Film screening & discussion with documentary filmmaker Ian James.

NOTE: An article by Ian James, Bill would ban new wells in parts of California, appeared June 6th in the Desert Sun with a link to a 17-minute video excerpted from the documentary Pumped Dry.

 

Salton Sea Action Committee's Ex-Officio & Stakeholders Meeting

Thurs., June 9^th, 9:15 a.m., Medjool Room, Spotlight 29 Casino, Coachella, CA. RSVP: [email protected]

 

Indio's Mayor, Glenn Miller will present an update on what is occurring not only in and around Indio, but what is happening in State Senator Jeff Stone's District. Patrick Bourne will provide a summary of where the Salton Sea Funding and Feasibility Review and Salton Sea Action Committee's work on the Benchmark 5 Feasibility Report stands.

MBCA sends congratulations to Susan Luckie Reilly on the upcoming occasion of her 100^th Birthday! Susan was the first winner of the prestigious Minerva Hoyt California Desert Conservation Award. She was awarded the title of MBCA Emeritus Director in honor of her role as a founder of our organization. Her contributions to the Morongo Basin’s conservation are great and so appreciated!

 

Read the history of MBCA’s early days, starting with our first campaign in 1969, written by Susan Luckie Reilly in 2005.

 

Sat., June 25^th, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Johnson Valley Community Center,

 

Representatives from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center will host a public meeting to communicate the Marine Corps' plans to conduct a large-scale exercise August 1-30, 2016 that will include training in the congressionally-established Shared Use Area. Information concerning temporary land closures and public safety information will be discussed with attendees.

 

After the U.S. Department of the Interior wrongfully approved the Soda Mountain Solar project, the onus has shifted to our San Bernardino County Supervisors who still need to approve the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) analysis. The Supervisors will make this decision when they meet in San Bernardino on July 12^th, 10:00 a.m.

 

The Soda Mountain project is a planned 350-megawatt photovoltaic facility to be sited on 4,397 acres with the solar field occupying approximately 2,691 acres straddling both north and south sides of Interstate 15. The project is directly adjacent to nationally significant conservation lands in the Soda Mountains Wilderness Study Area and the Mojave National Preserve. It is not compatible with maintaining scenic view sheds and the areas’ natural character. Wildlife including tortoise and bighorn sheep, as well as ground water is threatened.

 

MBCA and our conservation partners believe that with sufficient work there may be a political opportunity for our Supervisors to deny the CEQA certification. Should this happen, it would be a devastating blow to the project. We will organize public comment and a robust turnout when the Supervisors meet in San Bernardino on July 12^th, 10:00 a.m.

 

MBCA will provide details about this campaign in coming days. Meanwhile, mark the date: July 12^th on yourcalendar for a trip to San Bernardino. Plan to submit written comment and attend the Supervisors meeting to show strong opposition and voice objections to Soda Mountain Solar project moving forward with Supervisors’ approval of the CEQA analysis.

 

See MBCA’s 2014 extensive Soda Mountain comment letter for details of the project’s objectionable impacts to the environment.

 

I noted in the section about the Eagle Mountain/JTNP Boundary Study that the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District declined to receive water due to concerns about levels of Chromium-6 present. The source of the water, however, was not from Eagle Crest as cited, but rather from the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project. Thanks to the eagle-eyed reader who brought this to my attention!

 

Thanks once again for your attention and support!