Protect MCWD access to water for desalination

By Jan Shriner

Historically MCWD has pumped more drinking water from 180 and 400 foot aquifers that are now contaminated with seawater or "seawater intruded" meaning too salty to drink. Cal Am would like to tap into these aquifers at the CEMEX property for water sources for the Monterey Peninsula.

Cal Am has identified as many as 9 other locations for their own desalination project yet after creating a legal partnership that required expenditures of most of the MCWD reserves, Cal Am pulled out of the partnership with MCWD by declaring the contracts invalid. MCWD maintains that the contracts are valid.

Meanwhile, Cal Am attempts to influence local politics and shortcut the environmental review process, modify laws about ownership of desalination projects, and even stretch the purpose of eminent domain to wrest away the possibility for anyone else, including MCWD, to contract with CEMEX.

I have taken a strong public position that has been unpopular with the Monterey Peninsula business interests and local politicians who are supporting Cal Am's threats to Marina.

I hope that voters will want affordable water with public projects built with sensitivities to the environment.

Help me support the public water needs with a public agency, MCWD, with a proven 55 year old track record.