CalMatters reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by tribes and environmental justice organizations that says the state Water Resources Control Board for more than decade "has failed to uphold its statutory duty" to review and update water quality standards in the Bay-Delta.
Gary Mulcahy, government liaison for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, said in a statement, "It's pretty bad when California Indians have to file a complaint with the Federal Government so that the State doesn't violate our civil rights."
The state water agency has allowed "waterways to descend into ecological crisis, with the resulting environmental burdens falling most heavily on Native tribes and other communities of color," the complaint says.
The groups also said the agency "has intentionally excluded local Native Tribes and Black, Asian and Latino residents from participation in the policymaking process associated with the Bay-Delta Plan," according to an EPA letter to the state dated Aug. 8.
Jackie Carpenter, a spokesperson for the water board, said the agency will cooperate fully and "believes U.S. EPA will ultimately conclude the board has acted appropriately."
The watershed is the heart of California's water supply: Covering about 20 percent of California, it includes the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems and is a vital source of water for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.
