[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              OPPOSE PROPOSED REMOVAL OR BREACHING OF DAMS

  (Mr. NETHERCUTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Speaker, I want to again voice my opposition to 
the proposed removal or breaching of dams on the Snake and Columbia 
Rivers in Washington State. Some advocate that these dams be destroyed 
in an effort to restore wild salmon runs.
  I am concerned about recovery of wild salmon runs, but I also believe 
that we must not destroy our multiple use river system that has been 
created over the past 40 years. I seek to implement a salmon recovery 
plan that is science-based, maintains a healthy environment for other 
fish and wildlife species, but balances the needs of our local economy 
and our rural way of life in the Northwest.
  There are serious environmental effects of replacing hydroelectric 
power with fossil fueled generation. Dams are a clean and renewable 
energy resource. To replace this source of electricity with natural gas 
fired turbines would add thousands of tons of pollutants and chemicals 
into the atmosphere annually.
  We must examine all sources of fish loss. Ocean conditions, predator 
populations and over-harvesting on the river have yet to be fully 
addressed. Salmon recovery can be accomplished using developing 
technology and sensible harvest limits. Damn removal will irreversibly 
remove jobs, harm the economy and the environment, while the benefits 
to the salmon would remain uncertain.

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