Diane Feinstein has been working hard to get additional funding for the levees.  (Incidentally, Arnold has also been working on this too.  It has been one area where I actually think his efforts have been somewhat helpful.)  She issued a press release today saying that she got some money through the Senate appropriations committee.  The text of the press release is on the flip.

I am quite pleased about this. The levees are a disaster waiting to happen.  Something has to be done.  Now.  Not 5 years from now.  Now. Good work Senator.

Washington, DC – The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved an amendment sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would provide $22.305 million to strengthen California levees and flood control.

  Last fall, Congress provided $41.005 million for the highest priority levee restoration and flood control projects in fiscal year 2006.

  “Breaches today in Central Valley levees illustrates that this funding is urgently needed,” Senator Feinstein said.  “This funding would contribute to achieving 100-year flood protection for 95 percent of Sacramento.  And it funds long-term planning efforts.”
  “This is so important because so much is at stake.  Earlier this year, I toured our State’s flood control infrastructure – in Sacramento and throughout the Delta.  I saw beautiful communities, subdivisions, farms, and businesses protected by simple earthen levees.  A major storm or earthquake could lead to major flooding, loss of property, and loss of life.  A major earthquake could bring the State to a halt.  No levees equals no water for two-thirds of the State. No water equals no economy.  And no economy equals no jobs.”

  So it’s absolutely critical that the federal government lives up to its commitment to these communities and the people of California.”

  Senator Boxer said, “The San Joaquin Delta levees are extremely vulnerable to collapse, threatening 2/3 of California’s water supply and the safety of our communities.  Without this extra funding, the Army Corps’ work to assess and improve our levees in the Delta would have stopped next month.  I am pleased the Appropriations Committee included this additional funding, and I thank my colleague Senator Feinstein for her dedicated work on this issue.”

  Specifically, Senator Feinstein’s amendment provides $22.305 million for the following projects:

South Sacramento Streams – $6.25 million

The project in southeastern Sacramento County includes building 12 miles of floodwalls and constructing 13 miles of levee improvements.  The completed project improvements will provide minimum 100-year protection to over 100,000 residents.

Sacramento River Bank Protection – $11.3 million

The project north of the City of Sacramento provides erosion control bank protection for the Sacramento River Flood Control Project levees.  One hundred eighty-three actively eroding sites on levees banks have been identified, 29 of which are considered to have a high potential for failure during the next high water event.

American River Common Features – $3.255 million

This project includes levee improvements along the lower American River and Sacramento River. When complete, these improvements will protect the 50,000 residents of Rancho Cordova in eastern Sacramento County as well as 400,000 City of Sacramento residents downstream.

Delta Islands and Levees Feasibility Study – $1.25 million

This long term feasibility study to conduct the Delta Risk Management Strategy identifies the levees and islands in need of repairs beyond the short term authorized CalFed work.

Short-term Delta levee assessment (CALFED 180-day study) – $250,000

This funding goes to continue coordination and initiate design data collection on projects related to the recommendations found in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta Report to Congress (180-day report).

The Legislature is back at it again:

Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said the Assembly was to consider placing two measures on the June ballot: a $10.4 billion bond to build schools and upgrade universities, and an undetermined amount to repair the state’s fragile levee system.(AP-Sac Bee)

Well, at least the levees get some attention.  It is a shame that the GOP couldn’t manage its caucus.  The state would have been better off with an investment in its infrastructure.  It is too bad that the GOP can’t put the people of California first.

Also, watch out for deadline hijinks.  It’s really not clear what the actual deadline is.

Arnold, during the recall and now, claims that he is trying to be an “enviromental governor.” He issues nice platforms  says that he is tough on global warming and makes some pretty nice speeches. And you have to give him some credit.  At least he doesn’t continue on with the lack of evidence baloney:

I say the debate is over – We know the science, we see the threat, and the time for action is now. World Environment Day 6/1/05

But unfortunately, you can’t have it both ways.  He wants to control environmental threats, protect Californians and not injure businesses.  But as they say in the world you can only pick two.  One has to be sacrificed.

And it’s the same with the levee situation in the Sacramento Delta. He says he wants to protect the people living there as well as potential people who want to move there and, of course, to protect development interests in the region.  But you can’t have it all.  So, he’s going to let developers continue building in the flood plain, even while acknowleding that we need to spend $6 Billion in flood protection.  Here’s his logic:

“The reason I don’t like to go toward not building — there are some people who believe that’s the way to go — is that, if you say to yourself, let’s not build in flood prone areas, what do we say about earthquake prone areas?” Schwarzenegger said in an interview with The Bee. “Then you say, the Bay Area, it has a lot of earthquakes…Should no one build in the Bay Area?”

Of course, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the flaw in that logic.  In the Bay Area, we have earthquake codes.  We do not build buildings anymore that do not meet a very strict level of earthquake stability.  In the Flood Plain, besides building every house on stilts (which I don’t see happening), what are you going to do?  If a flood comes in the next ten years before the money from the bond package is spent to protect the Flood Plain, what happens then?  Well, all of that development is destroyed with the possibility of death thrown in for the residents.  So, yes, I would not build a rickety building in the Bay Area, but nor should we build in the flood plain until we have given those communities the best possible shot of surviving the natural disasters that are sure to arrive.