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Press release from Friends of the Eel River and the Sierra Club:

Advocates for Eel River dam removal are urging members of the public to attend meetings next week in Ukiah and speak in support of dam removal and regional water security.

Recent news about a Southern California water agency interested in taking over the Potter Valley Project has many of us distracted, but not the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC is responsible for overseeing hydropower projects, and approving their decommissioning. As such, FERC has just announced the next step toward dam removal with public hearings and a comment period on scoping for the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process to analyze the impacts of dam removal.

Two meetings are scheduled to receive comments on FERC’s Scoping Document. The meetings will be Tuesday, June 23rd at 6:30pm and Wednesday, June 24th at 10am at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 South School Street, Ukiah.

“FERC’s Scoping Notice is clear that dam removal is the only option for the future of the Potter Valley Project,” said Alicia Hamann, Executive Director for Friends of the Eel River. “This is our chance to support the regional two basin solution that Tribes, fisheries advocates, and water users have worked so hard to negotiate. We need to tell FERC that removing these old, uneconomic, fish-killing dams is in the broad public interest”

The Scoping Document outlines what FERC will evaluate in their NEPA process, and clearly affirms that the only path forward for this project is dam removal. FERC has rejected the possibility of retaining Scott Dam, citing seismic stability concerns and economic losses of the project. The option of a Federal Government takeover has also been rejected, as FERC says that no federal agency has expressed interest in operating the project. Finally, FERC has also removed analysis of dam removal without building the New Eel Russian Facility, the proposed diversion infrastructure that will facilitate wet-season diversions following dam removal.

Comments have already been filed with FERC requesting additional meetings in Humboldt County, but at this time we do not know whether the Commission will fulfill those requests. So it is important that anyone supporting dam removal attend one of the meetings in Ukiah.

“This is a critical time for the recovery of both the Eel and Russian Rivers. Redwood Chapter Members who live and work throughout both basins are looking forward to speaking with FERC about our bright post-dam future” noted Alicia Bales, Director of the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter.

Giving comments in person is important for two reasons. First, it’s an opportunity to speak directly to FERC staff about how dam removal is in the broad public interest. Second, it’s an opportunity to send a message to the larger public that dam removal is supported by a majority of North Coast residents.

Limited travel support is available, contact regina@waterprotectors.org for more information.

Anyone who is unable to attend the hearings can instead submit written comments to FERC by July 24th. Comments must be clearly labeled “Potter Valley Project (P-77-332) and can be submitted electronically at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx by selecting “eComment”, or sent by mail to:

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE, Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426

You can read FERC’s Scoping Document at this link: https://bit.ly/FERC-Scoping. Suggested talking points and other information available at eelriver.org.