Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), chair of the Natural Resources Committee, is criticizing a novel proposed consent decree by the Army Corps of Engineers and environmentalists that would require Clean Water Act (CWA) permits for major hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest, fearing it sets a precedent for thousands of similar dams. In an Aug. 6 letter to the Corps, Hastings says the permits will slow down or block the operation of crucial hydro-power operations in the Pacific region, and argues that state, local and industry stakeholders should have been given a voice in negotiations between advocates and the government that led to the proposed settlement.
展开▼
