Brookfield Faces Lawsuit for Violations of Endangered Species Act on Kennebec River
May 13, 2021
May 13, 2021 (Augusta, ME) Three conservation groups have announced they intend to sue the international energy giant Brookfield Renewable Partners (Brookfield) for repeated violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on Maine’s Kennebec River.
Brookfield’s four dams located between Waterville and Skowhegan are threatening the survival of endangered Atlantic salmon, according to a notice of intent to sue (NOI) letter filed by the Conservation Law Foundation, Maine Rivers, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Brookfield’s authorization to “take” Atlantic salmon trying to pass upstream and downstream through the dams expired in 2019, and since that time the company has continued to kill fish, in clear violation of the ESA.
Brookfield Renewable files motion to stop Kennebec River dam removals mainebiz.biz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mainebiz.biz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Kennebec River in Skowhegan. Photo by Sam Horine
Dam Removal Brings Rivers Back to Life
In Maine, we know from experience that when we remove dams, native fish and wildlife return in record numbers, injecting new life into rivers that helps revive riverfront communities and supports commercial and recreational fisheries.
3 and paddling.
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After the removal of the Edwards Dam in 1999 and the Fort Halifax Dam on the Sebasticook River in 2008, the lower Kennebec River has surged back to life:
The run of river herring is the largest in North America, exceeding three million fish annually. Since 2009, 36 million alewives have reached habitat beyond Benton Falls.