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<br />ent By: B111 Swan consulting Services' <br />, , <br /> <br />The Iniperial Valley Press Archives <br /> <br />480 941 8658; <br /> <br />Dec-23-02 12:28PM; <br /> <br />Page 11/14 <br />rage~ul ~ <br /> <br />potential impacts to the Salton Sea after the initial 15.;.year fallowing period. including <br />the uncertainty of restoring the Salton Sea and the environmental, economic and social <br />benefits of the transfer. <br /> <br />"The SWRCB also found that the benefits of the transfer overrode potential impacts to <br />air quality due to shoreline exposure at tbe Salton Sea, n the denial states- <br /> <br />The state board turned away a request by the Imperial County Air Pollution District that <br />the Imperial Irrigation District provide the leAPCD with sufficient funding to address <br />the potential air quality impacts of the transfer. The state board denied the leAPCD's <br />request that no be required to mitigate for all air-qwility impads from fallowing. The <br />state board said the county should have sought such action under the environmental <br />process. <br /> <br />Imperial County asked the state board to further role,()Jl.the reasonable and beneficial <br />use ofnD water generated through fallowing to mitigate the Salton Sea. <br /> <br />"The SWRCB concluded that lID could not be faultecffor failure to improve irrigation <br />efficiency to the extent that mitigation requirements pn:cJ.uded such improvements,'" the <br />denial states. "In addition (the state board's transfer approval) points out that the use of <br />water for preseIVatton offish and wildlife resources is.a beneficial use under California <br />law." <br /> <br />The state board also touched upon the federal gOVemnlent's refusal to determine the use <br />ofllO water to mitigate the environmental impacts to the Salton Sea as a beneficial use <br />of Colorado River water. <br /> <br />"We question whether federal law can or should be interpreted to preclude the use of <br />water to mitigate the impacts of conserving and transferring water for irrigation and <br />domestic uses," the denial order states. "But we need not resolve the issue hen:: because <br />the federal beneficial use requirement cannot be interpreted to limit lID's ability to use <br />Colorado River water to mitigate impacts to d1e Salton Sea where lID is using its <br />present perfected rights in a manner consistent with. state law." <br /> <br />Finally, the state board declined Brawley resident Robert Trimm's letter requesting <br />reconsideration- Trimm sought reconsideration on the. grOUDds that Imperial Valley <br />landowners "have never sunendered those (water) rights to anyone nor have they <br />granted any authority of those specific rights to any party to watcb over." <br /> <br />Documents associated with the state board petition process, including those for <br />reconsideration, can be found at <br />http://www.waterrigbts.cR.govIllDIlIDHearingDat8lLoca1Publisblindex.html. <br /> <br />>> StaffWrit.er Rudy Yniguez can be reached at 337.3440. <br /> <br />Eater .are.b. werd(I): <br /> <br />r J <br />MnAced Sean:1LOJdBmf \lbb! l Perform'Search J <br />· Note: oldy the p-* 14 da,. of 1Irtk.... wfIl. bunrelled. <br />http://www.ivpressonline.com/archiveslinde...inn?loc=detail&dOC-/20021December/22. 7... 12/23/2002 <br />