Economists have said that if you have to remove dams, take out the lower Snake River dams because they provide fewer benefits to the region than Columbia River dams. . .You can have a very vibrant agricultural economy in eastern Washington where grain moves without the Salmon River Waterway, if we make prudent investments in upgrading truck and railroad infrastructure. |
Governor Kempthorne has taken stands on endangered species that have been controversial. I think there will be those that are concerned that those controversial positions will be going back to D.C.. |
Idaho has a number of areas that are being considered for wilderness areas... and perhaps as Secretary of the Interior, Kempthorne would be in a position to move that forward. |
If you read the (draft) documents, you will see that there is lots of new information. The science is crystal clear. Only the Clinton administration's message is murky. |
It's going to be like stepping on a rake. |
It's stunningly affordable. Those kinds of repairs happen all the time. |
There needs to be a reduction in the amount of mercury people are exposed to whether they're in Nevada, in Idaho or in Utah. |
They have a lot to atone for. |
We don't think too highly of it, but we do hope that they will take the opportunity of a little bit more time to make the DEIS better. We had significant concerns about some of the information that they were incorporating in it because some of the information they were using was very preliminary and draft. |
We hope the delay will be a positive step, but at the same time we are very much hoping and insisting they come out with a decision as soon as they are capable of making a good and informed and defensible decision. |
What makes this very unique among all of the reports available, is that this is the only report trying to figure out how to minimize the impact dam removal might have on communities. |