PNWA opposes Salmon Solutions and
Planning Act
Representatives
Jim McDermott (D-WA, 7) and Thomas Petri (R-WI, 6) introduced a bill that would
authorize the Corps of Engineers to breach the four lower Snake River dams. The
Salmon Solutions and Planning Act was introduced today, Friday, July 31st.
PNWA issued a press release which is presented below.
The
PNWA press release focuses on our opposition to the bill's authorizing of dam
breaching. The bill would also direct the Administration to conduct six studies:
-
The National Academy of Sciences would
conduct a scientific analysis of dam removal and other actions that may be
necessary to recover ESA-listed salmon and steelhead.
- The Secretary of Transportation would study
which rail, highway and barge infrastructure improvements are necessary to
ensure a cost-effective and efficient transportation.
-
The Secretary of Energy and the White House
Office of Energy and Climate Change would analyze what energy replacement
options exist to replace power lost if dams are removed.
-
The Corps of Engineers would study what
riverfront revitalization opportunities exist if dams are removed. This would
focus on Lewiston and Clarkston, but may include other affected areas on the
lower Snake River.
-
The Secretary of Interior would analyze
options and costs to modify irrigation systems and wells.
-
The Secretary of the Army would update the
February 2002 EIS on juvenile salmon migration and dam breaching. It would
include analysis of climate change impacts, replacing energy production from
the four dams, options for keeping irrigated acreage intact, costs for reservoir
sediment mitigation, "passive use values" associated with dam removal and
non-dam removal, and alternative methods for removing the four Snake River
dams. . The 2002 EIS rejected dam breaching.
PNWA
strongly opposes the wholesale delegation of authority to breach the dams to
agency staff. This bill's granting of that authority is given without bounds,
parameters or constraints as to justification or purpose. Congress must retain
this authority.
PNWA
also opposes this bill's myopic focus. Dam breaching is not
a silver bullet. It may do more harm than good. This bill completely ignores
the other factors that have contributed to the decline of salmon and can
contribute to their recovery. Finally, dam breaching does absolutely nothing
for the nine ESA-listed Columbia Basin runs that do not pass through the Snake
River.
Similar
bills have been introduced every year and have not been acted upon by Congress.
We urge Congress to respond in the same way this year and reject this bill.
The PNWA Press Release:
July
31, 2009
For
Immediate Release:
Contact:
Glenn
Vanselow, Executive Director
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association
9115 SW Oleson Road, Suite 101, Portland, Oregon 97223
direct: 503-234-8551, 503-804-2663
glenn.vanselow@pnwa.net,
www.pnwa.net
River users oppose Salmon Solutions
and Planning Act
Portland,
Oregon, July 31, 2009 - River users strongly oppose a bill introduced in
Congress today that would authorize the Corps of Engineers to breach the four
lower Snake River dams.
The
Salmon Solutions and Planning Act was introduced in the House today by
Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA, 7) and Thomas Petri (R-WI, 6). It was
cosponsored by 20 House members.
"Congress
rejected this bill in previous years. It needs to do so again this year," said
Glenn Vanselow, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways
Association. "Congress should not delegate to federal agency staffers the
authority to remove four federal multipurpose dams, eliminate the
Congressionally-authorized 14-foot Snake River navigation channel, and wipe out
clean, renewable hydropower production."
This
bill was introduced just two weeks before the Obama Administration is due to
conclude its evaluation of the Columbia River salmon Biological Opinion (BiOp).
PNWA is confident that the Administration will support the BiOp. The BiOp is
the product of an unprecedented collaboration among the region's Tribes, states
and federal agencies. The BiOp provides more funding, more actions, more
certainty, more cooperation, and more promise for ongoing success in rebuilding
fish runs than this region has ever seen. That is why the BiOp is supported by
the majority of the region's Treaty Tribes, the majority of the upriver Tribes,
the majority of the states and the major river users. Dam breaching, by
contrast, is extreme and risky. It does nothing for nine ESA-listed fish runs
and may do more harm than good for the four runs on the Snake River.
As
the region and the nation become more concerned about climate change, the first
principle should be not to make the problem worse. Breaching dams would force
energy production to shift from emission-free hydropower to coal and natural
gas. It would force cargo to shift from barging to rail or truck. Barging is
the most fuel efficient and least polluting mode of transportation. Breaching
the dams would put hundreds of thousands of trucks on the road through the
Columbia River Gorge.
PNWA
urges Congress not to act on this bill.
About PNWA. For 75
years, PNWA has been the regional leader in working with the U.S. Congress,
federal agencies and regional decision makers on federal policy in support of
transportation, trade, economic development and environmental sustainability in
the Pacific Northwest. . PNWA represents multiple industries in the public and
private sectors in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. Members include
public ports, navigation, transportation, international trade, agriculture,
forest products, energy and governmental interests.
PNWA staff contact: Glenn Vanselow
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