Gavin Newsom wants to speed up major water projects in California

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For the past decade, California officials have pushed ahead with water projects in the drought-prone state. One would construct a huge tunnel to transport large volumes of water under the natural channels of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to drier and more populated Southern California.

The other would be a huge new reservoir near the tiny community of Sites in Northern California, which could store and deliver more water to farmers during floods — like the atmospheric flows that hit the state earlier this year.

However, despite promises from several governors and lawmakers, neither project materialized. Environmental groups have sued the tunnel project’s blockade, arguing it would decimate endangered fish species, including salmon and delta smelt. Sites Reservoir is still attempting to obtain the necessary permits to begin construction.

Newsom is seeking a number of changes to make it significantly faster for these projects to get the permits and approvals they need. Other projects that could be eligible include solar, wind and battery storage; transit and regional railway; road maintenance and bridge projects; semiconductor plants; and wildlife crossings along Interstate 15, the Newsom office said. His efforts to speed up projects would not affect the construction of more homes.

A key proposal is to limit the time it takes to resolve environmental claims to around nine months. Newsom said his administration is “not trying to dupe anyone,” including what he called “fierce advocates” of environmental responsibility.

“I mean, at nine months you can have a baby, okay? I mean, that’s a long time,” Newsom said Friday while touring the site of a future solar farm in Stanislaus County.

Still, some environmental groups were furious. Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of advocacy group Restore the Delta, said Newsom “wants to forgo standard environmental protection measures in the construction of the Delta Tunnel.”

“We have never been more disappointed in a California governor than we have been in Governor Newsom,” she said. “How is perpetuating environmental injustice, which harms public health and the environment, really different from perpetuating social injustice by red state governors in their states, which Gov. Newsom likes to heavily criticize?”

California may spend hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure projects over the next decade, Newsom says, thanks to constituency-approved bonds, generous budget surpluses during the pandemic, and an influx of federal money President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill.

However, he said the state is often too slow to approve these projects and that federal money “goes to other states that are more aggressive.” Newsom said his proposals could cut projects’ construction time by more than three years.

His office said the legislation would allow various state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, to approve projects and issue permits more quickly. Newsom also signed an executive order on Friday to form a so-called “infrastructure strike team” to identify quick projects.

Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Project Authority, which oversees the new reservoir, said he believes Newsom’s proposals could allow construction to start a year earlier and save about $100 million.

“It saves a lot of money and creates a lot of jobs in the pipeline,” he said.

Newsom wants the law to become part of the state budget, which must be passed before the end of June. That means if approved, it could come into force earlier and would only require a majority decision from the democratically controlled legislature.

Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat and chair of the state Senate, said, “The climate crisis requires us to move faster to build and strengthen critical infrastructure,” adding that lawmakers “will make sure we do.” responsibly and in compliance with the law” reflects California’s commitment to high-road employment and environmental protection.”

Some Republicans welcomed Newsom’s proposal, with Republican Senate leader Brian Jones saying the governor is “finally taking action.” Others were more skeptical: James Gallagher, House Republican leader, said Legislative Democrats are the biggest obstacle to Newsom’s proposals.

“Gavin Newsom likes to boast that he can ‘pinch’ Democratic lawmakers. Let’s see,” Gallagher said. “Republicans are willing to work with him on real reforms.”