By William Martin
Recently, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) staff and City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed a lawsuit challenging the State of California’s authority to protect rivers and streams, without informing the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, or even seeking the approval of the SFPUC Commissioners.
The SFPUC lawsuit objects to state-required protections for the Tuolumne River, from which the City takes its drinking water, and relies on a highly flawed interpretation of the Clean Water Act forced on the nation by the Trump administration. This lawsuit stands in stark contrast to actions taken by former State Attorney General Xavier Becerra who sued the Trump administration to defend protections for California’s air and water. If the SFPUC prevails, salmon runs in the Tuolumne River and downstream in the San Joaquin River, Delta, and Bay will all suffer. So too will salmon industry jobs that rely on sustainable environmental practices.
The SFPUC and Herrera also claim that the state’s proposed protections for the Tuolumne River threaten the City’s drinking water supplies. Yet San Francisco has a vast network of large reservoirs that store enough water to weather years of drought. In fact, we use far less water today than a decade ago and are likely to use even less in the future, thanks to new technology and population trends. San Francisco would be even less reliant on the Tuolumne River if it followed the example of cities like Los Angeles and San Diego, which are far ahead in water recycling and reuse technologies.
On June 8th, the SF Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution introduced by Supervisor Aaron Peskin that calls on the SFPUC to suspend its environmentally damaging lawsuit. Add your voice to those defending California’s threatened waters and wildlife by telling the Board of Supervisors to approve the Peskin resolution and suspend this misguided lawsuit. If you're a San Francisco resident, you can complete this form to send your message. If you reside outside of San Francisco, you can still send your message by emailing the BOS members.
City Attorney Herrera has made several inflammatory and false statements both in this lawsuit and in the media that demonstrate his approach is to double down on irresponsible SFPUC positions of the past. The City must adopt science-based positions and diversify its water supply to facilitate environmental protection and prepare for climate change. To learn more about our concerns, read our letter of opposition to the selection of Dennis Herrera as the SFPUC General Manager by Mayor London Breed.
Photo credit: A bend in the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park by Don Graham via Flickr Creative Commons.