Rep. Huffman Highlights Urgent Need for Dam Removal During Investigative Forum

Huffman, Expert Panel Examine Impacts of Klamath Dams, Call for End to PacifiCorp Delays

 Image of harmful algae bloom in Klamath River caused by Pacificorp dam

 

San Rafael, CA – Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, lead a livestreamed forum yesterday to examine the impact of four aging dams on the Klamath River owned by PacifiCorp and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, which have made millions for PacifiCorp’s shareholders, but to the detriment of native communities and cultures, and those who depend on the river’s fish. 

“For centuries, the development of what has become modern-day America has come at the expense of its native peoples. Berkshire Hathaway – led by Warren Buffet, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals – purchased the company and has been reaping profits from these dams,” said Rep. Huffman. “While federal, state, and tribal governments push forward as hard as they can to realize a decade-old agreement to remove these dams, PacifiCorp has slow-walked, hedged, and delayed any meaningful action. Delay means more corporate profits for PacificCorp, while downstream tribes and communities continue to bear all the impacts. 

“If there’s one message from today’s hearing, it is this: we have no more room for delays, and we will not tolerate gaming of the recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision in order to squeeze out more corporate profits at the expense of tribes, downstream communities, and the environment. It’s important for Congress and the public at large to understand the consequences of further delay. My congressional colleagues and I will use our oversight, and if necessary our legislative authority, to spotlight and address these consequences,” he concluded.