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Observations regarding the January 26 California Waterboard meeting in Yreka to gather comments on relicensing the Klamath River hydroelectric dams

from Richard Marshall, Siskiyou County Water Users board, posted to KBC 1/31/16

To KBC News:

Meeting was well attended I would say approx. 300 people.  Lots of commenters with some very good observations.  In particular:

·         The hearing was typical of these agencies in that they only hear what they want to hear.

·         Legally the hearing timing is questionable as you know there is a lawsuit before the court and the FERC authored by the Hoopa and joined in by the Yurok and the County of Siskiyou questioning the legality of Oregon and California taking action to decide 401 issues on water.  The State should wait on these hearings until the decision by the FERC as to whether the States have given up their rights to make decisions re water quality

·         The Klamath Compact is the place to hear issues relative to water quality

·         The Water Board is going to use the majority of the EIR prepared by  DOI for their CEQA analysis.  This should not be allowed as we all know clearly that the DOI slanted the information in the report.  Dr Paul Houser testified to this.

·         Also the data in the DOI report is extremely dated.  Much of the information is over ten years old

·         Also because two states are involved it must be a NEPA guideline that is followed

·          The time periods for public input of Jan 29 is much too short obviously intended to block input.

·         Finally we have an issue with Governor Brown publicly making statements that the dams are going to be removed without completing the environmental studies required before such a decision is made.  Sounds just like Sect.  Salazar and his speech at the Commonwealth Club in California declaring the dams were coming out prior to the study being completed.

·         Best statement of the evening was Supervisor Michael Kobseff telling the staff that they needed to recognize the Klamath Compact as the law of the river.

·         For my part just like the wolf meeting the staff attending were just going through the motions no emotion of any kind or any feeling of their connecting with the issues being raised.

Richard Marshall

Fort Jones, CA 96032

 

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