L.A. Area Chamber Statement on California Water Legislation
October 7, 2009 2:30 pm
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce urges Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California State Legislature to immediately pass a comprehensive water package that will fix the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and ensure a safe and reliable water system for all Californians.
“The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce was disappointed when the state Legislature failed to pass a water package before it adjourned in September,” said Gary Toebben, President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. “We now have another chance to resolve this decades-old crisis and we urge all stakeholders to seize it with haste. The consequences of inaction are far too severe to let politics and grandstanding get in the way during these final hours.”
Fixing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is critical to preserving one of our state's most delicate ecosystems and ensuring continued water delivery to all Californians. This aging system of levees, canals and pumps is already under judicial monitoring due to environmental degradation and is one moderate earthquake away from collapse. Such a disaster would flood the Delta with saltwater, rendering it undrinkable, decimate the state's agricultural industry, cut off one-third of Southern California's water supply and leave much of the area south and east of San Francisco critically short of water.
More information on the L.A. Area Chamber is available at www.lachamber.com.
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The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of business in L.A. County. Founded in 1888, the Chamber promotes a prosperous economy and quality of life in the Los Angeles region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com.