Dam Breach Study Pt 2
I'm Bob Larson. Governor Inslee and the state of Washington do not have the authority to breach federal dams on the Lower Snake River, and using $750,000 of state taxpayer money to study removal is wasteful.
That's the word from U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse who says breaching the dams would also be a disaster for Washington farmers ...
NEWHOUSE ... "It absolutely would be. You know, the economy of Eastern and Central Washington is truly very closely connected to the dams that are on the Columbia and Snake rivers for all those reasons that you have mentioned, transportation, recreation, irrigation, you know, the source of water for many different activities agriculture included in that."
And, he says salmon recovery is being addressed ...
NEWHOUSE ... "And, we would have ignored all of the efforts and the money that has been spent in mitigation, successful mitigation, of salmon recovery and fish passage through the dams."
Newhouse says, a waste of time and money ...
NEWHOUSE ... "And, like I said, it's doing the same thing that the federal government is already engaged in and a new EIS that is due in 2020. So, it's, I think, just re-doubling the efforts that the federal governments already engaged in and an unnecessary spending of money."
Newhouse says he intends to do everything in his power to save the dams for the sake of Eastern Washington communities that depend on the many benefits they provide.
