SAN FRANCISCO; May 3, 2000:
The non-profit Low-Impact Hydropower Institute today announced
the first hydropower facility to seek
certification as "Low Impact" under the Institute's
criteria. The certification application was received from the
Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, Island Park Hydroelectric
Project (FERC no. 2973), located in Ashton, Idaho. The announcement
marks a critical turning point in a longstanding national effort
to develop a better assessment tool for evaluating the environmental
impacts of hydropower facilities.
"We are pleased to receive the first of what we expect
to be many applications seeking the Institute's Low-Impact Hydropower
designation," said Richard Roos-Collins, Chairman of the
LIHI Board and an attorney with the Natural Heritage Institute
(NHI). "We applaud the Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative
for their interest in leading the market towards improving the
environmental performance of hydropower facilities nationwide."
The public is invited to review all applications considered
by the Institute. Certification applications, criteria and other
LIHI information are available at www.lowimpacthydro.org. Over
the next 60 days, the Cooperative's application will be posted
for public comment and subject to an extensive technical review.
Based on any public comments received and the findings of the
technical review, the Institute's Governing Board will make a
final determination on the facility's status as Low-Impact.
The Institute grew out of
two years of discussion between environmentalists, power marketers,
hydropower reform organizations, and dam owners
on establishing criteria that could be used to designate hydropower
facilities as "Low-Impact." The Institute's criteria
cover eight different aspects of hydropower operations, ranging
from water flows to fish impacts to recreational uses; and require
supporting evidence from local resource agencies with regulatory
oversight over the facility.
Over twenty environmental and water groups from around the country
have signed on in support of the LIHI program and approach. Organizations
that helped establish the Institute include NHI, American Rivers,
Trout Unlimited, and the Center for Resource Solutions.
Contact: Richard Roos-Collins, Chairman, LIHI (510) 644-2900
Dee M. Reynolds, Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative (208) 652-7431
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