Western Lawmakers introduce bill to speed up Dam Construction
As reported in the Pacific Standard, an online magazine devoted to environmental issues,
“Republicans from arid Western states have set their sights on making dam-building easier. Led by California Representative Tom McClintock, lawmakers from Wyoming, North Dakota, Arizona, and Colorado introduced a bill last week that would try to force federal agencies to complete complex environmental studies for dam-building plans within a year.
But many water scientists, river law experts, and regulators say House Resolution 1664, which is sponsored by California Republican Congressman Tom McClintock, presents an unrealistic time-frame given that any major modern dam proposal includes dozens of detailed scientific, engineering, and safety studies running to thousands of pages. Conservation advocates say the bill would undermine basic environmental laws requiring federal agencies to take a “hard look” at proposed projects on public land.”
The full article can be read: Pacific Standard March 29