LaMalfa Votes to Require Congressional Approval for Federal Dam Removal

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 3144, to provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System. This bill prevents removal of federal dams without prior Congressional approval and keeps in place the operations plan for four dams in Washington State which have come under siege recently due to the issuance of a poorly-reasoned court order.

LaMalfa said: "Despite favorable opinions from federal agencies serving under the Obama Administration, an activist judge is still attempting to hamper operations of four important dams in the Pacific Northwest. While this is hardly surprising, it does risk setting a precedent that Dam operations can be influenced, or even ceased, at the whim of an overeager judicial system. We shouldn't be placing unproven environmental science above the needs of local communities. This legislation provides some certainty for the operations of these particular dams, while also putting in place measures to protect federal dams from politically biased judges. Under this legislation, only Congress can decide to remove a federal dam, and that's how it should be."

Background information on H.R. 3144, courtesy of the Natural Resources Committee, can be found here.

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