Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement after the Biden Administration released a memorandum outlining its plan for fish mitigation in the Columbia River Basin:
“The direction from President Biden proves that his Administration and dam-breaching advocates will continue to pretend to hear feedback from the community to give the perception that residents and stakeholders are being heard. The sad truth is, this has not been a collaborative process all along and they are only seeking to accomplish one predetermined outcome: a breach of the Four Lower Snake River Dams,” said Chairman Newhouse. “While there may not be explicit recommendations to breach the Lower Snake River Dams in this memorandum, that is the goal of this Administration. This announcement is bureaucracy at its worst and the fact remains that these dams are vital to our economy, our efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and the ability to send our commodities overseas. The Columbia River Basin is one of our most valuable natural resources in the Pacific Northwest and I will continue to fight each and every day against this Administration’s efforts to breach these vital dams.”
Background:
On Wednesday, September 27th, the Biden Administration released a memorandum titled “Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin,” outlining its plan for fish mitigation in the Columbia River Basin.
A stay in long-running litigation over the Snake River Dams has been extended for 60 days from August 31st to October 31st to allow federal mediation to continue, but key stakeholders and community members directly impacted by the litigation are being left in the dark as negotiations take place behind closed doors.
The Biden Administration and dam-breaching advocates are intent on achieving a “de facto” breach of the Four Lower Snake River Dams by opening the gates to reduce the water below the minimum operating levels for hydroelectric generation.
Chairman Newhouse has been leading the efforts to protect the Four Lower Snake River Dams:
This month, in a House Committee on Natural Resources hearing examining the systematic overreach from the Biden Administration’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Chairman Newhouse addressed the lack of transparency and public input throughout the mediation process of the Four Lower Snake River Dams.
On September 13, 2023, Chairman Newhouse sent a letter to CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory alongside House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Chair Cliff Bentz (R-OR) and Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT) expressed their concerns with the mediation process.
In June, Chairman Newhouse and the House Committee on Natural Resources hosted a field hearing in Richland, WA to discuss the importance the four Lower Snake River Dams have to Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest.
This Congress, Chairman Newhouse introduced the Northwest Energy Security Act to protect the Four Lower Snake River Dams. The legislation supports the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) and the many benefits it brings to our region by improving and maintaining hydropower assets, ensuring operations throughout the system are conducted in accordance with the latest federal scientific review, and continuing to allow native salmon to recover at record rates.
In September 2020, the “Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision” for the Columbia River System Operation Environmental Impact Statement (CRSO EIS) published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration, found that the Lower Snake River Dams should not be breached. Rather, efforts should be focused on improving and maintaining hydropower assets while working to improve salmon passage and conditions.
In May 2021, Governor Inslee and Senator Murray publicly rebuked plans to breach the Lower Snake River Dams.
On October 15, 2021, Governor Inslee and Senator Murray announced plans to assess the breaching of the Lower Snake River Dams.
On October 21, 2021, the Department of Justice announced a settlement reached between the CRSO EIS plaintiffs and federal agencies on injunctive relief, including a stay on the CRSO EIS litigation until July 2022.
On October 22, 2021, Governor Inslee and Senator Murray announced the next steps to deliver a report intended to justify breaching the Lower Snake River Dams by July 2022. Chairman Newhouse, as well as Reps. McMorris Rodgers and Jaime Herrera Beutler released a joint statement reacting to the announcement.
In June 2022, Chairman Newhouse led Congressional Western Caucus Members from across the United States on a field tour of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, including a tour of the Ice Harbor Dam.
