On May 16, Public Water Now (PWN) filed an appeal with the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to set aside the permit issued by the Monterey County Planning Commission to Cal Am for its proposed desal plant until a Supplemental EIR is completed.

“The Planning Commission’s ruling in favor of Cal Am’s Desal permit was narrowly passed by a vote of 6 to 4. The four District 4 and 5 Commissioners who opposed it, and whose districts this would directly affect, wisely asked for more time and more detail to make their decision,” says Melodie Chrislock, Managing Director of Public Water Now.

According to the appeal the Planning Commission decision violates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Monterey County General Plan, the North County Local Coastal Plan, the Sustained Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the California Constitution, and established California law governing groundwater rights.