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Hearing dates and locations added 7-9-08

STATE HEARINGS BEGIN ON PACIFICORP'S DAMS: Will California give PacifiCorp a 50-year license to pollute or Un-Dam the Klamath?

by Regina Chichizola, Klamath Riverkeeper
July 5, 2008. PacifiCorp’s Klamath Dams threaten the health of the Klamath River by degrading water quality and creating massive blooms of toxic blue green algae on an unprecedented scale. While downstream Tribes, fishermen and recreational interests are continually exposed to these algal toxins, no action has been taken by California to correct the problem. Meanwhile PacifiCorp continues to spend millions to fight impacted communities in court, argues that the states cannot regulate water quality during FERC processes, and suppress their own monitoring results.

California can now stop PacifiCorp's dam pollution Now the state of California is considering PacifiCorp’s application for a Clean Water Act permit for continued operation of the dams. The Clean Water permit may be the most important step in the dam relicensing process as the Supreme Court has ruled that states can deny Clean Water Act permits and thereby trump attempts to relicense polluting dams. Klamath Riverkeeper has joined local communities’ struggle to make sure PacifiCorp does not get another 50-year permit to pollute.

Take Action to Make the Klamath Fishable and Swimmable. In the next six months there will be multiple public hearings, rallies and comment periods relating to whether PacifiCorp will get this permit. Go to www.klamathriver.org or call our office for sample comments and information on upcoming hearings and rallies. Contact Jennifer Watts at the State Water Board at jwatts@waterboards.ca.gov or (916) 341-5397 for background information on the 401-certification.

Hearing Dates:
July 22nd at 3 pm in Sacramento at the Sierra Room in EPA office, 1001 I street

July 31 in Klamath at the Yurok offices 11-1pm

July 31, in Orleans at the Karuk DNR, 6 to 8

August 1st in Yreka at the Yreka Grange 11-1 pm

For rides to Sacramento from the Klamath River or North Coast call Georgianna Myers, Klamath Riverkeeper Empowerment Project Coordinator at 707 599-0877 or call Molli White from the Karuk Tribe at 530 627-3346 ext. 6.

Email sregonlady@gmail.com or regina@klamathriver.org for more information.