Opportunity to Respond to Draft Desal Project EIR Extended to Mid-August

Community Opportunity to Respond to the Draft Desal Project EIR Extended to Mid-August
Reminder of Second Public Hearing to be held Monday, July 1


Santa Cruz, California – The draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed scwd2 Regional Seawater Desalination Project (proposed project) was made available on May 13, 2013. An important part of the EIR process is the public review and the City of Santa Cruz and Soquel Creek Water District, as co-lead agencies, provided a 60-day period for the public to read and provide their comments. Several Santa Cruz and District area residents have asked the agencies for an extension to the comment period, citing the desire for more time to read the EIR and prepare their comments.

The comment period was scheduled to close on July 15, but has been extended another month, to Monday, August 12.

Heidi Luckenbach, scwd2 Desalination Program Coordinator, has been receiving written public comments since the day after the EIR was released. “I’ve been receiving comments for several weeks now. Some days I get one or two, other days they trickle in all day. I’m pleased to see that residents are reading the EIR and providing comments.”

A public meeting to receive formal oral comments was held on June 3 in Aptos, and another is scheduled for Monday, July 1 at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Cruz(900 High Street, Santa Cruz) during a Santa Cruz Water Commission regular meeting. An informational open house where people can ask questions and review display boards will start at 6:30PM, followed by a brief presentation by the author of the Draft EIR and oral comments from the public. Luckenbach is hopeful that the Monday night meeting will be well attended. “I encourage people I speak with to attend a public meeting. But if they can’t make a meeting, they can still email or mail me their comments through mid-August.” Written comments can be sent by email or mail before 5PM on August 12, 2013 to:

Heidi Luckenbach
scwd2
Desalination Program Coordinator
City of Santa Cruz, Water Department
212 Locust Street, Suite C
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Email: hluckenbach [at] cityofsantacruz.com

For more information on the EIR or to access a copy of the EIR, visit: http://www.scwd2desal.org/EIR

http://www.scwd2desal.org/documents/press_release/2013-June28-Press%20Release_Comments%20and%20Meeting.pdf