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CONGRESSMAN COOK CLARIFIES CADIZ

Representative Paul Cook of Yucca Valley talked with Z107.7 News Tuesday, explaining his seemingly new stand in favor of a controversial Cadiz water project that would move water from the Fenner Valley east of Twentynine Palms, to Orange County. In June 2013 Cook had asked the Department of the Interior to review environmental impacts of the proposed Cadiz water extraction and pipeline project, indicating an objection to the plan. Then in September of 2014, Cook seemed to reverse his stand, saying in a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, “Developments have changed the dynamics surrounding the Project, calling into question the need for federal environmental review and signaling a need to allow the Project to move forward.” When we asked about the perceived reversal Cook said, “I did not reverse my stand, I took a hard look at the project and the research and came to the conclusion that the jobs created outweigh the risks.” Cook added, “I represent San Bernardino County; my job is to promote job growth and economic growth. After reviewing the studies available, including court denials of six petitions against the project, I saw no evidence of environmental risk.” Cook had listed the benefits: 1,500 jobs for five years, with guarantees for local and military veteran employment; retention of 20 percent of extracted water for local use; greater property tax revenues and school district support; and generation of $1 billion in local economic activity. He told Z107.7 that the Cadiz project would bring additional water resources to San Bernardino County and specifically, Lake Arrowhead. Cook concluded, saying, “I will continue to monitor the project to ensure that no harm is done to the local environment or water supplies.”

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