The plan to remove the four lower Snake River dams, in an effort to save Pacific Northwest salmon, has been a decades-long controversy.
Congressman Mike Simpson has received some backlash after introducing his $33 billion dollar plan to remove hydro-electric dams. He calls it a step towards Biden’s clean energy initiative.
“The number of bushels of grain going down the river on barges right now are decreasing. They’re less than they used to be. They are decreasing because we’re finding alternatives to the transportation, and to say that there’s not any alternatives out there is just to throw our hands in the air and say, ‘okay, the salmon are dead. What we’re doing now is what we’re going to do for the next 50 years,’ minus the fact that the judge is going to intervene at some point in time... What I’m searching for is some solutions. If you’re got a better idea, tell me! That’s all I’m asking.”
Congressman Simpson says that he also wants a 35 plus year moratorium on dam litigation while the salmon problem is addressed.
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Critics vow to continue efforts to remove Snake River dams