some dam hydro news · the downtown area, preventing them from reopening amid the coronavirus...

Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

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7/17/2020

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Dams: (What do you do after your whole life is washed away?) Michigan village starts flood recovery, awaits funds By ANNA LIZ NICHOLS Associated Press/ Report for America, Jul 4, 2020, martinsvillebulletin LANSING, Mich (AP) — Jenna Hulse was at work out of town as a nurse when she got a message from her brother that a dam three blocks from her house in the Michigan village of Sanford was failing. Six feet (2 meters) of water entered the home, and though Hulse said she’s lucky that the house she's lived in most of her life is still structurally sound, many other peoples’ homes were destroyed, ripped from their foundations. “Things aren’t ever going to be normal again. There will be a new normal, I guess, but there’s so much of the village that’s getting torn down. Eventually, the look and feel of it will be different,” Hulse said. “It’s just unfair and disgusting, watching these houses get torn down that I’ve been looking at my whole life." Hulse is among the 859 Sanford residents whose lives were upended when privately owned dams with a history of neglect failed in May, resulting in more than $200 million damage in Midland County.

Some Dam – Hydro News TM And Other Stuff

Quote of Note: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." --F. Scott Fitzgerald

Some Dam - Hydro News Newsletter Archive for Current and Back Issues and Search: (Hold down Ctrl key when clicking on this link) http://npdp.stanford.edu/ . After clicking on link, scroll down under Partners/Newsletters on left, click one of the links (Current issue or View Back Issues).

“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson Ron’s wine pick of the week: 2016 Dr Konstantin Frank Cabernet Franc "Finger Lakes" “No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson


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When the floodwaters roiled the Tittabawassee River, much of the attention focused on the larger downstream city of Midland, home to Dow Chemical Co. But many in Sanford are still scraping up muck and debris as they wait to find out whether any government aid may come their way. In mid-June, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster, which would open up federal resources and financial support for the area. Michigan has not yet received a response to Whitmer's request. Legislation to allocate $6 million in state funds to the Midland area, mostly for housing, is sitting in a committee, with the Legislature adjourned for the summer. Hulse said that when the floodwaters hit, countless volunteers in the village went to work helping her and families like hers by providing meals and supplies, and removing debris. “The mud was unbelievable. It was slimy and it left this film on anything,” Hulse said. “A lot of the stuff that you thought, ‘Well maybe I’ll clean this off and keep it,’ you can’t even, you can’t.” Sanford, being so small, has already spent more than its yearly budget on debris cleanup alone. Emily Ricards created a Facebook page to organize volunteer work. Although state or federal government aid would be a huge help, Ricards said Sanford could not wait. Midland County has a history of salt and gravel mining, and local excavating companies are helping to clean up the debris. “If we would have waited we’d still be sitting and in three foot of muck,” Ricards said. Many damaged houses were not in the floodplain and did not have flood insurance, Ricards said. Together with the Midland Foundation, which funds programming and services for the county, the Sanford Strong Facebook page has raised $210,000 to take care of the immediate needs of residents, such as food and housing. Floodwaters reached nearly to the ceilings of businesses in the downtown area, preventing them from reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic with the rest of the state, said Midland attorney Angela M. Cole, who lived in Sanford for more than 40 years. She created a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $20,000 to help local businesses. “It’s very personal to me. I raised my three sons in Sanford,” Cole said. “When they went to college and came back, the first place they always wanted to go for dinner was Lanny’s Restaurant, which is right in downtown Sanford. We celebrated birthday parties, their graduations, anything you can think of there.” The goal is to keep people in the village, Cole said. Supporting businesses will make it easier for residents to stay or visit, which would build the tax base. ”I think it’s better just to help than to sit back and wait" for state or federal funding, Cole said. "We’re gonna be very grateful for it, but can it really help the amount of devastation? Maybe not, so maybe if we do our part, that will help heal some more. “Anna Liz Nichols is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Tailings dams should be zero harm: report BY: MINING.COM STAFF JULY 2, 2020, northernminer.com An international group of 142 scientists, community groups and NGOs from 24 countries has published a set of 16 guidelines for the safer storage of mine waste. The guidelines aim to protect communities, workers and the environment from the risks posed by thousands of mine waste storage facilities, which are failing more frequently and with more severe outcomes. “Safety First: Guidelines for Responsible Mine Tailings Management” argues that the ultimate goal of tailings management must be zero harm to


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people and the environment and zero tolerance for human fatalities. The group publishing the report includes frontline organizations in mining-affected communities from Brazil, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, India and elsewhere, as well as global groups such as Amnesty International Canada, Earthworks, IndustriALL Global Union Federation, MiningWatch Canada, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) and the Sierra Club. Last year, a tragic dam collapse in Brazil killed 270 people and destroyed the town of Brumadinho, and came on the heels of tailings dam failures at the Mount Polley mine in Canada and the Samarco mine in Brazil, among others. The guidelines come as the Global Tailings Review, co-convened by the international mining industry association, ICMM, investors and the UN Environment Programme, prepares to unveil the first Global Tailings Standard “for the safer management of tailings storage facilities.” Current industry standards, including the draft of the Global Tailings Standard released in 2019, do not adequately protect communities and ecosystems from failures, the report finds. The trend in tailings dam tragedies are a consequence of allowing mining companies to sacrifice safety to cut costs, control auditors and silence dissent among workers, the report revealed. The report asserts that tailings storage facilities must be built and managed only with community consent, respecting human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and adopt the best available technologies and practices. Guidelines include that international safety protocols must be independent of company control, and must be established through multi-stakeholder processes that actively engage workers, communities and civil society. Strong standards for tailings dams must ensure financial guarantees and accountability at the highest level of corporate governance, the report maintains. Public participation in decisions and reliable whistleblower and grievance mechanisms are necessary to ensure that communities and workers can raise the alarm without consequences, the report states. “We need independent guidelines on tailings safety,” says Carolina de Moura of Associação Comunitária da Jangada, Brumadinho, Brazil. “We urgently need guidelines and regulations to manage toxic mine waste dams. We hope that the case of Brumadinho becomes a milestone and an inflection point for mining across the world.” “Governments and international institutions need to move urgently to implement these 16 guidelines to end mine waste failures worldwide. Industry self-regulation will not provide adequate protection. There must be a strong global response to this global problem, putting safety first,” says Ugo Lapointe, MiningWatch Canada, Canada. (Another tailings dam failure.) Small tailings dam collapses in Ecuador, communities denounce pollution whtc.com, July 03, 2020, Thomson Reuters QUITO (Reuters), Ecuador - A small tailings dam associated with a mine run by Ecuadorean firm Austro Gold has collapsed, Ecuador's government said on Friday, sending mining waste into a nearby river. A retaining wall collapsed at the Armijos tailings station, located in the Camilo Ponce Enriquez area in southern Ecuador, the energy and mines ministry said. Nobody was injured. "One of the immediate measures in the area will be ... to prohibit mining activities at that plant," the ministry said in a statement, without providing details on the incident The ministry said it opened an investigation to determine how the company could be sanctioned. Ecuador this month is expected to release guidelines for the management of tailings dams, partly in response to high profile accidents including a 2019 dam collapse in Brazil that killed more than 250 people. Reuters was not immediately able to contact Austro Gold. Local authorities in Camilo Ponce Enriquez, a traditional mining zone, said the company had not complied with the protocols and the collapse caused sediment pollution in the river. "There was a collapse ... and all this material, about 50 tons, went down the mountain until it reached the Tenguel river," city commissioner Cristian Tomala told reporters. Ecuador has been developing large-scale mining since last year


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and has been exporting gold and copper from its two largest mines. (Reporting by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Chris Reese) I hate tailings dams) Environmental groups propose tailings dam safety standards Jun 30, 2020, reuters.com (Reuters) - Mining companies should be required to buy private insurance for tailings dams and their board of directors should be held legally responsible for any disasters, a coalition of 140 environmental groups said in a report published on Tuesday. The recommendations, which differ from standards to be published soon from a group that includes miners and investors, come as public scrutiny over tailings dams has intensified after the deadly 2019 collapse of a Brazil dam owned by Vale SA. Earthworks and MiningWatch Canada, two prominent environmental nonprofits, co-wrote the report earthworks.org/safety-first that includes 16 recommendations they hope will be adopted by regulators across the world and used by bankers as they consider whether to lend to miners. Tailings dams, which are embankments constructed near mines to store mining waste in a liquid or solid form, can sometimes tower dozens of meters high and stretch for several kilometers. They are the most common waste-disposal method for miners, but they can be dangerous depending on construction method and a host of other factors. The Earthworks-led report recommends that new tailings dams be banned near inhabited areas; make dam inspection data easily available; and make safety, not cost, the main factor in a dam’s construction. “We hope local governments and local regulators, as well as lenders, insurers and investors, take these recommendations into account,” said Earthworks’ Jan Morrill, who co-authored the report. Reuters reported last week that the Global Tailings Review (GTR), a panel of industry, investor and United Nations groups, had finalized its own tailings dam standards, which are not binding and are set to be released in the coming weeks here: https://globaltailingsreview.org/statement-on-global-tailings-review/ The GTR’s final standards do not require private insurance and do not place final culpability with a company’s board. Instead, they call for appointing at least one executive responsible for tailings dam safety who is accountable to the chief executive and has regular communication with the board. Graphic: The Looming Risk of Tailings Dams here: https://graphics.reuters.com/MINING-TAILINGS1/0100B4S72K1/index.html (They don’t care about history, at least not when a dam is involved. Hypocrites! Guess a score of 8,975-477 [that’s almost 19 to 1 in favor of no dam removal,]) Controversy on whether to keep Graue Mill dam or remove it heats up; ‘This is the third go-around with this issue' By CHUCK FIELDMAN, PIONEER PRESS | JUN 28, 2020, chicagotribune.com Opposing online petitions are circulating regarding whether to keep the Graue Mill dam or remove it, while one area group is planning to present a plan for removal to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. The DuPage River Salt Creek Work Group was formed in 2005 and works to develop and implement a plan that

Rescue team at failied tailings dam owned by Brazilian Miining Co Vale SA


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will achieve attainment of water quality standards and designated uses for Salt Creek, East Branch DuPage River and West Branch DuPage River. Salt Creek flows past Graue Mill 3800 York Road, and a dam close to the Graue Mill grist mill and museum, 3800 York Road. The DuPage River Salt Creek Work Group said they believe removing the dam would allow for better biodiversity of fish and the aquatic insect population. Stephen McCracken, director of watershed protection for The DuPage River Salt Creek Work Group, said Wednesday that the group is in the process of getting public input about the dam and plans to bring a plan for removal of the dam to the forest preserve district board at the end of July.

McCracken said the dam prevents some species of fish from swimming upstream beyond the dam and that the dam’s removal would save taxpayers a considerable amount. “It would cost about $213 million to upgrade the (10) Salt Creek treatment plants, but that still wouldn’t solve the biodiversity problem near the dam,” McCracken said. He said it would cost an estimated $800,000 to remove the dam and make related improvements. A big concern of Graue Mill board members is that removal of the dam would stop the water flow used to

help turn the large outdoor mill wheel. “The wheel moving is very important because it’s been an indication to people that we’re open when it’s moving,” said Rus Strahan, vice president a Graue Mill board member. Strahan said the wheel hasn’t worked property in two years because of accumulated debris. “There’s been a noticeable decrease in attendance, and we think the wheel not working has a lot to with that,” he said. “People have stopped in and commented that they were surprised we were open when the wheel wasn’t turning.” McCracken said he is looking into ways by which a switch could be used to turn the wheel off and on using some type of motor, if the dam is removed. Former Oak Brook Village President Karen Bushy started an online Save Graue Mill Dam petition about weeks ago, which had accumulated 8,975 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. “I started the petition because with COVID you can’t get people together for a discussion and this is one way to let people know what’s going on,” Bushy said. She said aesthetics and history are two major reasons she supports not removing the dam. “This is the third go-around with this issue,” said Bushy, who served as Oak Brook Village President from 1991 to 2003 and had discussions about the dam during that time. The petition started by Bushy in support of keeping the dam states that the Graue Mill Dam has been part of Salt Creek for as far back as records can be found. “Without the dam, there will be no water to turn the wheel,” she said. “Hard to picture an historic mill with no water running past it.” An online petition in support of removing the dam had accumulated 477 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. That petition states that removing the dam is an opportunity to restore the creek’s ecosystem, improve water quality, increase paddling access and save taxpayers millions. “Further, removing the dam will not prevent the mill from continuing its important educational mission of telling of the mill’s role as a 19th Century economic engine and sanctuary along the Underground Railroad.


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(Gotta have a dam removal story.) Dam removal could be part of plan to restore Tinker Creek By Laurence Hammack, roanoke.com, Jul.6, 2020 A chemical spill that killed more than 50,000 fish in Tinker Creek could lead to the demise of a popular downstream attraction — the Mason Mill dam. Removal of the dam, which is in a Roanoke park, would improve the habitat of surviving fish and make it easier for them to swim up and down the creek, according to a proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The idea won preliminary support recently from the city of Roanoke, which owns the 19th-century rock-and-concrete structure. “It’s served its function, and we could get more out of Tinker Creek if we could work for better fish passage,” said Leigh Anne Weitzenfeld, the city’s water quality administrator. But Weitzenfeld stressed that it’s still early in the process. Support from Roanoke is conditioned on approval by the city council and input from property owners along the creek and the public at large. Dam removal is part of a plan to restore Tinker Creek three years after one of the worst fish kills in Virginia. In a settlement with state and federal agencies, the responsible company has agreed to pay $425,000 to finance the project. Planning is still underway, and a more detailed version could be available for public review sometime this fall, Serena Ciparis, an environmental contaminants biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said in an email last week. After suggesting four alternatives in a draft plan released in April, the service and DEQ invited written public comments. There were six responses. Roanoke, Roanoke County, the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission and Friends of the Rivers of Virginia all expressed support in some form for taking the dam out, according to a summary of the comments released last month by the Fish and Wildlife Service. One local respondent who was not identified, other than as a fisherman, said removal of two dams — the proposal also includes Ardagh dam in Roanoke County — would improve the habitat for aquatic life. A second resident, described as a property owner who lives next to Tinker Creek, wrote that the restoration plan would not adequately restore the fish population. The woman said she has observed no fish in the creek near her home since June 29, 2017. Early on that day, a plastic storage tank outside what was then called Crop Production Services in Cloverdale sprang a leak, allowing a highly toxic chemical to flow into Tinker Creek and downstream through parts of Botetourt and Roanoke counties and the city of Roanoke. Authorities later determined that 51,515 fish — a total of 33 species that included bass, sunfish, minnows, darters and catfish — were killed by Termix 5301, an agricultural-use chemical described by its manufacturer as “very toxic to aquatic life ... with long-lasting effects.” Nutrien Ag Solutions, which merged with Crop Production Services in 2018, will pay for the restoration of an 11-mile stretch of the creek. The negotiated settlement does not punish the global firm enough, the resident wrote, and passes over a plan suggested earlier by the company to restock the creek. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service did not recommend restocking, citing the “limited or lack of experience with propagating many of the fish species” killed by the spill. Multiple years of research would be required, the plan stated, followed by the creation of a facility and staff to restock the creek. In an earlier email written in April, Ciparis said there has been a partial recovery of fish life since the spill. The natural healing would go faster, she wrote, if impediments to fish passage are removed. A large amount of sediment has accumulated behind the dam over the years, and Friends of the Rivers of Virginia asked that it be tested for PCBs, an industrial chemical banned in the United States in 1979 that still shows up in low concentrations in some water bodies.


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Breaking up the dam would send the sediment downstream and might expose pollution that had not been a problem before, said Bill Tanger, chair of the group. “We need to look hard at it one more time to make sure there’s nothing in it,” he said. Removal of old dams that no longer serve a purpose is part of a national movement to improve the health of rivers and creeks by providing the feeding, brooding, rearing and cover habitat that fish need. When combined with other measures — such as installation of riparian buffers and bank stabilization and revegetation — the process can also lead to greater genetic diversity, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. But the $385,000 earmarked for dam removal might not cover the cost of the Mason Mill project, the city of Roanoke wrote in its comments. If that’s the case, the Fish and Wildlife Service said, the removal of a second dam might be considered. Ardagh dam, a privately owned structure in Roanoke County, is listed in the plan as one alternative. The restoration plan also calls for a one-time stocking of brook and rainbow trout, which were not killed by the spill, and for providing greater public fishing opportunities on the creek. In expressing support for the removal of the Mason Mill dam, the greenway commission suggested that it be coordinated with plans to extend the Tinker Creek Greenway. Friends of the Rivers of Virginia also backed the plan, writing that it could “prevent a natural collapse” of the dam. But Weitzenfeld, Roanoke’s water quality administrator, said there is no imminent danger of structural instability. The dam was built in the 1800s as part of a rolling mill complex, an industrial facility that converted metal into sheets and bars, according to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. It was rebuilt over the years, and much of what remains today appears to be from a pump station that was used until the mid-1950s. Water still flows over the dam, which along with a millpond just upstream, is a popular part of Mason Mill Park in northeast Roanoke. If the dam is removed, the millpond will become shallower and the water flow will increase, with exposed banks expected to revegetate, Ciparis said. No major change is expected in the flow, depth and appearance of the creek downstream. Authorities never found a cause for the chemical spill, which the Tinker Creek resident called a “catastrophic ecological disaster.” A $425,000 settlement is nothing more than “pocket change” for a global company that makes billions a year, she wrote. In a statement last week, Nutrien said the issue has been resolved. It thanked the Fish and Wildlife Service and DEQ for “the way in which they have handled this matter on behalf of the public interest.” (Wimpy sign! Some people never learn. The lucky ones sometimes survive,) Ithaca FD reports to 30-foot Dam for another rescue BY SELIN TUTER, JULY 6, 2020, ithacavoice.com ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca Fire Department’s Rope Rescue Team was once again dispatched to 30-foot Dam, near Giles Street, for a

rescue operation. Tompkins County 911 dispatchers received the call Sunday evening, with both the Rope Rescue Team and Bangs Ambulance Paramedics responding. Woman’s injured ankle, IFD tied the women

to a harness and hauled her up the ravine in a rescue basket. The woman was transported to a local hospital by Bangs. This is the fourth time that the Rope Rescue Team has reported to this area, said IFD through a press release. Stating that they have been busy so far this season, the Rope Rescue Team was also dispatched near Codington Street and Lake Street on two other occasions. IFD stressed again that even though they regularly train for such operations, they urge residents to use common sense and only hike and swim in approved locations.


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(And, ignore the dams that need fixed.) State Dam Management Funds: Dam Removal Counted For Nearly 80% Of Dam Funding July 6, 2020, cwdetroit.cbslocal.com (CBS DETROIT) – State dam removal projects were monetarily prioritized over dam repairs, according to The Detroit News. Roughly 80 percent of the nearly $17 million in dam management grants went to removal services. This comes after the Department of Natural Resources denied a $1.6 million grant for Edenville Dam repairs last year. The dam failed on May 19. (Can’t keep their fingers out of the pie.) Boyce Hydro accused of “steering” investigation into dam failures Letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission raises concern about dam probe abc12.com: Jul. 9, 2020 FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) -The Four Lakes Task Force claims the current owner of the dams along the Tittabawassee River is trying to influence the investigation into what caused catastrophic failures back in May. A sharply worded letter became public today in the aftermath of the dam failures. It’s from the Four Lakes Task Force, sent this week to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees power-producing dams. The task force claims the current owner of the dams, Boyce Hydro is avoiding its responsibilities of cleaning the damage caused by the breach of the Edenville and Sanford Dams, and has been slow to repair the dams. The letter signed by David Kepler, the president of the task force writes “Boyce Hydro is actively clouding the post-disaster investigation process.” He writes “Lee Mueller acknowledges in the July 2, 2020 Boyce Hydro letter to the Commission that he is speaking with the investigators, trying to steer the scope of the investigation. He even referenced, without quoting, positions of some of the members of the independent forensic team.” A six-person forensic investigative team has been selected to figure out what caused the dam failures that lead to a catastrophic flood, which forced the evacuations of thousands of people in three counties and an estimated $175 million in property damage. The task force is a delegated authority that will eventually assume ownership and operation of the four dams along the Tittabawassee River. A FERC spokesperson had no comment on the claim that Boyce Hydro is trying to steer the investigation in a particular manner. A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy says “EGLE has every confidence that the investigative team will work independently to determine the factors that led up to the breach of the dams.” The task force letter kept up its criticism saying ”even post-disaster, Boyce Hydro refuses to comply with FERC’s directives. Without obtaining access to Boyce Hydro property, local communities are stuck with Boyce Hydro as the owner and operator of the dams, with no visible progress on key short-term issues, such as bank stabilization and debris removal.” We could not reach Boyce Hydro for comment. (Show me the money.) Director of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials: Dam Failure in Midland was preventable By RUSSELL MCNAMARA • MAY 21, 2020, wgvunews.org


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The dam failures that have inundated Midland and surrounding communities with water are the latest example in a growing problem in the nation. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers says the average age of dams in the country is 57 years. Lori Spragens is the executive director of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. She says incidents like this are preventable if politicians pay attention. “It’s really important that at some point we’ve got to wake up and our policy-makers have got to understand that this isn’t just a piece of infrastructure that provides a service and it can also be a public safety hazard.” The likely reason for the hesitance by lawmakers to provide funding – the cost. Spragens says the cost to fix the critical, non-federal dams in the U-S would near 20-billion dollars. (There’s just not a lot of places to hide because so many are after you.) Mopping up Midland BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD, JUL 12, 2020, toledoblade.com Someone has to pay. Michigan taxpayers, business owners, and devastated

homeowners shouldn’t bear the massive costs of cleaning up and rebuilding after floods caused by the failure of the Edenville Dam in May. The floods destroyed much of the city of Midland. The dam was a disaster waiting to happen — then the wait ended. Years of neglect and citations and repeated warnings were ignored.

No to rogue electors Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rightly is pursuing a lawsuit against the dam owners, Boyce Hydropower LLC. Lawsuits have also been filed by individuals whose lives were disrupted and who owned homes and businesses destroyed by the flooding. The state should use every resource available to press their case. In the meantime, Michigan officials with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should use their regulatory powers to impose the highest possible fines on Boyce for each and every violation in dam safety rules and procedures found during their investigation. A little pressure can do wonders in encouraging legal negotiations and settlements. FERC revoked the dam’s license to produce hydroelectric power in 2018 over flooding concerns and cited a “record of noncompliance” with federal directives. At that time, EGLE took over regulation of the dam. The blame for the floods clearly rests with the dam owners, and the courts should put the litigation involved on a fast track by not allowing delays and obfuscation by lawyers for Boyce. Boyce should accept responsibility and offer to pay up — no matter what they pay, they’ll be getting off easy compared to folks who lost everything they owned. That’s an unlikely result, which is why litigation must be carefully monitored so justice is not stifled by unnecessary delays. Boyce remains the main culprit in the dam failure, but there are others who bear some of the blame for letting the company get away with their negligence over the years. It wasn’t exactly looking the other way, but it was a failure to move rapidly and strongly to force dam upgrades and repairs. FERC knew how serious the problems with the dam were — they wanted Boyce to add spillways to divert floodwaters and fix deteriorating spillways. FERC knew the situation was serious but effectively washed their hands of the dam by terminating the license, turning the dam over to state regulators. FERC should


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have acted more decisively to force dam owners to correct the problems long before nixing the license. EGLE was pursuing actions against the dam owners but once again it was too little, too late. Such minimalist enforcement only helps set up a disaster like the Midland flood. Federal and state agencies must learn lessons from the dam failure and subsequent Midland flood. Boyce Hydropower must be taught a lesson: By regulators via fines, and through the courts, where justice should wallop the company for its negligence. (Nothing better than having the Feds pot at the end of the rainbow.) Opinion: Trump delivers for Michigan with flooding relief funding By John Moolenaar et al, July 10, 2020, detroitnews.com

President Donald Trump is once again following through on his commitment to Michigan by expediting the arduous process of accessing federal relief funding to assist Michigan residents impacted by the recent

flooding in mid-Michigan. The president took up efforts to assist homeowners and their families, declaring a state of emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts immediately after the Edenville Dam bordering Gladwin and Midland counties broke, leading to massive flooding down the Tittabawassee River, and over the top of the Sanford Dam downstream. The flooding destroyed property, public infrastructure and displaced as many as 11,000 people. On Thursday, I asked Trump to help speed up the process and cut through the red tape as residents across five counties continue to recover and rebuild. The president's action makes federal funding available to affected families in the counties of Arenac, Gladwin, Iosco, Midland and Saginaw. The funding will help residents and small business owners across the region rebuild communities, homes and businesses. This will mean so much to so many residents as they recover their lives and rebuild. The president’s approval of assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals, homeowners and business owners recover from the impact of the disaster. Approval also provides additional federal assistance through the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Rural Development for Michiganders seeking relief because of flood damage. This president fights for Michigan’s working families and small business owners, and his actions to speed up the funding process for those impacted by the flooding is just the latest example. Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership on this issue. U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, represents Michigan’s 4th Congressional District

Hydro: (They don’t want to live by the rules that they expect from others. Maybe this is a wake-up call and reminder that there are many people around that reservoir.) LAKE COUNTY UNHAPPY WITH THE TWO-BASIN SOLUTION WHICH WILL DECOMMISSION SCOTT DAM AND RESTORE WATER FLOW TO THE EEL RIVER July 1, 2020, ByKym Kemp, kymkemp.com Scott Dam which is part of the Potter Valley Project. [Photo cropped by one from PG&E]


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Press release from the County of Lake: Construction of Scott Dam, which created Lake County’s Lake Pillsbury, was completed nearly a century ago, in 1922. Over that time, communities and an entire ecosystem have developed. 450 homeowners and ranchers and an estimated 3,000 non-permanent seasonal residents contribute to both the economy and culture of this unique Northern California community. The area surrounding Lake Pillsbury has become a home, a beloved home away from home, and a favorite vacation destination for many in our region. Scott Dam is also home to the long-PG&E-owned hydroelectric Potter Valley Project. Since PG&E formally announced their intention to put the project up for auction May 10, 2018, an Ad Hoc Committee led by Congressman Jared Huffman has worked to promote a “Two-Basin Solution” that envisions decommissioning Scott Dam. Proponents expect this will restore salmonid populations and water flow in the Eel River, while maintaining water supplies in nearby Mendocino County and the Russian and Eel Rivers. As an outgrowth of the work of the Committee, Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, Sonoma County Water Agency, California Trout, Inc., the County of Humboldt, and Round Valley Indian Tribes (collectively, the “NOI Parties”) initiated Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Proceedings (FERC, Project No. 77-285) toward a Licensing Proposal for the Potter Valley Project. The County of Lake initially sought to be a part of this group, to assure Lake County’s priorities were well considered. Despite Lake Pillsbury sitting within our boundaries, we were denied the opportunity to have a meaningful seat at the table. The “Proposed Goals and Principles for a Two-Basin Solution” that initially guided Huffman’s Committee included, “Minimize and mitigate adverse impacts to Lake County, including Lake Pillsbury businesses and residents.” The NOI Parties have not committed to this objective. On or about May 13, 2020, they filed a Feasibility Report that unsurprisingly supported removal of Scott Dam and the destruction of Lake Pillsbury and the way of life of the vibrant community that surrounds it. “The Feasibility Study blatantly ignored potentially catastrophic effects this would have on the thousands of people meaningfully connected to Lake Pillsbury, and the economic and environmental resiliency of all of Lake County,” notes District 3 Supervisor, Eddie Crandell. “Remember, Lake Pillsbury was an important water source in fighting the Mendocino Complex wildfires. What devastation might have occurred, had Scott Dam been decommissioned prior to 2018?” “The utter lack of regard shown for the people that would be affected by the NOI Entities’ proposal is deeply disturbing,” continues Crandell. “And there is no clear indication the parties even intend to gather sufficient public input to mitigate potential issues; the Lake Pillsbury Alliance has tried again and again to be heard, yet there has been no meaningful response.” This week, Crandell’s concern was translated into meaningful action to challenge the findings of the Feasibility Report, and demand consideration of Lake County’s interests. On Thursday, the County filed a scathing analysis on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, concluding, “No matter how laudable a two-basin solution is to the NOI Parties, no such solution should be seriously considered until… proper analysis [es] completed to ensure this solution does not come at the sole and considerable enduring expense of the County of Lake,” noting “Much more information relevant to those negative impacts must still be obtained.” The response likewise called for resolution in five additional areas of concern:

• Public Interest considerations, such as the impact to local wells due to the destruction of the dam, are ignored and/or minimized. • Existing information on the feasibility study proposal insufficiently demonstrates how more water and safer passage will be provided to support salmonid populations • Licensing requirements have to address ability to respond to wildfires and preserve forest values • General insufficiency renders the proposed Study methodology inconsistent with generally accepted scientific principles


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• The County of Lake is generally ignored in considerations of effort and cost, and proposed alternative studies will not meet stated information needs.

“If this project moves forward as proposed, who will suffer the most?” asks Crandell. “Lake County will endure the destruction of Scott Dam. Lake County will lose Lake Pillsbury, and see the rich ecosystem that surrounds it torn apart. Will the NOI parties suffer? No! There are many other ways to ensure fish passage, and provide environmental benefits to communities along the Russian and Eel Rivers and those that live near Lake Pillsbury, most at a fraction of the cost. Were those seriously considered? No!” “With all we’ve endured since 2015, and now COVID-19 threatening the financial stability of every level of government, it is unreasonable, on its face, to put forward a tremendously expensive project that would unsettle the wildfire resiliency and further threaten the economy of one of the poorest Counties in the United States,” emphasizes Crandell. “The NOI Parties have to slow down, listen to the people whose lives and livelihoods they are proposing to upset, and take a more considered approach. Lake County will not stand by and allow our residents to suffer. We will fight for a just outcome. (Another kind of hydro.) Quidnet leverages drilling tech to provide pumped hydro type storage at half the price By Guy Burdick, July 6, 2020, utilitydive.com Houston-based Quidnet Energy is combining conventional pumped hydroelectric storage technology with existing drilling technology to provide long-duration energy storage for utilities and renewable energy developers. Quidnet just secured $10 million in Series B financing and landed a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for a commercial demonstration of its technology, CEO Joe Zhou told Utility Dive in an interview this week. The NYSERDA project will evaluate the performance of the technology, the ability to tie it into the grid, and the quality of power generated, according to Zhou. Long-duration storage will play a critical role in achieving renewables goals, according to experts. "Given the variable availability of energy from renewable sources, it's important to find new methods of long-term storage," Nathanael Greene, senior renewable energy advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council told Utility Dive. However, the demand or need for long-duration storage may not materialize for 10 to 20 years, according to an analyst with Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewable Energy. "I don't see a major demand for long-duration storage happening in this decade," Daniel Finn-Foley, head of energy storage at Wood Mackenzie told Utility Dive. "These are investments with an eye on the horizon as opposed to immediate commercialization," he continued. Quidnet's investors include Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Evok Innovations, Trafigura, and The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust. The NYSERDA project will be a 2 MW scale implementation of Quidnet's technology. Quidnet's closed-loop, geomechanical pumped storage (GPS) method pumps water under pressure into subsurface wells that is then released as needed to drive turbines to generate electricity. Water collected in an on-site pond is then repumped into the well for ongoing storage. "NYSERDA is interested in better understanding how Quidnet's approach works in the geological formations common in New York," a NYSERDA spokesperson told Utility Dive by email. "Long-duration storage is anticipated to be part of the future energy system in New York. This demonstration project will also help prove the technical efficacy of this approach, provide greater clarity on the costs of this approach and help New York gain familiarity with the unique siting and permitting required for underground pumped storage," according to NYSERDA's spokesperson. Zhou sees the NYSERDA project as commercial-scale demonstration of a single module that could be aggregated on a larger scale. Zhou compared aggregated GPS modules to an onshore wind farm that is an accumulation of tens to hundreds of individual wind turbines. "We're looking to demonstrate that one module that can be aggregated into fuller scale facilities. We're demonstrating the building block at a commercial scale," Zhou said. "This project also will help


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set the development framework for future projects," he continued. "How do we construct the leases? What do the permits look like?" Quidnet's method could address the limitations of conventional pumped hydro storage, according to Zhou. "Traditional pumped hydro has been limited to mountainous regions. Using this new format, we're able to bring it to a much broader set of regions and geographies for deployment," he said. Wood Mackenzie's Finn-Foley acknowledged the limitations of traditional pumped hydro storage. "In the case of conventional pumped hydro, you need to have a large upper reservoir and a large lower reservoir and a pretty significant gap between the two," Finn-Foley said. "Anywhere those conditions already exist, there generally already is a system there," he continued. Familiar technology Utilities are quite familiar with hydroelectric generation and pumped hydro storage, according to Zhou. "We've spoken with a lot of utilities. Pumped hydro is a very well-known technology. To be able to bring that to a much wider geography at much lower costs in smaller modules is very exciting for them," he said. "We're looking to provide that long-duration pumped hydro type of storage at less than half the price," he continued. "Initially, we will focus on regions that have an abundance of geologic data. That will help us understand a lot about the rocks without having to go out and get the data ourselves." Quidnet's siting procedures involve a comprehensive set of assessments, including seismic activities and a site's prior use, according to Zhou. The company primarily uses freshwater for its ponds and wells but may add the types of biocides that might be used in a municipal drinking water supply or swimming pool. "What's unique about Quidnet is we're tapping into supply chains that are tremendous in scale," he said. Existing supply chains at Quidnet's disposal include drilling, industrial machinery, and hydroelectric turbines. With its recent investments and pending projects, Quidnet can begin expanding its team and establishing relationships with regional suppliers, according to Zhou. Storage for the grid of the future Wood Mackenzie's Finn-Foley finds it interesting that funds are making investments in a wide variety of long-duration storage technologies. "These really are investments in the grid of the 2030s, the 2040s, when these 'Green New Deal' style programs start reaching very high renewable energy penetration," he said. "By casting a wide net, these investment funds are betting either that one of these technologies will emerge as the storage technology of choice or that all of these technologies will have a place at various durations, for various needs," he continued. Current storage needs, particularly in the United States, have a duration of about four hours, according to Finn-Foley. "That's because the main application for storage right now is shifting energy from times of low demand to times of high demand," he said. "There will be a need for long-duration storage if these 100% clean or renewable targets actually have teeth and there's the political will to go from 80% or 90% renewables all the way to 100%," he continued. Then, there will be a need for long-duration storage to smooth out the intermittent capacity of renewable sources. "Depending on the type of resource and how intermittent it is, you may need tens of hours or even hundreds of hours to ensure that electricity is there when you need it," Finn-Foley said. This is a need battery technology cannot practically provide, according to Zhou. "It's actually quite hard for batteries to be cost-competitive at those levels," Zhou said. \ (A good story for once.)


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Gull Lake community raises nearly $1 million to reconstruct 137-year-old dam By Nick Buckley, attlecreekenquirer.com, July 6, 2020 A cyclist stopped at the bridge over Gull Creek on East DE Ave. in Ross Township on Thursday to pull out a cellphone and take a photo of the nearby Gull Lake Dam. The privately-owned dam is the outlet control structure for the 2,030-acre Gull Lake. From the road where the cyclist snapped the photo, cracks in the concrete structure and other signs of deterioration are visible. The Gull Lake Dam was built in 1883. It had its last major repair in 1921. A 2018 life cycle study by Grand Rapids-based engineering firm Prein and Newhoff estimated that with repair and without a catastrophic failure, the remaining useful life of the dam is 10 to 20 years. Jeff Price, vice president of the Gull Lake Dam Association and lake resident, said the report was "disconcerting." So the volunteer organization, formerly the Gull Lake Association, went to work on raising capital for a dam renovation project. The price tag: $993,000. "It’s one of the older dams in the state," Price said. "It’s not like it’s going to collapse tomorrow, but the older it gets, the greater the chance of breaching... Our downstream risk isn’t really that great. Our dam is considered a low-risk dam, not in terms of breaching, but in terms of what happens if it does. The real damage is upstream, we lose four feet to eight feet of lake level." A loss in the ability to control the lake levels could dramatically reshape the publicly accessible

lake's shoreline for its 750 residents and impact the property and place making values of Gull Lake. A 1966 study showed that Gull Lake Island on South Gull Lake would be turned into a peninsula if not for the dam. The Gull Lake Association acquired the dam in 1921. In order to offer tax-exemptions to donors, the organization became a 501(c)(3) in 2019 and renamed itself the Gull Lake Dam Association, a process Price said was expedited with help from the Kalamazoo office of Congressman

Fred Upton A committee was formed within the Gull Lake Dam Association, and a grassroots fundraising effort began with the help of LKF Marketing of Kalamazoo. “This is not unlike asking money from parishioners to put a new roof on their church," Price said. "For the people living on this lake, that’s like the new roof on the church. They have a direct vested interest in helping because it’s protecting, if nothing else, their property level, let alone living on a beautiful lake to use for recreational purposes.” The Gull Lake Dam Association says 85 percent of Gull Lake residents have provided some financial support for the project. Gull Lake Marine has been at Gull Lake since 1911. The marine dealership and service station one of several business sponsors supporting the Gull Lake Dam project. Barry Broekhuizen, general manager of Gull Lake Marine, said the Edenville Dam failure near Midland created a greater sense of urgency for the lake community. MORE: After Midland flood, Wixom, Sanford lake residents face long, complicated restoration “We saw what happened in the Saginaw area when the dam breaks, obviously not the same level but it's something everybody has concern about because of its age," Broekhuizen said. "Gull Lake has got to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Michigan. At times, it looks like the Caribbean. Anything that would harm that would be a tragedy. It’s a lake that has close to 1,000 homes. It’s also big and the whole public can enjoy it. It is truly a gem of southwest Michigan." Gull Lake is a natural, spring-fed lake, unlike Wixom Lake, which was artificially created by the Edenville Dam. When the Tittabawassee River flooded, the Edenville Dam failed, requiring the evacuation of 10,000 people in Midland County. The Gull Lake Dam Association had until June 30 to accept the bid. As of Thursday, it had raised $974,890. While that is still roughly $18,000


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short of their goal, the nonprofit anticipates it will soon sign a contract with Prein and Newhoff to begin work after Labor Day for a project expected to take about five months. Price said he is "very comfortable" the association will raise the additional money before the final invoice is due, thanks to the generosity of the community. “I love the fact that we did it grassroots. I love the fact that we didn’t just go to the 10 richest people on this lake and say, 'Can you fund this for us?'... I thought that everybody on this lake has a vested interest, so why shouldn’t everybody contribute? It’s a reflection of the community. We have a lot of generous, caring, socially- and civically-minded people in this area, not just on the lake.” I guarantee there’s no one on this lake that doesn’t know we have a dam. And there’s no one on the lake who doesn’t know we are rebuilding it."

Water: (And a dam makes it all possible.) Maryland’s largest freshwater lake turns 95 July e, 2020, wvnews.com DEEP CREEK LAKE, WVA —Deep Creek Lake marks its 95th anniversary this year. With that in mind, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce has provided the following information: Deep Creek Lake is Maryland’s largest freshwater lake, covering 3,900 acres and 65 miles of shoreline. The man-made lake got its start in 1925 as the result of an effort undertaken by the Youghiogheny Hydro Electric Corporation to harness the power of Deep Creek, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. Large swaths of land were purchased, a 1,300-foot-long impoundment dam was constructed to stem the flow of water in Deep Creek, and thousands of trees were removed from the area so it could be flooded. In addition, 15 miles of primary and secondary roads were relocated. With Deep Creek sealed off, the expectation was that at least six months would be required for the lake to fill. But, boosted by heavy rains and snowfall, the process took only a couple of months. On May 26, 1925, the hydroelectric plant kicked into service, with water from the lake transported to the powerhouse through a 7,000-foot tunnel. As the years passed, the area’s fishing and boating prowess became well-known to visitors from Pennsylvania. Residents of the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. population centers also found the area to be a convenient getaway place, especially after interstate highways were built. Among the last of these was I-68 — the national freeway — a major transportation route that arrived in 1991 and further opened up Western Maryland to tourism, commerce and more. Today, 1.2 million visitors each year take advantage of the limitless recreational options offered in and around the Deep Creek Lake area, creating their own Deep Creek Experience. For more details about Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, visit www.visitdeepcreek.com or contact the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce at 888-387-5237.


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Environment: (Should they be this close to the dam?) The 'Dam Floatilla' June 11, 2020, photos by Greg K. Deal/Index Journal The third annual “Dam Flotilla” took place Saturday at Lake Greenwood, with boats anchoring near the dam and people getting into the water to swim or float. The flotilla was founded to bring together the lake community and surrounding areas for a day of floating fun on the water. Organizers hope to gain sponsorships for future festivals, and offer live bands, which they couldn’t do this year because of COVID-19.

Other Stuff: (There are some things you shouldn’t do around dams.) fox6now.com, JULY 11, 2020 FULLERTON, Calif. – Fullerton Police are calling it an “epic fail” after two teens took a joy ride through the Brea Dam area Friday and ended up driving over the side of a dam. Thankfully, the two teens received only minor injuries, authorities said. “Turns out it was a bad idea,” Fullerton Police said about the two teens’ decision to joyride through a restricted area. “Especially since the area is closed off to vehicular traffic.” The vehicle landed on its side after it plunged to the concrete below. “We’re glad the kids are ok but man what an “EpicFail,” the department wrote in a post on Instagram, followed by the hashtag , “stay on the roads” and “that won’t buff out.” It was unclear if the male and female teens will face any charges.

iThis compilation of articles and other information is provided at no cost for those interested in hydropower, dams, and water resources issues and development, and should not be used for any commercial or other purpose. Any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment from those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only.

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