Condit Dam Removal Condit Dam Removal - Access Washington

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Condit Dam Hydroelectric Project Final Supplemental EIS 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Condit Hydroelectric Project, located on the White Salmon River in Klickitat and Skamania Counties, Washington, was constructed in 1912 and 1913 and has produced electricity since that time. PacifiCorp is proposing to cease electricity generation at the Condit Hydroelectric Project on October 1, 2008 and commence removal later the same month. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is conducting an environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) comparing the effects of continued operation of the dam (the no-action alternative) with the removal of the dam (proposed action). 1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND On December 27, 1991, PacifiCorp filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a new license to continue operating the Condit Hydroelectric Project. In October 1996, FERC issued a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that analyzed the environmental and economic effects of five alternatives: 1) continuing to operate the project with no additional mitigation or enhancement measures (no-action alternative); 2) operating the project as proposed by PacifiCorp; 3) operating the projects as proposed by PacifiCorp with additional staffrecommended measures; 4) a staff-developed alternative for dam removal; and 5) a staffdeveloped alternative involving partial removal of the dam with a new upstream diversion. In the 1996 FEIS, FERC staff recommended the third alternative, PacifiCorp’s licensing proposal with modifications that included fish passage facilities and several other changes to benefit fish. On October 29, 1999, PacifiCorp filed an application to amend the current license to extend the license term to October 1, 2006, and to incorporate the terms and conditions of a Settlement Agreement that provided for removal of the dam upon the expiration of the proposed amended license term and established a date for commencing the removal. The Settlement Agreement also established PacifiCorp’s financial commitment to dam removal with a capped monetary limit. FERC determined that the October 1999 application filed by PacifiCorp was in essence an application to surrender the existing license to operate the dam. Thus, the surrender alternative, reached through settlement negotiations, became the proposal before FERC. A NEPA Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) was prepared by FERC to augment the October 1996 FEIS. The Final Supplemental FEIS (FSFEIS) (June 2002) assessed the effects of surrendering the dam operating license, including dam removal, removal with mitigation measures, and project retirement without dam removal. Between November 16, 2004 and February 8, 2005, the parties to the Settlement Agreement all signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) modifying the Condit Hydroelectric Project Settlement Agreement. A fundamental conclusion implicit in each signatory entity’s approval of the Settlement Agreement and the modification was that, from their perspective, the long-term and overall benefits would outweigh the short-term impacts of implementing the Settlement 1-1
Condit Dam Hydroelectric Project Final Supplemental EIS Agreement. That MOA modifies the Settlement Agreement by changing the implementation date for dam removal from 2006 to 2008; increasing the cap on mitigation costs; and increasing the total cost cap. In February 2005, PacifiCorp filed an application with FERC to amend the decommissioning application to be consistent with the terms of the MOA. Ecology is both the Lead Agency for SEPA and the regulatory decisionmaker for a portion of the permits that require SEPA documentation to support permit decisions. Ecology determined that the 1996 and 2002 NEPA documents analyzing the impacts of the dam removal were not adequate to meet all requirements of SEPA and that a SEPA SEIS would be required. This SEPA SEIS builds on previous environmental documents. The 1996 FERC FEIS on relicensing of the Condit Dam described and analyzed the effects of a no-action alternative which would continue operation of the Condit Hydroelectric Project under the terms and conditions of the existing license. That analysis of the no-action alternative and other pertinent information are adopted as part of this SEPA SEIS. The 2002 FERC FSFEIS addressing the license surrender proposal and removal of Condit Dam analyzed a range of dam removal alternatives. Under SEPA, no further analysis of the alternatives other than the proposed action is required, as the other alternatives would have greater impacts than the proposed alternative or are already adequately analyzed. 1.3 ADOPTION OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT DOCUMENTS The Draft SEIS supplements the following NEPA documents: • Condit Hydroelectric Project Final Environmental Impact Statement, FERC No. 2342-005, Washington (FERC 1996) • Final Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement, Condit Hydroelectric Project, Washington, FERC Project No. 2342 (FERC 2002) These documents identify and evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives to the proposal, identify probable significant impacts associated with the proposal and its alternatives, and addresses mitigation measures to be imposed by FERC. The NEPA documents were evaluated to verify, from Ecology’s perspective, whether a reasonable range of alternatives were considered and whether all probable significant adverse impacts associated with the proposal were adequately identified and assessed. It was determined that, while these documents form a substantial basis for environmental review of the project and largely meet Ecology’s environmental review standards, some supplemental evaluation of probable significant adverse impacts, would be needed to satisfy the requirements of SEPA (Chapter 43.21C RCW) and SEPA Rules (Chapter 197-11 WAC). Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-610 and 630, Ecology hereby adopts the aforementioned NEPA documents to partially satisfy its requirements for SEPA compliance. 1-2
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Appendix A Memorandum of Agreement
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Appendix C Supplemental Aquatic Res
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Agency and Organization Letters and
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Contents Public Meetings Response P
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Contents Individuals Individuals A-
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