Hundreds Turn Out To Demand Removal Of Klamath River Dams

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Hundreds of people turned out Thursday night in a passionate display before federal regulators to tell them that the dams on the Klamath River should be torn down.

Staff with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission -- charged with issuing another license for four hydropower dams owned by Pacificorp -- heard speaker after speaker demand the agency consider removing the dams instead of letting them continue to operate. The health of the regional economy, of people and of fish runs is more important than the pittance of power the dams generate, they were told. ”I plead with you,” said conservationist Claire Courtney, “use no other option -- take the four dams down.”

So many showed up that about 200 people packed the hallway outside the hearing room at the Red Lion Inn. Frustrated people were turned away as the 350 people in the room was the maximum allowable according to fire codes. FERC's John Mudre, assessing the situation in the hall, blamed local biologist Pat Higgins and the media for getting too many people to turn out to a public meeting. ”You guys caused the problem,” Mudre said. FERC booked the similar results -- in June 2004.

The commission has the authority to issue another license to Pacificorp. During the hearing, Mudre said that the term of the license could be 30 or 50 years. The agency recently released its draft Environmental Impact Statement, which outlined its intent to leave the Iron Gate, Copco I, Copco II and J.C. Boyle dams in place. But an administrative law judge's ruling last month made it clear that Pacificorp would likely have to build fish ladders to allow salmon to reach hundreds of miles of spawning grounds cut off by the dams. Pacificorp has proposed to trap fish and truck them above and below the dams.

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http://times-standard.com/local/ci_4677323