P.O. Box 382
Trout Lake, WA 98650
info@friendsofthewhitesalmon.org
Trout Lake, WA 98650
info@friendsofthewhitesalmon.org
| Copyright Friends of the White Salmon River. All rights reserved. |
Friends of the White Salmon River
The Washington State Department of Ecology needs to act on Condit Dam removal,
and we need to urge them to do so. (from Bob Vocke, 100412)
In 1999, PacifiCorp entered into an agreement to remove Condit Dam. PacifiCorp initially
applied to the Washington State Department of Ecology on June 15, 2001 for certification of
the decommissioning proposal under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. From June 2002 to
June 2009, PacifiCorp annually withdrew and simultaneously resubmitted this application in
order to provide Ecology with additional time within which to complete its review and
certification of the decommission proposal.
The Federal Environmental Impact Statement, which identified dam removal as the preferred
alternative in the relicensing process, was issued in 1996. A supplemental federal EIS
specifically relating to dam removal was issued in 2002. Washington State Department of
Ecology determined that state requirements for environmental review were not satisfied by
these reports, and undertook to do further review. Three years later, in 2005, Ecology
issued a draft Supplemental EIS.
In January 2010, EIGHT YEARS after the federal process was completed and NINE YEARS
after PacifiCorp’s application, Ecology issued the Final Second Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement regarding Condit Dam removal.
The FEIS should have been followed in a very short time by the issuance of the 401 (Clean
Water Act) permit, but GOING ON THREE MONTHS LATER, the 401 has still not been issued.
This is unconscionable. The beneficiaries of the delay are PacifiCorp (increased revenue
from continued power generation without expenses for fish passage or substantial equipment
repairs or upgrades) and dam removal opponents in Klickitat County.The Klickitat County
Commissioners stepped into the process in 2000, after refusing to participate in the talks
which resulted in the dam removal agreement. The county admits to having spent more than
$650,000 on outside legal and consulting fees opposing dam removal. Now the County and
PacifiCorp are holding confidential negotiations about dam removal. We do not know what
subjects are under discussion or what conditions the County is demanding in order to agree
to dam removal, but we do know that none of the original settlement parties are included.
We say it is time to call Ecology to account and urge them to issue the permits. It is time to
move the dam removal process forward, and it is time to break the County’s stranglehold on
the process. Please help by contacting Ecology and urging them to issue the Clean Water
Act 401 permit NOW. It is especially important for people who vote in Klickitat and Skamania
Counties to write. We are attaching a letter that covers the main points. There are preprinted
post cards available from any FWSR board member as well.
Please send a copy of your letter to Governor Gregoire as well as to Ecology. Both
addresses are on the linked letter. Let them hear us loud and clear.
Thanks for taking action.
and we need to urge them to do so. (from Bob Vocke, 100412)
In 1999, PacifiCorp entered into an agreement to remove Condit Dam. PacifiCorp initially
applied to the Washington State Department of Ecology on June 15, 2001 for certification of
the decommissioning proposal under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. From June 2002 to
June 2009, PacifiCorp annually withdrew and simultaneously resubmitted this application in
order to provide Ecology with additional time within which to complete its review and
certification of the decommission proposal.
The Federal Environmental Impact Statement, which identified dam removal as the preferred
alternative in the relicensing process, was issued in 1996. A supplemental federal EIS
specifically relating to dam removal was issued in 2002. Washington State Department of
Ecology determined that state requirements for environmental review were not satisfied by
these reports, and undertook to do further review. Three years later, in 2005, Ecology
issued a draft Supplemental EIS.
In January 2010, EIGHT YEARS after the federal process was completed and NINE YEARS
after PacifiCorp’s application, Ecology issued the Final Second Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement regarding Condit Dam removal.
The FEIS should have been followed in a very short time by the issuance of the 401 (Clean
Water Act) permit, but GOING ON THREE MONTHS LATER, the 401 has still not been issued.
This is unconscionable. The beneficiaries of the delay are PacifiCorp (increased revenue
from continued power generation without expenses for fish passage or substantial equipment
repairs or upgrades) and dam removal opponents in Klickitat County.The Klickitat County
Commissioners stepped into the process in 2000, after refusing to participate in the talks
which resulted in the dam removal agreement. The county admits to having spent more than
$650,000 on outside legal and consulting fees opposing dam removal. Now the County and
PacifiCorp are holding confidential negotiations about dam removal. We do not know what
subjects are under discussion or what conditions the County is demanding in order to agree
to dam removal, but we do know that none of the original settlement parties are included.
We say it is time to call Ecology to account and urge them to issue the permits. It is time to
move the dam removal process forward, and it is time to break the County’s stranglehold on
the process. Please help by contacting Ecology and urging them to issue the Clean Water
Act 401 permit NOW. It is especially important for people who vote in Klickitat and Skamania
Counties to write. We are attaching a letter that covers the main points. There are preprinted
post cards available from any FWSR board member as well.
Please send a copy of your letter to Governor Gregoire as well as to Ecology. Both
addresses are on the linked letter. Let them hear us loud and clear.
Thanks for taking action.