Stakeholders protest Klamath dams

April 29, 2008

By Michelle Ma

Triplicate staff writer

American Indian tribes, environmental activists and commercial fishermen are on their way to Omaha , Neb. , to demand removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River during Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting this weekend.

Members of the Yurok Tribe are among those protesting the dams this week.

Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway owns MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, which in turn owns PacifiCorp, the operator of the hydroelectric project on the Klamath. This is the second year stakeholders have protested the dams at the Omaha meeting.

PacifiCorp is trying to relicense its Klamath dams to operate for another 30-50 years. Almost simultaneously, a settlement among parties involved with the Klamath River requests that PacifiCorp remove the dams, which block salmon from reaching the river's upper stretches.

"We're in a situation where there's no business as usual in the Klamath, so why should there be business as usual for Berkshire Hathaway?" said Craig Tucker, Klamath campaign coordinator for the Karuk Tribe.

About 25 supporters of dam removal will spend a few days in Omaha , holding events and a news conference before the shareholders meeting Saturday.

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Source:  http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=8515