A long-awaited federal report out today (FRI) rejects the idea of removing four hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River in a last-ditch effort to save threatened or endangered salmon, saying such anc approach would destabilize the power grid, increase overall greenhouse emissions, and more than double the risk of regional power outages. Environmental groups have pushed for years for the four eastern Washington dams to come down to help salmon recover. The three agencies in charge of overseeing the sprawling hydropower system – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration – recommended a different alternative that includes a variety of strategies, including fine-tuning the amount of water that spills over the dams for fish. A U.S. District Judge ordered the three federal agencies to revisit the impact of the hydroelectric system in 2016 while overseeing litigation over salmon. In all, five plans for the system have been rejected over the decades after finding they didn’t do enough to protect salmon. Today’s report is a draft and will be subject to 45 days of public comment. A final report — including the agencies’ final decision — is expected in September. (AP)
