Clean air or clean water? Climate change enters Northwest dam debate

authordefault
on

The tussle pits power companies against American Indians, fishermen and environmentalists who want dams removed because they have blocked endangered salmon from migrating, threatened Indian livelihoods and devastated commercial fishing off the Oregon and Californiaย coasts.

One river, the Klamath, runs 250 miles from southwest Oregon to the California coast, connecting two states where power and water supply have long been controversial issues. Both California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski of Oregon are pushing clean-fuel sources. Last year, California passed a law requiring a 25 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. Oregon is also promoting renewable energyย use.

Removing the four Klamath dams should be an option, they say, but neither has taken a firm position. Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger proposed spending about $4 billion to build two dams on the San Joaquin River for water storage, an idea environmentalists haveย opposed.

PacifiCorp, which operates the Klamath dams, had its federal license expire last year, and the government has said it must build fish ladders over the four dams to get a new one, which could cost $300 million and reduce the power the dams generate, potentially making removal a less costlyย choice.

The company has said whatever is spent to restore salmon, and whether the solution is fish ladders or dam removal, its customers will bear the cost, and theย carbon

authordefault
Admin's short bio, lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Voluptate maxime officiis sed aliquam! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit.

Related Posts

on

His push for more gas development alarms climate change experts amid growing evidence of declining global LNG demand.

His push for more gas development alarms climate change experts amid growing evidence of declining global LNG demand.
on

A pro-Trump, pro-oil oligarchy is being convened by a group backed by the owners of GB News, campaigners say.

A pro-Trump, pro-oil oligarchy is being convened by a group backed by the owners of GB News, campaigners say.
on

Office of Management and Budget General Counsel Mark Paoletta reportedly drafted the memo that took aim at the โ€œgreen new dealโ€ but caused widespread upheaval.

Office of Management and Budget General Counsel Mark Paoletta reportedly drafted the memo that took aim at the โ€œgreen new dealโ€ but caused widespread upheaval.
Analysis
on

Understanding how autocrats and oligarchs capture and consolidate state power.

Understanding how autocrats and oligarchs capture and consolidate state power.