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Department of Ecology News Release - September 17, 2002
02-177
YAKIMA - More information is needed before the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) can make a decision on a water quality permit for removing Condit Dam, along the White Salmon River in Klickitat County.
The department is planning to prepare a supplement to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) environmental impact statement for Condit Dam to make sure state mandates are met and to help Ecology determine what may be required in a water-quality certification permit.
"While the FERC document covered a majority of the issues, we've found that there are areas where more analysis is needed and possible mitigation measures evaluated before we can make our permitting decisions," said Polly Zehm, central region director for Ecology.
Among the issues that need further study is what to do with sediment and debris that would be left if the dam were removed.
Earlier this year, Ecology hired URS Corporation, a Seattle consulting firm, to independently evaluate the FERC document to determine whether it met state environmental regulations. A draft of the supplement to the federal EIS is expected to be completed by early next year.
In its report, URS noted that the FERC document did not adequately address different methods for removing sediments, nor did the document predict the long-term effects of those sediments during and after dam removal.
The FERC EIS and the completed supplemental document will provide key information needed to make a water-quality permit decision. A water-quality 401 certification and a stormwater construction permit are required before the dam can be removed.
The energy company PacifiCorp owns the dam, which has produced hydroelectric power on the White Salmon River since 1913. The company is seeking to decommission and remove the dam.
Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610, or pager (509) 574-0490
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
