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This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Letters:
Siskiyou
County
supervisor is incorrect on
Klamath dams
Judging from her May 14
letter to the Triplicate, Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong
has completely lost her moral compass as she navigates a losing effort
to block the removal of the lower four Klamath River dams.
Mrs. Armstrong cites two
studies, one on the toxicity of the sediment behind the dams and another
on the volume of sediment. Mrs. Armstrong lifts a passage out of context
but neglects to include the studies' conclusion: The studies from
outside of the Klamath Basin show that the levels found in the sediments
behind the Klamath dams do not appear to be problematic ... the toxic
equivalents are generally in the lower range of those noted from
elsewhere and are below levels expected to cause any significant effects
to fishery resource.
Furthermore the report
reads: Dioxin levels in these sediments are not alarming and since the
sediments are expected to rapidly pass the Klamath system to the ocean,
noticeable effects to fishery resources should not be expected from
exposure to dioxins in the sediments if these dams are removed.
All this information is
detailed in an
The California Coastal
Commission filed a sediment study with FERC in 2006 that says: "the
toxicity of the sediment in the four lowermost dams is very low and will
not affect method or cost of decommissioning." The document goes on
to state that "sediment transport … would be unlikely to cause
flooding."
As we move closer to
removal, it is important to note that more comprehensive studies will be
performed and publicly reviewed in compliance with state and federal
laws.
What I want to know is
where was Mrs. Armstrong's concerns for public health last summer when
massive blooms of toxic blue green algae behind the dams led agencies to
post warnings against touching the Klamath River all the way to the
river's mouth? Where was Mrs. Armstrong's concern for public health when
it was revealed that the resident perch in the Klamath reservoirs are
too toxic to eat due to the algae toxins?
The good news is that the
coalition of tribes, fishermen, small towns and farmers intent on
removing the dams and fixing the river grows stronger every day. Soon
Mrs. Armstrong's lies will be washed out to sea by the mighty Klamath
along with the dams and their (non-toxic) sediment.
S. Craig Tucker
Klamath Campaign
Coordinator
Karuk Tribe of
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Source:
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=8753