Snake River Dams Debate Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Governor Jay Inslee and others have been working for years on breaching four Lower Snake River dams blaming the dams for the declining salmon numbers.
But U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says other significant salmon problems aren’t getting nearly as much attention …
NEWHOUSE … “Right in his own backyard, in Puget Sound, there have been all kinds of negligence, missed deadlines for water cleanliness, the pollution that continues to go into the Puget Sound from many, many different sources, very negatively impacting salmon populations in that part of the state.”
And that, Newhouse says should be getting as much if not more attention …
NEWHOUSE … “It’s a clear violation of a responsibility that elected officials have to be diligent in making sure that problems are addressed all throughout the state instead of pointing to any one particular region and focusing on that, such as the Snake River dams and ignoring a huge part of the problem which is the water quality in our own Puget Sound.”
Newhouse says work can be done with the dams to help salmon that won’t mean removing clean energy, vital transportation routes, irrigation for farmers and many recreational opportunities for the residents.
