Opinion: Utilities and state governments should honor their Eklutna River promises

Has been updated: 17 few minutes ago release date: 17 few minutes ago

Robert Service helped set the tone for moral behavior in the Arctic when he wrote, “In the Land of the Midnight Sun, a promise is an unpaid debt.'' In 1990, when Matanuska Power, Chugach Power, and the City of Anchorage purchased the Eklutna project for a fraction of its value, they promised Alaskans that they would mitigate (and thus restore) the dam's effects on fish in the Eklutna watershed. . And wild animals. This is known as the 1991 Agreement.

Essentially, in its rush to transfer control of the Snettisham and Eklutna hydroelectric projects to Alaska, the Federal Electricity Regulatory Commission (FERC) imposed regulations to consider impacts to fish and wildlife. The plan was discontinued after 35 years, avoiding the requirements. .

Last week, I attended five of six public presentations given by McMillen, the Idaho company hired by the three owners of the Eklutna project to analyze options for meeting the requirements of the 1991 agreement. did. I'm impressed by the utility it provides for managing the story in your presentation. There was no time allowed for audience participation or questions, instead individuals who helped provide data for McMillen's proposal to release water from the Anchorage Water and Sewer Portal, 11 miles downstream on the Eklutna River. A carefully constructed presence is now in place, but this portal is not connected. It does not allow sockeye salmon access to the lake or the fish access to miles of habitat above the lake.

The facts presented by McMillen were accurate, although misleading. For example, references to the proportion of electricity produced by the Eklutna dam are given as a proportion of the owner's renewable energy portfolio rather than as a proportion of its production capacity (~40% vs. ~3%).

Mr McMillen presented favorable proposals from fisheries experts, who were required to be consulted under the 1991 agreement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game provided them with thoughtful, well-researched suggestions and options. All ignored.

As the tribal administrator for Eklutna Indian Village, I was asked if outside organizations are using Eklutna Indian Village to advance their causes. I told them no. Eklutna First Nation Village has been patiently waiting for commitments and processes to reduce damage to fish and wildlife in their home territory. We appreciate the help of others who want to bring more salmon back to our rivers, lakes, oceans, and ultimately to our tables. They are even offering to pay Mid-South ratepayers the cost of dam removal at no cost, in exchange for a 10-year moratorium to pursue other renewable energy sources to replace up to 3% of it. is given to the power company.

I really appreciate the ordinance passed by the Anchorage Council (the City of Anchorage is the majority owner of the Eklutna project) that specifies that they want a complete restoration of the river, not just a portion of it. Members understand that promise. The fact that this ordinance was passed seemed to come as a surprise to McMillen Contractors in a previous presentation. I sincerely hope that this point will be given greater emphasis in the revision of the proposal.

The indigenous village of Eklutna does not have the deep pockets of an electricity company. We can't afford to hire fancy publicists or hold our own “public presentations” to promote ourselves. We pray that standing on the morally right side of this issue will bear fruit.

The owners plan to update their proposal and submit it to the governor in April. Gov. Mike Dunleavy will have the opportunity to accept, reject or change the proposal, and the public will have another chance to comment before a final decision is made in October.

There's still time for the public to weigh in and tell Governor Dunleavy they want Upper Cook Inlet salmon back. Alaskans can comment in writing at his http://eklutnahydro.com. This is an opportunity for the governor to implement legacy projects and fulfill his campaign promise: to return our rich salmon rivers so that his children and grandchildren – all Alaskans – can fish, too.

brenda hewitt I am the tribal administrator of Eklutna Indian Village. The comments here are her own.

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