The Yakama Nation tribe has criticised the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Priest Rapids hydroelectric project.
In a 15-page letter to FERC, the tribe says that the DEIS is incomplete as it does not include an analysis of a settlement agreement between tribal, state and federal parties to resolve the issue of salmon and steelhead passage.
The DEIS, originally published in February, is a requirement for the Grant County Public Utility District to obtain a second 50-year license to operate the Priest Rapids project, which is located on Columbia river in Washington state.
In Autumn 2003, FERC issued a ‘Policy Statement on Consultation with Indian Tribes in Commission Proceedings’ (Tribal Policy Statement) to encourage and facilitate involvement by Indian tribes in the areas over which FERC has jurisdiction.
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