Power giant sues Maine over plan that could force removal of 4 Kennebec dams [View all]
AUGUSTA, Maine — The owner of four dams on the Kennebec River sued the state of Maine on Tuesday seeking to halt a plan backed by Gov. Janet Mills that could lead to the dams’ removal.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources is in the process of imposing stricter requirements for fish passage on four dams located in the lower part of the Kennebec River between Waterville and Skowhegan with the aim of restoring populations of sea-run fish, including the endangered Atlantic salmon. It recommends that a federal regulator decommission and remove two dams and that another two be studied for removal.
A U.S. subsidiary of Brookfield Renewable Partners, the massive Toronto-based company that owns the dams, has decried the process, arguing that Maine undersold the significance of the rulemaking and accusing Gov. Janet Mills of retaliating after her administration’s efforts to broker the sale of the dams failed. A public comment period for rulemaking closed on Friday.
Brookfield made a narrower case as it sued the Maine Department of Marine Resources in Kennebec County Superior Court on Tuesday, arguing state law requires the amendment process to go through Maine’s agricultural and energy offices as well.
Read more: https://bangordailynews.com/2021/03/30/politics/power-giant-sues-maine-over-plan-that-could-force-removal-of-4-kennebec-dams/
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