DWR and EPA Release "Climate Change Handbook for Regional Water Planning"

Today, California's Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of "Climate Change Handbook for Regional Water Planning", a publication designed to guide water resource managers and planners as they adapt and navigate the complexities of climate change.

In announcing the release of the handbook, EPA Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumenfeld said:

Climate change will directly affect water supplies and how they are managed. With this guide, EPA is giving water agencies the practical tools they need to effectively manage this precious resource.

DWR Director Mark Cowin added:

Our scientists, engineers and planners are on the cutting edge of analyzing and preparing for the effects of climate change on our water supply. For example, climate change is considered in Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM), one of our primary strategies for improving water management at the local, regional, and state level.

IRWM is a collaborative effort to manage all aspects of water resources in a region. IRWM attempts to address the issues and differing perspectives of all the entities involved through mutually beneficial solutions. Since 2002, California voters have approved $1.8 billion for IRWM planning and project implementation. The handbook uses the IRWM planning framework as a model into which analysis of climate change impacts and potential adaptation measures can be integrated.

The handbook also provides a checklist for identifying and prioritizing the vulnerability of local watersheds. The checklist includes questions about water demand and supply, wildlife and habitat, sea level rise, critical infrastructure, and hydropower.

The handbook includes:

• Advice on how water resource managers can take climate change into consideration
• A summary of climate change science with links to resources and tools
• Tools for evaluating greenhouse gas emissions for a project
• Tools for measuring regional climate change impacts
• Case studies of communities already incorporating climate change into water resource management

The handbook may be found here.

For more information regarding this matter, please contact Eric Adair or the KMTG attorney with whom you normally consult.

EPA Orders $60 Million Cleanup of Aerojet Superfund Site in Sacramento County

The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is ordering a $60 million clean-up of rocket fuel-polluted groundwater at the Aerojet Superfund Site in Sacramento County.

In its press release, the EPA stated that a 27-square mile swath of groundwater underneath and around the former aerospace facility is polluted with several compounds, including very high levels of perchlorate – a main component of rocket fuel – and a known developmental toxin.  Aerojet, under the direction of the EPA, will contain the underground plume to prevent it from spreading into nearby rivers and streams.  Future plans will also treat groundwater within the site’s boundaries.

Speaking of the order, EPA Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumental said:

This cleanup tackles the worst areas first to prevent toxic chemicals from fouling any additional water sources.  Not only is EPA holding Aerojet accountable for its pollution, but we want to assure local residents that they will have safe drinking water for years to come as the company works to restore the underground aquifer.

The Aerojet site, according to the EPA, covers 8,500 acres near Rancho Cordova, 15 miles east of Sacramento, and is about 1/2 mile from the American River.  Since 1953, Aerojet and its subsidiaries have manufactured liquid and solid propellant rocket engines for military and commercial applications and have formulated a number of chemicals, including rocket propellant agents, agricultural, pharmaceutical, and other industrial chemicals.  In addition, the Cordova Chemical Company operated chemical manufacturing facilities on the Aerojet complex from 1974 to 1979.

Additional information regarding the Aerojet Superfund site may be found at the EPA’s site overview page.

For more information regarding this matter, please contact Eric Adair or the KMTG attorney with whom you normally consult.