美國將實施人類史上最大規模拆除水壩工程還河流原生態

美國將實施人類史上最大規模拆除水壩工程還河流原生態    法廣 20221125

美國聯邦能源監管委員會(FERC)的委員們日前投票一致通過，拆除貫穿加利福尼亞州與俄勒岡州的克拉馬斯河(Klamath River)下游四座水壩。這是人類史上最大規模水壩拆除與河川整治工程，FERC的委員形容這個決定“重大且具歷史性”。

這項拆壩工程的實施，將使克拉馬斯河下游100多年來首次恢復自由流動的原生態，並重新打開數百英里長的三文魚棲息地。

依賴克拉馬斯河與河中三文魚維生的原住民部落，是推動拆壩工程的重要推手。FERC委員會主席格里克(Richard Glick)表示，部份水壩對環境和魚類生態構成嚴重影響，整治河川修復三文魚棲息地是當地多個部落文化的重心。

拆壩工程將於明年夏天開始實施。

營運克拉馬斯河四座水壩的太平洋電力公司發言人格拉夫利(Bob Gravely)透露，當全面產能時，四座水壩大約佔該公司的產電量2%。監管拆壩和倡議河川整治的組織“美國河流”(American Rivers)發言人科貝爾(Amy Souers Kober)表示，批准交出水壩營運執照的命令是這項史上最具雄心壯志整治河川計畫的一大基石，又指克拉馬斯河與其支流逾300英里的三文魚將會受惠。

FERC的這個決定，符合全美各地拆除老舊水壩的趨勢，因為它們需要執照續期，又得面對像克拉馬斯河水壩原本面對的政府強制性升級的成本。

目前，全美已有1951座水壩被拆除，包括今年的57座。

 

 

FERC Staff Issues the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Lower Klamath and Klamath Projects (P-14803-001 and P-2082-063)    20220826

Commission Staff prepared a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the surrender, decommissioning, and removal of project works of the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project No. 14803.

On November 17, 2020, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and PacifiCorp filed an amended application for surrender of the license and removal of project works for the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project, located on the Klamath River in Klamath County, Oregon, and in Siskiyou County, California. The project occupies approximately 400 acres of federal land administered by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and consists of four developments:  J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate.

The Commission issued a license for the original Klamath Hydroelectric Project No. 2082, in January 1954.  The license expired in 2006, and in 2004, PacifiCorp filed an application to relicense the project.  Filing of the surrender application follows PacifiCorp’s decision not to relicense the Klamath Project, as recommended in Commission staff’s 2007 EIS in which staff analyzed various alternatives to licensing the project, but ultimately recommended issuing a new license with mandatory conditions, including provisions for fish passage.  PacifiCorp determined that implementing those conditions would require operating the project at a loss.  Since 2007, negotiations among the parties have led to the development of two transfer applications, an amendment application to create the Lower Klamath Project, and the amended surrender application. 

The primary issues associated with license surrender and removal of project works are: potential effects on aquatic biota, including Chinook salmon, Endangered Species Act-listed coho salmon and suckers, and other fish and wildlife species; adequacy of measures proposed to restore vegetation on formerly inundated lands; effects on riverine and reservoir-based recreation; effects on local property owners due to effects on waterfront access, wells, firefighting/prevention, slope stability, reservoir aesthetics, and property values, as well as effects on traffic, emergency response times, air quality, and noise during construction; effects of dewatering on culturally important sites and removal of historic project features; and socioeconomic effects on disadvantaged communities.  A draft EIS was made available on February 25, 2022. 

Commission staff have addressed comments filed on the draft EIS and modified the document where appropriate.  In the final EIS, Commission staff recommends the staff alternative, which consists of mitigation measures included in the application, as well as mandatory conditions made by state and federal agencies, and additional measures developed by Commission staff.