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We are so lucky, to live under an open, transparent Presidential administration. Nothing like public access to all the government’s actions…and that’s what we have, nothing like it.<\/p>\n
Seems the Bidenistas are in confidential talks with environmental groups in the Northwest, aka “Left Coast North”, about breaching four hydroelectric dams on the Snake River.<\/p>\n
The dams were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers primarily to ensure the Snake River was passable for barge transportation. However, since then, the main benefit has been their reliable clean energy output. They still provide about 8% of the state’s electricity, enough to serve millions of residents, and have a large total capacity of 3,000 megawatts.<\/p>\n
According to federal data, replacing the hydropower with natural gas generation would increase carbon emissions<\/u> by up to 2.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of 421,000 passenger cars.<\/p>\n
“Despite our organization’s extensive efforts to contribute as industry and subject matter experts, our input was overlooked for months while the plaintiffs engaged in secretive negotiations with the Council on Environmental Quality,” added Neil Maunu, the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, in the press statement.<\/p>\n
In addition to the impacts on energy and climate ambitions, industry groups have argued that removing the four Snake River dams would disrupt the economy and harm agriculture exports<\/u>.<\/p>\n
The river system notably feeds the largest U.S. wheat export gateway. Aided by the dams, barges traveling along the Columbia River system carry about 60% of Washington’s annual wheat exports. A staggering 40% of the nation’s total wheat production, valued at billions of dollars, travels through the river system.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Screws up power generation, messes with the food supply – not a real favorable outlook.<\/p>\n
In a statement, a White House CEQ spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the administration is committed to balancing the wildlife, agriculture and clean energy needs of the Pacific Northwest. However, they declined to share the details of the agreement with environmental groups, citing a confidentiality agreement.<\/em> (emphasis added, ed.)<\/p>\n
“At President Biden\u2019s direction, the Biden-Harris Administration has made a historic commitment to prioritize the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish to the Columbia River Basin while delivering affordable and reliable clean energy, supporting the local agriculture economy, and meeting the many resilience needs of the region,” the spokesperson said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
There is a small fly in the White House ointment on this back-room deal: the law.<\/p>\n
“We find it necessary to remind you Congress alone has the authority not only to order the breach of the Lower Snake River Dams, but also exclusive authority to direct the study of breaching or to authorize replacement resources,” four House Republicans from the Pacific Northwest led by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., wrote to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on Monday.<\/p>\n
“This is statutory fact, and we warn the Administration not to attempt to circumvent that fact through clever wordsmithing,” the lawmakers continued, noting they have received a “plethora” of complaints from stakeholders and constituents about the federal government’s secretive negotiations on the matter.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n