Hydropower Reform Coalition - Montana

Montana dam breached to allow for toxic cleanup and removal

Rupak Thapaliya — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:15:18 -0500

The Milltown dam at the confluence of Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers, just upstream of Missoula, MT, had been accumulating toxic wastes from mining uprivers including arsenic, zinc, copper and other heavy metals, thus making it a superfund site. FERC decided to decommission the dam in January 2005 to clean up these toxic chemicals.

American Whitewater (AW), an active HRC member was present along with hundreds of other people to witness the rivers flowing free. On Friday morning, a small channel was dug through the temporary coffer dam built last year to allow for diversion of water. The water quickly began eroding the coffer dam and carving off large chunks of sediment. By next morning the coffer dam was gone and the river was flowing free after a century. Watch this short video by AW showing the breaching of the dam.

The next two big tasks will be the clean up the river bottom and eventually remove the dam. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking the lead to clean up this superfund site.

First ILP License Issued for Montana's Mystic Lake Project

Rich Bowers — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:29:44 -0600

Integrated Licensing Process (ILP)

On December 17th, FERC issued its first license for a project using the ILP, Mystic Lake on West Rose Bud Creek in Montana. FERC # P-2301. The Developer is PPL Montana, and Mystic Lake is an 11.25 megawatt (MW) project near Fishtail, MT. The license requires the construction of public recreation facilities near the project as well as enhanced flows for whitewater boating. The license also requires the installation of new shutoff and minimum-flow valves to improve minimum flow reliability which would protect fish in the project’s bypassed reach. Other requirements would protect, mitigate and enhance water quality, fisheries, wildlife and cultural resources at the project.

http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2007/2007-4/12-17-07.asp

Adopted in 2003, The Integrated Licensing Process (ILP) integrates the development of license application and environmental review, and it coordinates FERC and other regulatory agencies that undertake such environmental review. In 2005, the ILP became the default process for relicensing within FERC. The Traditional (TLP) and Alternative Licensing Process (ALP) have tended to suffer from recurring process inefficiencies, including running disputes between FERC and other agencies over the boundaries between their respective jurisdictions. As a result, certain participants, including the HRC and the National Hydropower Association, formed the National Review Group (1998-2002), which developed joint recommendations for administrative reform. Federal agencies formed the Interagency Task Force (1999-2001) for the same purpose. FERC initiated the ILP rulemaking in response to these recommendations.

Coalition seeks Northwest Coordinator

Rebecca Sherman — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:54:52 -0500

The Hydropower Reform Coalition is seeking a new Northwest Coordinator to manage its Northwest operations.

If you are interested in the position, please review the attached job announcement. The deadline for applications is Sunday, June 17th.

Attachment	Size
NW HRC position description.pdf	192.12 KB

FERC Clears Milltown Dam for Removal

John Seebach — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 06:00:00 -0600

Project: Milltown : P-2543

Following a plan designed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued an order relinquishing its control over Milltown Dam, P-2543.

The order dismisses the pending license application and gives notice that FERC intends to accept project surrender. FERC also ordered actions in accordance with EPA's plan to remove Milltown Dam, such as permanent reservoir drawdown, and clarified that EPA is now in charge of regulating and ultimately removing the dam.

From FERC's press release:

"The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today cleared the way for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to oversee the dismantling of a dam in Montana as part of a Superfund hazardous waste site cleanup. [...]

"In an order involving the Milltown Hydroelectric Project, located on the Clark Fork River in Montana, the Commission said that because the project is located on a Superfund site, EPA now has effective regulatory control over all aspects of the project. EPA will move forward with removal of the dam as part of its approved plan to remediate the project site.

"The Commission, in anticipation of project dismantling, will issue a notice of intent to accept surrender of the license. A 30-day comment period will be established for parties to comment on the surrender.

"Chairman Pat Wood, III commented: 'I will always be a strong supporter of building and maintaining infrastructure to support our energy needs, especially clean hydropower. In this instance, however, the environmental requirements trump power production.'

"EPA designated the entire Milltown project a Superfund site in 1983 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as the law is formally known. The project reservoir is contaminated by approximately 6.6 million cubic yards of silt laden with arsenic, copper, zinc, and other heavy metals, which have leached from closed mines upstream in the area of Butte, Montana."

Montana's Milltown Dam Removal Plan Finalized

John Seebach — Tue, 21 Dec 2004 06:00:00 -0600

Project: Milltown : P-2543

On December 20, 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency released its final plan to remove Milltown Dam, a FERC project and also a Superfund site.

The details of the plan and a site map are available on EPA's Milltown Superfund website. Coalition member Clark Fork Coalition was instrumental in building enormous public support for dam removal, visible on bumpers across Montana.

Excerpted from a Dec. 21, 2004 article in the Missoulian (Missoula, MT):

"Twenty-three years after a Missoula County sanitarian found arsenic in Milltown's tap water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued a final plan for excavating the sediments that brought the poison to town and taking Milltown Dam out of the river so it doesn't happen again. [...]

"When we started talking about this idea, people thought it was nuts," said Tracy Stone-Manning, executive director of the Clark Fork Coalition, a river watchdog group. "It just goes to show that when citizens speak with one voice, really great things can happen."

EPA Calls for Dam Removal on Montana' s FERC Project Milltown Dam

John Seebach — Tue, 15 Apr 2003 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Milltown : P-2543

On April 15th, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Montana jointly issued a proposed Superfund cleanup plan that calls for the removal of FERC project Milltown Dam. The action follows a local groundswell that ultimately turned the president and governor from opponents of dam removal into supporters.

Intense mining upstream has allowed heavy metals to tumble into the Milltown Reservoir, over time rendering the waters toxic. The Environmental Protection Agency considers the dam' s impoundment a Superfund site and has spent years evaluating clean up options. Area citizens have been clamoring to remove the old, failing dam before toxics leach into the groundwater system or worse, the dam breaks. Unfortunately, EPA already is responsible for delivering clean water to many nearby households whose water supply has been poisoned by arsenic. Removal of the dam will eventually provide badly needed fish passage for a variety of trout species including the endangered bull trout.

Removal of Milltown Dam Earns Support of Montana Governor and EPA

John Seebach — Tue, 21 Jan 2003 06:00:00 -0600

Project: Milltown : P-2543

At her State of the State speech on January 21st, Montana Governor Judy Martz announced her support for and approval of the removal of Milltown Dam located on the Clark Fork River in Montana. The next day, the Environmental Protection Agency released a proposed clean-up plan that endorsed the removal of both toxic sediment and the dam.

“ [T]onight, I am announcing that I am placing the full support of my office behind removal of the Milltown Dam,” Martz told a surprised audience and a thrilled citizenry.

The tangle of regulatory bodies and corporate interests has made the decision regarding the fate of the dam controversial and politically charged. The EPA proposal to remove the dam should ride a much smoother road with the Governor' s endorsement.

Upstream mining has rendered the dam' s impoundment a toxic wasteland. The Environmental Protection Agency considers these waters a Superfund site and has spent years in the process of evaluating options for clean-up. Meanwhile, area citizens have been clamoring to remove the rickety old dam before toxics leech into the groundwater system or worse, the dam breaks.

Visit the Clark Fork Coalition website for more details.