The FERC staff issued a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) today for the 207.3 MW Saluda hydroelectric project on the Saluda River in Lexington, Richland, Newberry, and Saluda counties, South Carolina.

This week FERC released its Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed hydroelectric project on the Flint Creek near Philipsburg, Montana.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the four hydroelectric projects on the Big Creek System, located in Fresno and Madera Counties in California.

Last week was the deadline for comments on FERC's draft Environmental Assessment on the rebuilding of the Taum Sauk project's upper reservoir. In December 2005, the pumped storage hydroelectric project failed, sending more than one billions gallons of water into a popular state park.

FERC has issued a NEPA scoping document for the relicensing of the Ottumwa Project in Wapello County, Iowa. The deadline for comments is January 4, 2007. Section 5 of the scoping document explains how to submit comments.

On September 25, 2006, FERC released a draft environmental impact statement for the Klamath River Project. FERC's draft does not analyze removing the lower four dams, as many stakeholders have called for in the licensing process. The statement does acknowledge removal of two dams, but does not call for removal in its preferred alternative.

On July 28, 2006, FERC published a draft environmental impact statement for the licensing of the Hells Canyon Complex. The 1000+ MW project blocks all migration for endangered Snake River salmon and steelhead. FERC does not recommend any additional passage into tributaries or the mainstem Snake River for the next 30-50 year license.

The House Resources Committee will consider the Domestic Energy Security Act (current energy bill) on Wednesday, April 13. This bill includes a provision that establishes a loophole under which agencies would be precluded from considering a range of environmental action alternatives under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for so-called " renewable energy sources," including hydropower dams. This provision has been approved by the House before, but was not passed by the Senate. If your Representative serves on this committee, he or she needs to hear from you on Wednesday in strong opposition to this provision of the bill.

On July 11th, 2005, the Commission issued a new license for the Box Canyon Project on the Pend Oreille River in northeastern Washington and Idaho. The issuance brought a conclusion to the licensing phase of this project's extended history as a poster child for combative licensing processes. The license adopts mandatory conditions, including fish passage, submitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the United States Forest Service.

American Rivers' press release is below.

Andrew Fahlund, Eric Eckl, (202) 347-7550

(Washington, DC) Congress is considering hobbling public and regulatory oversight of the energy industry under the guise of promoting renewable energy, conservationists warned today.