Today's final rundown/script

CTNS SCRIPTS

CAPITOL TELEVISION NEWS SERVICE

SACRAMENTO, CA

(916) 446-7890

Friday, July 18th, 2008

• TO REQUEST 16 BY 9 FILES OF THE CTNS NEWSFEED ONLINE PLEASE CONTACT VENUS AT HER CELL OR EMAIL. THE PRELIM, MIDDAY AND SCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT WWW.CTNSNEWS.COM.•;

1. DELTA TASK FORCE/PERIPHERAL CANAL VO/SOT

2. HEALTH INSURANCE ROUNDTABLE VO/SOT

3. PROPERTY TAX DECISION VO/SOT

1. DELTA TASK FORCE/PERIPHERAL CANAL VO/SOT

LIVE:

A NON-PROFIT RESEARCH GROUP IS RECOMMENDING CALIFORNIA BUILD A SO-CALLED PERIPHERAL CANAL AROUND THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN RIVER DELTA AS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THE DELTA REMAINS ECOLOGICALLY HEALTHY, AND THAT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS A RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY. THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA DISCUSSED A REPORT IT RELEASED YESTERDAY REPORT ON THE DELTA ECOSYSTEM. IT PRESENTED ITS FINDINGS TODAY IN SACRAMENTO.

SUPER: TODAY/LIBRARY AND COURTS BUILDING-SACRAMENTO

VO: (:30)

THAT DELTA IS THE CURRENT SOURCE FOR TWO-THIRDS OF CALIFORNIA'S FRESHWATER SUPPLY. PUMPS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE DELTA LIFT WATER INTO THE CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT, DIRECTING IT TO CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. BUT THE PUMPING REVERSES THE DELTA'S NATURAL FLOW INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, UPSETTING THE DELTA'S ECOLOGICAL BALANCE. DIMINISHING FISH POPULATIONS IN THE DELTA HAVE LED TO FEDERAL COURT ORDERS REDUCING THE PUMPING. P-P-I-C SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW ELLEN HANAK SAYS HER RESEARCH INDICATES BUILDING A CANAL AROUND THE DELTA, WHICH WOULD ALLOW SOME WATER FLOWS DIRECTLY TO THE PUMPS, WOULD RESTORE THE DELTA'S NATURAL FLOW AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE WATER SENT SOUTH.

SUPER: ELLEN HANAK/ PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA

SOT: (:13)

SAYS: "THIS WOULD ALLOW IS TO RESTORE MORE NATURAL FLOWS IN THE DELTA, SO IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE FISH, AND IT WOULD ALSO IMPROVE WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY AND WATER QUALITY FOR FARMS AND FOR URBAN AREAS.

SUPER: TODAY/DELTA VISION BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE

CON'T V.O. (0:10)

THE GOVERNOR'S DELTA VISION BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE TODAY CONCLUDED ITS TWO-DAY PUBLIC WORKSHOP, COLLECTING PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITS STRATEGIC PLAN TO MANAGE AND PROTECT THE DELTA. TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN PHIL ISENBERG SAYS IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDING A PERIPHERAL CANAL AS ONE WAY TO IMPROVE THE MOVEMENT OF WATER THROUGH THE DELTA.

SUPER: PHIL ISENBERG/ TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN

SOT: (:19)

SAYS: "SINCE THE THREAT OF EARTHQUAKES ARE SO HIGH, AND THE THREAT OF SEA LEVEL RISE IS OBVIOUS, AND THE DELTA ISLANDS MANY OF THEM ARE SINKING AS WE STAND HERE AND WILL BE BELOW WATER LEVEL, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE EXISTING SYSTEM NEEDS A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT. IT MAY NOT BE A CANAL, BUT IT NEEDS A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT SO BY OCTOBER WE'LL MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION."

SUPER: FILE

VO TAG:

CALIFORNIA VOTERS REJECTED A STATE BALLOT MEASURE TO BUILD A PERIPHERAL CANAL IN 1982. HANAK SAYS BECAUSE MORE ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS ARE NOW ASSOCIATED WITH A PERIPHERAL CANAL, IT IS POSSIBLE A CANAL MAY BECOME MORE WIDELY ACCEPTED BY THE PUBLIC.

EXTRA BITES:

SUPER: PHIL ISENBERG/ TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN

SOT: (:17)

SAYS: "OFTEN IN THE POLITICAL DEBATE, PEOPLE ONLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT A CANAL YES OR NO. AN ECO-SYSTEM PROTECTION PLAN YES OR NO. THE FACT IS THEY GO TOGETHER. SO WE'RE TRYING TO BLEND THOSE ISSUES AS THE GOVERNOR, UH, ASKED US TO CONSIDER, AND GIVE US, GIVE HIM, OUR BEST RECOMMENDATIONS.

SUPER: ELLEN HANAK/ PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA

SOT: (:13)

SAYS: "BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW NOW THAT WE DIDN'T BACK THEN IS THAT THE UNNATURAL WAY WE'RE MOVING WATER THROUGH THE DELTA IS REALLY BAD FOR THE FISH. A LOT OF THOSE SPECIES HAVE JUST BEEN CRASHING LATELY AND THIS IS A MAJOR FACTOR."