On this edition of Your Call, we’ll discuss the California Coastal Commission's recent approval of a controversial desalination plant in Monterey County. The plan was approved 9 years after it was first proposed, following 13 hours of debate at a public hearing.
Proponents of the plan view desalination as a critical source of drinking water in a drought-starved region. Environmental justice advocates argue the plant could raise costs for low income residents and harm marine life and other wildlife habitats.
What is the future for desalination in the west, during an era of climate-induced mega-droughts?
Guests:
Newsha Ajami, chief development officer for research at the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Melodie Chrislock, director of Public Water Now
Web Resources:
CalMatters: Controversial Monterey Bay Desalination plant approved
Voices of Monterey Bay: Cal Am’s Desal is Not the Solution — Here’s Why
San Francisco Chronicle: California approves large, controversial desalination plant for Monterey Peninsula
Los Angeles Times: Monterey Bay desalination project is approved despite environmental injustice concerns
