take. As of
December 2003 we remain in formal discussions regarding this
complicated issue. We will
need financial assistance for upcoming legal expenses. JOIN/SUPPORT
Facing diminishing water supplies
in Monterey County, Water Officials are planning to introduce
desalination of ocean water as part of a bigger solution to reduce
saltwater intrusion and improve fresh water supply quantities. Ten of
the proposed desalination plants are targeted along the 250 mile long
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. One proposed project in
particular is designed to be in co-location with the largest power
plant in California. The Duke Energy Power Plant is located in Moss
Landing - directly at the mouth of the Elkhorn Slough.
Implementing the desalination process (9 million gallons minimum of fresh water planned to be produced) has problems, which are related to the water intake and the release of the brine to and from the desalination facility. The entrapment of large amounts of organisms during the water intake is an issue that the Slough has faced since the activation of the power plant in 1948. Since the co-location of the proposed desalination plant would not increase the ocean water intake, the impact on the estuary is well understood and documented. The new exposure of having a desalination plant in Moss Landing is the release of the brine (water of higher salinity and process related chemicals) exiting the outflow pipe of the power plant cooling water. The close proximity of the outflow pipe to the mouth of the Slough and the risk of pushing higher than normal salinity water into an existing estuary may be detrimental to organisms, which rely on the careful balance of salinity per day or season. The release of process related byproducts into the brine are worrisome and the long-term impact needs to be well understood. It is imperative for FANS to work with local scientists and engineers to fully understand the issues related to the desalination process (reverse osmosis) to prepare for educated feedback during the environmental review process period to ensure that environmental impacts will be avoided or minimized. Since the Elkhorn Slough is one of the last saltwater marshes in California it is critical to apply the highest level of environmental protection to ensure the viability of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the tidal waters of the Elkhorn Slough. |
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