Inslee’s orca plan

Governor Inslee has proposed spending $750,000 to study the removal of the four dams on the Snake River to provide more salmon for the orca pods that seasonally forage off our coast.

According to Wikipedia, the four dams on the lower Snake River have an electricity capacity of 3,155 megawatts of electricity. The replacement of generating capacity would take about 1,434 of the latest technology 2.2 megawatt windmills to replace the carbon free electricity. It is estimated that the recent cost of installing these windmills is about $4.6 million each. The total cost would be an about $6,596,400,000 increase in cost of electricity. Not counting the cost of removing the dams and the loss of river transportation. This would not reduce global warming one iota and may actually increase it because windmills need some backup source when the wind is not blowing.

There is also concern where these 1,434 windmills could be built. We do not want them near our backyard! There is also concern about affecting sage grouse and other endangered birds and animals. They cannot be built within 70 miles of the coast because of endangered marbled merlot.

Then the real question - would removing the four dams really increase the number of salmon for the orcas? Or just for the California sea lions? Even then would it really help the orcas? Maybe it would be better if we just ban salmon and steel head fishing for about 20-plus years and see if that works. However, then the fishermen would probably trade their fishing vests for florescent riot vests like the French and storm the state capital.

Do we really need to spend $750,000 on a study?

Kelly Niemi

Kelso, Wash.