Hi all, The Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter invites you to attend an exciting event on Saturday March 31st, in which both desalination opponents, and Bay Area water agency staff who've been examining the possibility of a regional desalination plant, will discuss and debate the implications of the project. (See further details below.) Likely located in Pittsburg, CA, the desalination plant in question would affect the San Francisco Bay and much of the Bay Area's water supply from the Delta to San Jose. Plans and studies have been moving through the water agencies for up to 8 years now. We feel it is high time that the public hear about what is being considered and what the downsides could be, and be given the opportunity to ask questions and comment on this proposal. Please forward, post and share widely, and urge readers to RSVP using our registration link at: http://www.bayareadesalconference.eventbrite.com Put the date on your calendars and spread the word! Here are the event details: "Should a Bay Area Regional Desalination Project be an Option for our Water Supply?" Please join us for a free, public workshop, sponsored by the Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter, about the status, potential benefits and potential environmental drawbacks of a joint desalination project under consideration by five Bay Area utilities. Find out what our water agencies have been studying, what their plans are, and what concerns environmentalists have about the Regional Desalination Project and its likely location near Pittsburg, at the confluence of SF Bay and the Delta. DATE: March 31, 2012 TIME: 8:30am-1:15pm LOCATION: CSU East Bay Oakland Conference Center, 1000 Broadway, Suite 109, Oakland (corner of Broadway at 11th St, one block south of 12th St Oakland BART station) MODERATOR: Peter Drekmeier, Tuolumne River Trust PRESENTERS: Representing environmental perspectives and concerns: Heather Cooley, Pacific Institute; Debbie Cook, Post-Carbon Institute; Carol Reeb, Hopkins Marine Station; Conner Everts, Desal Response Group; Adam Scow, Food and Water Watch. Representing the water agencies: Hasan Abdullah, East Bay Municipal Utility District; Manisha Kothari, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; Emily Corwin, Contra Costa Water District; Ray Wong, Santa Clara Valley Water District; Amparo Flores, Zone 7 Water Agency. RSVP: Space is limited! Please reserve early using the following link: http://www.bayareadesalconference.eventbrite.com FOR MORE INFO: Contact Sonia Diermayer, Co-chair, SF Bay Chapter Water Committee sodier@mindspring.com ; 510-336-1102 Funding and support for this event come from the Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter, and its Marin Group, San Francisco Group, Southern Alameda County Group and Northern Alameda County Group. *************************************************************************************************************