Controversial Aspects of Decommissioning the Edwards Dam

Controversial Aspects of Decommissioning the Edwards Dam In 1991 the Edwards Manufacturing Company, owner of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Augusta, ME, applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a renewal of their license to operate a privately owned hydroelectric dam. Their application was denied; Edwards Manufacturing Company was required to come up with a plan for the enacting and financing of decommissioning the dam, as well as the restoration of the river. This was the first time in history that the federal government ordered a privately owned hydroelectric dam destroyed against the wishes of the owner. Numerous factors were involved which eventually led to this decision, namely the†¦show more content†¦There are a number of environmental advantages that would occur upon decommissioning the Edwards Dam, most notably the rejuvenation of fish populations and the resulting increase in numbers of the osprey and bald eagles which feed upon them. Historically, the Kennebec River provided extensive top-quality breeding grounds for all ten species of anadromous fish native to the northeastern U.S., a distinction that the Kennebec River alone could boast of. Anadromous fish make their home in the ocean but embark upon the tough journey upstream once a year to lay their eggs. Since the erection of the Edwards Dam in 1837, and the subsequent construction of more than a hundred dams upstream of the Edwards, these fish have been effectively blocked off from prime spawning grounds. The removal of the dam would open up fifteen miles of these grounds, seventeen miles total before encountering the next obstruction, making this the longest uninterrupted stretch of high quality breeding grounds north of the Hudson River (Howe,1998). The possibility of freeing such a considerable amount of breeding grounds had conservationists up in arms over the matter of renewing the operation license of the Edwards ManufacturingShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World B etween 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesCentury of Violence †¢ John H. Morrow Jr. 161 6 Locating the United States in Twentieth-Century World History †¢ Carl J. Guarneri 213 7 The Technopolitics of Cold War: Toward a Transregional Perspective †¢ Gabrielle Hecht and Paul N. Edwards 271 8 A Century of Environmental Transitions †¢ Richard P. Tucker 315 About the Contributors †¢ 343 _ IN TR OD UC TIO N Michael Adas B y any of the customary measures we deploy to demarcate historical epochs, theRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesto the reviewers of past editions who shared our commitment to elevating the instruction of project management. The reviewers include Paul S. Allen, Rice University; Denis F. Cioffi, George Washington University; Joseph D. DeVoss, DeVry University; Edward J. Glantz, Pennsylvania State University; Michael Godfrey, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh; Robert Key, University of Phoenix; Dennis Krumwiede, Idaho State University; Nicholas C. Petruzzi, University of Illinois–Urbana/Champaign; William R. Sherrard