Environmental issues to be key in Columbia River talks

By Staff
The Columbian

News that U.S. officials plan to seek an update to the Columbia River Treaty with Canada was welcomed by local leaders who have long pushed for its renewal.

Last month, the entire congressional delegation from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana sent a letter urging the Obama administration to begin negotiations this year. That included U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, who reiterated the importance of the landmark agreement in a released statement this week.

“The Columbia River is central to our way of life in Southwest Washington,” Herrera Beutler said. “Pursuing a new Columbia River Treaty with fair and equitable benefits between the United States and Canada is imperative to securing the future benefits the river brings to our communities — affordable, clean hydro energy, flood management, navigation, irrigation, and ecosystem-based management.”

Revising the treaty could have significant implications for Southwest Washington and Clark County. Changing the amount of hydroelectric power sent to Canada each year under the agreement, for example, could impact local ratepayers’ utility bills. Read more