Dam Removal Study
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Four dams on the lower Snake River are being targeted YET AGAIN by YET ANOTHER study. That news was announced last month by Washington Governor Jay Inslee and U.S. Senator Patty Murray.
Those dams (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite) are all in State Senator Mark Schoesler’s 9th Legislative District and he’s in staunch opposition of any notion of breaching the dams …
SCHOESLER … “The cleanest, most affordable source of carbon-free energy is our Columbia-Snake River dams. Secondly, we have a very clean, very efficient means of transporting not just grain, but fuel, fertilizer, wood products, and tourism. And, last but not least, agricultural irrigation.”
After several studies have already been done, Schoesler is skeptical that this process will be any more open-minded than others …
SCHOESLER … “That cloud of secrecy is probably the biggest thing we’ve seen.”
The Ritzville Republican, himself a farmer, says the benefits of the dams for clean energy, transportation and recreation, among others, are consistently downplayed …
SCHOESLER … “The benefits are massive whether you care about clean energy, affordable energy, commerce of any kind in the region.”
Governor Inslee and Senator Murray say they expect to make recommendations on whether or not the dams should be removed no later than the end of July.
Removing or altering the four dams on the Lower Snake River must be approved by Congress.
