REPRESENTATIVES OF A GROUP opposing the removal of Fort Halifax dam in Winslow, US, have expressed their concerns to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
According to a FERC ruling, Benton Falls dam, Fort Halifax dam and the Burnham dam must provide permanent fish lifts for passage of alewives, shad and Atlantic salmon by May 2003, or surrender their licences to FERC for decommissioning.
The group opposing dam removal, Save Our Sebasticook (SOS) is trying to influence the decision to install fish lifts rather than remove the dams. An SOS spokesman said that the removal of the dams will result in loss of valuable habitat, hydroelectric generation and economic base to the town, which is too high a price to pay for fish passage.
On the other hand, the Kennebec Coalition, which successfully lobbied for the removal of the Edwards dam in 1999, is actively seeking removal of the dams to return rivers to their original state.
• For further information on this story and the Kennebec Coalition, see the August 2001 issue of International Water Power and Dam Construction, p2.
