Columbia River Sockeye Salmon. Courtesy WDFW.
In any other part of the country, the idea might sound too crazy to be true.
The feds want changes in how they help young salmon in the Columbia River Basin migrate to the Pacific Ocean this summer. Instead of making sure there’s enough water to help salmon swim past dams, the feds propose rounding them up, putting the fish on barges, and shipping them down river.
An LNG protest sign from FERC's December 2009 field trip in Washington County.
FERC is following through on promises to investigate landowner complaints against Oregon LNG.
The agency has scheduled three public meetings in Oregon this month to give landowners a chance to speak out, and the company a chance to defend itself.
A good first step, but more needs to be done.
That sums up the reaction from Oregon’s political and environmental leaders to the news that the feds will start regulating greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and trucks.
They also say it’s a reminder that if not for California, Oregon, Washington and 12 other states – the feds might still be delaying instead of taking action.
The EPA wants to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Photo from ODOT.
The Obama Administration is taking the federal government’s first steps to reduce greenhouse gases – and it’s starting with cars and trucks.
It’s doing this by requiring new passenger vehicles to get better gas mileage. Cars that burn less fuel also produce less pollution, including greenhouse gases.
The new rules kick in for the 2012 model year and get increasingly tough over a four year period.
With words like “disaster” and “offensive”, it’s not hard to see what Northwest environmental groups think about President Obama’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling.
Governor Kulongoski even had something to say, although it’s hard to tell from the press release if he thinks this is a good or bad idea.
Wind turbines in Eastern Oregon. Photo by John Womack.
When it comes to building wind farms in Oregon, the size of the project really does matter.
Small wind farms, those producing 104 megawatts or less, go before county governments for approval. Larger wind farms require state permission. The process is very different, depending on which government makes the decision. The state process involves consulting with ODFW on impacts to wildlife and is more expensive.
So what’s to stop a wind developer from taking a big wind farm and breaking it up into smaller projects to avoid state regulations?
Not much according to some environmental groups.
Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington State.
In 1999, Pacific Power, environmental groups and the Yakama Nation reached a landmark agreement to remove the Condit Dam on the White Salmon River.
More than a decade later, the dam is still there.
The delays are frustrating the Gifford Pinchot Task Force, which recently warned members that time is running out if the dam is going to be removed this year.
And here’s what it says you can do to help.
PGE's coal fired Boardman Power Plant. Photo from Ted Timmons
PGE’s coal fired power plant near Boardman has what can be described as an infamous reputation among environmentalists.
It’s the single biggest source of carbon emissions in the state, a major contributor to haze pretty much everywhere, and a big reason why we have acid rain problems in the Gorge. It’s also the only coal fired power plant in Oregon, which makes it something of a target for clean air advocates.
But just to make sure you understand everything that’s wrong with Boardman, the Oregon Sierra Club is holding an event Tuesday night to tell you all about it.
Powerbuoy photo from Ocean Power Technologies
Staff for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be in Reedsport next month for a couple of meetings on wave energy.
FERC is looking at an application by Ocean Power Technologies to build a 1.5 megawatt wave farm off the coast near Reedsport. This could be the first commercial wave energy project on the West Coast.
These are scoping meetings, which means the information FERC gathers will be used to determine what issues have to be studied in the environmental review process.
Eastern Oregon turbines. Photo by Ted Timmons.
The growing debate over wind farms and their impacts on the environment were laid out before a group of state regulators Friday afternoon in Hood River.
The Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) is being asked to clear up confusion over how to define a “large” wind farm. It’s important because large projects are regulated by the state, while smaller projects are controlled by counties. The state process is more complex, costs more, and has tougher environmental standards.
Environmental groups says some developers are artificially breaking up large wind farms into smaller projects so they can dodge state regulations. They want the EFSC to adopt new rules that will make it harder to do that.
