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VOL . 36 • ISS . 26
U . S . Senate Confirms New Reclamation Commissioner
O n November 16 , the U . S . Senate confirmed Brenda Burman , who served as a Department of Interior official under President G . W . Bush and later as special projects manager for the Metropolitan Water District MWD of Southern California , as the U . S . Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner .
MWD , along with Stewart and Lynda Resnick of the Wonderful Company and other corporate agribusiness interests , is one of key proponents of the California WaterFix project , a controversial proposal to build two massive 35-mile-long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta .
“ Finally ! After more than 142 days , I ’ m excited to welcome Brenda Burman to lead the Bureau of Reclamation ,” said U . S . Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in a statement . “ Brenda is a veteran of the Bureau and her extensive experience on water projects across the country will be an incredible asset for the Department . After senseless and unprecedented holdups in the Senate , we can finally move forward with key water projects across the country .”
Zinke recently accused Senate Democrats of holding four Trump administration Interior nominees “ hostage ” to a political agenda that includes opposition to his review of presidentially designated monuments : https :// www . usnews . com / news / politics / articles / 2017-11-10 / zinke-says-democrats-holding-interior-nominees-hostage
Senator Richard Durbin had placed holds on Berman and three other Interior nominees , including Susan Combs , nominated as assistant secretary for policy , management and budget ; Joseph Balash , assistant secretary for land and minerals management ; Ryan Nelson , solicitor .
“ I am deeply honored for the opportunity to lead this organization ,” said Brenda Burman after being confirmed . “ The employees of Reclamation are dedicated to working through the most difficult water issues and managing water in the West . I look forward to working with Secretary Zinke , the Administration , and our many partners , contractors and customers to solve our most pressing water issues .”
Roger K . Patterson , Assistant General Manager for the Metropolitan Water District of California , Burman ’ s former employer , praised Trump ’ s choice for Reclamation Commissioner on June 27 in a statement .
“ As someone who has over 10 years experience as a Regional Director with Bureau of Reclamation in two separate Regions , I have seen what it takes to succeed as Commissioner ,” said Patterson . “ Without a doubt , Brenda has the experience , skills , energy and vision to be a successful . I ’ m excited about the work she will do and I wish her the best .”
After her confirmation , Association of California Water Agencies ( ACWA ) Executive Director Timothy Quinn gushed , “ ACWA enthusiastically supports the confirmation of Brenda Burman as commissioner of the U . S . Bureau of Reclamation .”
“ Brenda brings decades of water policy expertise to her new role . Having served as director of water policy for Arizona ’ s Salt River Project and as a special projects manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California , Brenda also has a keen understanding of the myriad of issues facing water managers in the West ,” he said .
For those not familiar with the agency , the Bureau of Reclamation is the largest wholesale provider of water in the country . It delivers water to more than 31 million people and provides one out of five western farmers with irrigation water for farmland that produces much of the nation ’ s produce . Reclamation is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the western United States .
Reclamation is also the partner with the California Department of Water Resources in the planning , construction and operation of the Delta Tunnels , a project that would cost anywhere from $ 18 billion to $ 68 billion while providing not one drop of new water . Tunnels opponents consider the project to be potentially the most environmentally destructive public works project in U . S . history .
Brenda Burman is the first-ever woman to lead the Bureau . From 2006 to 2008 under the G . W . Bush administration , she served as Reclamation ’ s Deputy Commissioner for External and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Deputy Assistant Secretary .
Before her current stint at Interior , Burman served as the Director of Water Policy for Arizona ’ s Salt River Project . From 2011 to 2015 , Burman worked as the special project manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California , “ the largest water provider in the country .”
She also worked for The Nature Conservancy as senator water policy administrator and U . S . Senator Jon Kyl .
Burman ’ s appointment comes at a critical time for Governor Jerry Brown ’ s Delta Tunnels project . On October 25 , a Trump administration official issued contradictory statements about continued federal support for the California Water Fix .
After an administration official first said the administration didn ’ t support the Delta Tunnels , he later that day said the Department of Interior would continue supporting the project but wouldn ’ t provide funding for it .
Interior deputy communications director Russell Newell first told Ellen Knickmeyer of the Associated Press that “ the Trump administration did not fund the project and chose to not move forward ” with the project to build two giant tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta .
When asked if this meant that the Trump administration opposed the California WaterFix project , Newell said , “ Yes .”
In a tweet , Representative Jared Huffman ( D-CA ) a vocal critic of the project , responded , “ Bombshell blow to Delta Tunnels / Water Fix : Trump admin officially opposes . Time 4 long-needed reality check on this ?”
After the AP story was published , Newell that afternoon issued a statement “ clarifying ” Interior ’ s position on the Delta Tunnels , backing off from the position
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taken earlier , and stating that the agency “ does not expect to participate in the construction or funding of the CA WaterFix .”
“ While the Department of the Interior shares the goals of the state of California to deliver water with more certainty , eliminating risks to the California water supply , and improving the environment , at this time , the Department under the current state proposal does not expect to participate in the construction or funding of the CA WaterFix . The Department and Reclamation will continue to work with the state and stakeholders as the project is further developed ,” the department said .
The two conflicting statements by the Trump administration come in response to the previous day ’ s request by Huffman and five other House Democrats for a new federal investigation of the funding for Brown ’ s proposed tunnels project . That request fellows the Inspector General ’ s audit of funding for the project .
Led by Representatives Huffman and Raul Grijalva ( D-AZ ), the Natural Resources Committee ’ s Ranking Member , the six House Democrats called on the GAO to open a “ new investigation into the misuse of taxpayer funds ” by the Interior Department ’ s Bureau of Reclamation . California Representatives Mike Thompson ( D-CA ), Jerry McNerney ( D-CA ), Mark DeSaulnier ( D-CA ), and Anna G . Eshoo ( D-CA ) also signed the letter sent to the Comptroller General of the United States , Gene L . Dodaro .
“ In its September audit , the Interior Department ’ s Inspector General found that
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the Bureau of Reclamation improperly subsidized the planning process for the California WaterFix project , also known as the ‘ Delta Tunnels ,’” according to a statement from Huffman ’ s Office . “ The audit identified at least $ 84 million in taypayer funds spent without disclosure to Congress as required by law , and kept hidden from other water users , stakeholders , and the public .”
You can read the full piece on the Representatives ’ call for a probe here : http :// fishsniffer . com / index . php / 2017 / 10 / 24 / six-congress-members-urge-gao-investigation-into-federal-scheme-to-fund-deltatunnels /
Six Trump administration nominees still await confirmation , including Joe Balash for Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management , Susan Combs for Assistant Secretary of Policy , Management , & Budget , Ryan Nelson for Solicitor , newly nominated Tim Petty for Assistant Secretary for Water and Science , Tara Sweeney for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs , and Steven Gardner for Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement , according to Zinke ’ s Office .
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