Whats the story behind PacifiCorps dams state water quality permit applications?
On Friday July 11, the day before the Water Board’s CEQA process was to initiate, PacifiCorp withdrew their clean water permit application. The withdrawal letter stated that PacifiCorp was withdrawing in order to “facilitate settlement negotiations.” However, since withdrawal, there have been no meetings between PacifiCorp and the Klamath Settlement Group and no settlement proposal has been offered to the Klamath Settlement Group for consideration. According to the Water Board, this situation — the withdrawal of a water quality certification permit application without resubmitting another alternative application – is highly uncommon. So uncommon that it led the Water Board to send an official letter to PacifiCorp requesting that the application be resubmitted by September 30th so that mounting water quality and fisheries issues can be properly addressed. At the end of September, PacifiCorp resubmitted an application, but it was for status quo operations of the dam. The California Wate
