Salmon lawsuit targets dam owners
Owners of several dams on two Maine rivers are the targets of a lawsuit accusing them of violating the Endangered Species Act by harming Atlantic salmon.
Conservation groups Friends of Merrymeeting Bay and Environment Maine filed the suit yesterday in federal courts in Bangor and Portland against owners of seven dams on the Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers, according to the Bangor Daily News. The groups claim that salmon are hurt and killed in the turbines of the dams, and ask the court to find the companies in violation of the federal act and seek damages. The companies named are: Brookfield Renewable Power, NextEra Energy Resources, Merimil Ltd. Partnership, Miller Hydro group and Topsham Hydro Partners.
Atlantic salmon in three Maine rivers were put under federal protection in 2009, but companies and dams can apply for permits to protect them from liability from fish death or harm. However, none of the companies mentioned in the suit have received such permits, according to the paper.
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