The decision comes on the heels of a preliminary findings from a Harvard study that long-term exposure to air pollution is connected to more illness and death in COVID-19 infections.
The four dams — Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite—provide a 1,000 MW of carbon-free power for the region, but also hinder the passage of salmon.
The Feb. 20 proposal calls for establishing maximum contaminant levels for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). EPA also proposed regulating imported products that contain certain long-chain PFAS chemicals that are used as surface coatings.
Despite partisan rancor over climate change at the national level, state energy officials recognize the need to be proactive in developing and implementing plans to address it.
