$50M Penobscot dam project wins state OK
State regulators Wednesday signed off on the final piece of a $50 million proposal to remove or bypass three Penobscot River dams to restore runs for endangered Atlantic salmon and other fish.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection approved the Penobscot River Restoration Trust's plan to decommission the Howland dam and build a new fish bypass, the final and most controversial of three permits needed in the project, according to the Bangor Daily News. Last week, the DEP approved permits to decommission and remove the Veazie and Great Works dams, but the Howland proposal was the most contentious, generating concern among fishermen and biologists that opening up the dam could leave trout and landlocked salmon fisheries vulnerable to invasive northern pike.
The project, which already received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, now needs permits from the Army Corps of Engineers before the trust can close on the $25 million purchase of the three dams, currently owned by PPL Corp. Executive Director Laura Rose Day told the paper she expected the permits within a few weeks, and that the group hopes to begin the project next summer.
Go to the article from the Bangor Daily News >>
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