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Department of Ecology Press Release - October 3, 2005
05-244
YAKIMA - The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is accepting comments on a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) that looks at what affects removing Condit Dam might have on the ecology of the White Salmon River in Klickitat County.
The document primarily addresses water quality concerns and is a supplement to environmental impact studies on the proposal by PacifiCorp to remove the hydroelectric project, prepared by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
The additional information is needed before the state can make a decision on whether the proposal to remove the dam will meet state water-quality and other environmental mandates. The state must approve water-quality certification and a state construction stormwater permit before the dam can be removed.
Ecology hired URS Corporation, a Seattle consulting firm, to independently evaluate the FERC document to determine whether it met state environmental regulations.
"While the FERC document covered most of the issues, more information was needed on both long-term and short-term water-quality concerns surrounding dam removal," explained Derek Sandison, central region director for Ecology. "Concerns included how backed-up sediments and debris would be managed, as well as what effects dam removal would have on wetlands, endangered fish and fish passage."
An open house will be held on Oct. 25, during which both verbal and written comments will be accepted on the draft SEIS. The open house will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Park Center Building, 170 NW Lincoln St., in White Salmon.
The draft SEIS may be viewed on line at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0506022.html . For a compact disk or hard copy, call (509) 575-2808.
Written comments may be sent to Ecology's Derek Sandison at 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 200, Yakima, WA 98902, or may be emailed to ConditDam@ecy.wa.gov , no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.
The Portland, Ore., 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.
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Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
