Publication Summary

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has prepared and issued this State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to address the proposal by PacifiCorp to remove the Condit Hydroelectric Project on the White Salmon River, a tributary of the Columbia River.

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has prepared and issued this State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to address the proposal by PacifiCorp to remove the Condit Hydroelectric Project on the White Salmon River, a tributary of the Columbia River. The Final SEIS supplements the following National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents: Condit Hydroelectric Project Final Environmental Impact Statement, FERC No. 2342-005, Washington (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, October 1996); and Final Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement, Condit Hydroelectric Project, Washington, FERC Project No. 2342, (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, June 2002). As part of the SEIS, Ecology is adopting these documents pursuant to provisions of WAC 197-11-610 and 630.

The aforementioned documents identify and evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives to the proposal, identify probable significant impacts associated with the proposal and its alternatives, and address mitigation measures to be imposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The NEPA documents were evaluated to verify, from the Department of Ecology′s perspective, whether a reasonable range of alternatives were considered and whether all probable significant adverse impacts associated with the proposal were adequately identified and assessed. Based on that evaluation, it was determined that, while the NEPA documents form a substantial basis for environmental review of the project and largely meet Ecology′s environmental review standards, some supplemental evaluation of probable significant adverse impacts would be needed to satisfy the requirements of SEPA. Among the issues associated with the proposal that are addressed in the Final SEIS are the potential for sedimentation and turbidity in the White Salmon and Columbia Rivers; effects of dam removal activities on fish, including those listed under the Endangered Species Act; removal of potential barriers to fish passage; loss of wetlands; impacts to surrounding land use; noise, air quality, and aesthetic effects; provisions for public safety; and impacts to public services and utilities.