Your August 18 news story, “Energy bill will
likely boost drilling in the Rockies,” characterizes last
year’s (and now this year’s) Senate energy bill as good
for fish and fish passage. Unfortunately, this is not the
case.
The article incorrectly says that the energy bill
passed again by the Senate “would force hydropower companies
to retrofit their dams so fish could swim through.” The bill
would have exactly the opposite effect. It seeks to decrease the
number of dams that will have to install safe and effective fish
passage. Right now, a non-federal hydropower dam is grandfathered
from environmental laws until its 30- to 50-year operating license
expires and it must undergo a renewal process. For years, the
electric utility industry has pressed for legislation to limit the
cost of environmental conditions prescribed under the renewal
process. Fish passage requirements are among those conditions on
the industry’s hit list. This energy bill would allow dam
owners to substitute fish hatcheries and other sorts of measures
for effective fish ladders and screens. The bill also adds several
new procedures designed to give dam owners unfair advantages. The
House version is even more harmful.
Safe fish passage is a
basic environmental requirement for a dam. Both chambers of
Congress are putting forth hydropower proposals that allow electric
utilities to slide by such requirements. While recreational and
commercial fishermen and Indian tribes watch their fish stocks
plummet, Congress should take a hard look at this provision and
strike it.
Rebecca Sherman
Washington,
D.C.
The writer is coordinator for the Hydropower Reform Coalition.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Energy bill is no good for fish.
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