Protect the Connecticut River from FirstLight's greenwashing

Protect the Connecticut River from FirstLight's greenwashing

Started
February 22, 2023
Signatures: 329Next Goal: 500
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Why this petition matters

Started by Lundy Bancroft

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

1 Winter Street

Boston, MA  02108

Attn: David Hilgeman

David.Hilgeman@mass.gov 

 

Re:       Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Relicensing of the Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 1889) and Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project (FERC No. 2485)

 

Dear Mr. Hilgeman:

We are writing in connection with FirstLight Power’s relicensing applications, referenced above. We understand that DEP will soon participate in the FERC relicensing through its obligation to enforce the Clean Water Act through conduct of the Section 401 Water Quality Certificate Process (401 WQC Process) and we strongly urge DEP to conduct a thorough certificate process with maximum opportunity for public input.

The FirstLight facilities cause terrible damage to the Connecticut River and its ecosystem and we  oppose relicensing them.  The Turners Falls dam blocks the movement of the vast majority of migratory and resident fish and other aquatic animals.  The dam significantly impedes the natural flow of the river, causes sediment to accumulate behind the dam burying important river bottom habitat, and critically dewaters habitat downstream from the dam. The Northfield project causes enormous daily fluctuations in water level and  kills all aquatic life that is sucked uphill by the pump to the upper Northfield Reservoir, often making the river run backwards.  

In our opinion both FirstLight facilities on the Connecticut River are behemoths of a bygone era, erected before the landmark federal Clean Water Act and other pivotal environmental legislation, and should not be relicensed.  

If these facilities are relicensed by FERC the licenses may be granted for 30-50 years, making this stage of the relicensing absolutely critical to insure that any new licenses contain strong provisions to mitigate and compensate for the terrible ecosystem damage caused by the FirstLight facilities. DEP possesses critically important authority to impose conditions on any new licenses and must exercise this vital public responsibility.

DEP will have only one year to conduct the 401 WQC Process once started or lose its ability to attach conditions to any new licenses issued by FERC.  It is imperative that DEP staff up now for the critical role it will play in the relicensing.  DEP staff must be well versed in the extensive existing relicensing studies before the 401 WQC clock starts, which will likely to be in May just over 3 months from now.  Once the certification process begins, DEP staff will need to examine and determine needs for an array of complex issues of water quality at these sites including flow alterations, erosion, dewatering, and biological integrity.  DEP must also take steps to ensure a robust public participation process by providing ample opportunity for residents of the Commonwealth to participate in the 401 WQC Process once it begins.

Respectfully submitted,

 

BY SIGNING THIS PETITION, YOU'RE AGREEING TO HAVE YOUR NAME SIGNED ON TO THE ABOVE LETTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Signatures: 329Next Goal: 500
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