US regulators approve largest dam demolition plan in history for Klamath River

The plan to knock down the four dams situated along the lower Klamath River in California and Oregon was waiting for its last approval from the regulatory committee.

On Thursday, the US regulators voted to support the decision, and the plan received its final approval. With this final approval, the project is set to become the country's largest dam demolition plan.

FERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) gave the green light and approved the demolition plan. The demolition project would clear the waterway for salmon and restore a hundred miles of the Klamath River.


With the committee's approval, PacifiCorp (an electric power company) signs off on its surrender licence for all four dams. The demolition will begin after California, Oregon, and the Klamath Renewal Corporation sign off on the surrender.

The expected date of the demolition of the first dam is 2023.

Statements given by the FERC Chairman:

Richard Glick, the Chairman of the FERC, said that questions might have arisen in people's minds: "In the era of zero-emission, why is such a big demolition happening?"
He said that a project as big as this doesn't happen every day and was licenced years ago when the environmental issues weren't overwhelming.
The project substantially impacted the fish and the environment and needed demolishing.

FAQs:

1. What is the full form of FERC?
   Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
2. Who is the chairman of FERC?
   Richard Glick.