| OCR Text |
Show lien Canpn Institute Citizens7 Environmental Assessment ( CEA) Report on the Decommissioning of Glen Canyon Dam December 2000 ^/ HANK YOU for your interest in Glen Canyon Institute's report on our Citizens' Environmental Assessment ( CEA), on the effects of Glen Canyon Dam and potential effects of decommissioning the dam. The CEA is a project of Glen Canyon Institute, a non- profit 50i( c) 3 organization. It is funded by foundation grants and contributions from our membership, which currently approaches 1400. We are conducting the CEA to examine and document the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam and Powell reservoir* on the environment, and to examine the implications of decommissioning the dam. When Glen Canyon Dam was built, there were few environmental or cultural preservation laws. Laws in place today would prevent the construction of a similar dam due to the environmental consequences. The proposal to decommission Glen Canyon Dam will require intensive study and public review that is far more rigorous than the resources of Glen Canyon Institute will support. The CEA is not intended to take the place of a comprehensive environmental review; rather, it is merely the first step in the process. The purpose of the CEA is to demonstrate sufficient public support to justify a full Environmental Impact Study ( EIS) on the operations of Glen Canyon Dam that includes decommissioning the dam and draining Powell reservoir within the range of alternatives. Although in 1996 the Bureau of Reclamation ( BOR) completed an EIS on operations of the dam, decommissioning the dam was not offered as an alternative to the public. Public comments which suggested decommissioning of the dam were simply rejected as falling outside the scope of that EIS process. Glen Canyon Institute believes that the American public should decide whether or not the long term environmental costs of maintaining Glen Canyon Dam outweigh the short- term benefits provided by Powell reservoir. This report contains highlights from studies commissioned by Glen Canyon Institute regarding effects of dam operations, and potential impacts of decommissioning Glen Canyon Dam and draining Powell reservoir. Complete copies of each study are available for the cost of photocopying and postage from Glen Canyon Institute. A list of these studies may be found on the back cover of this document. This document is being provided to the public in preparation for public scoping meetings scheduled to begin in 2001. These meetings are intended to gather public comment and input in order to identify relevant resources and issues for inclusion in the draft and final CEA documents. If you would like to be notified of these meeting dates, contact Glen Canyon Institute. We invite your input on this report. Please take the time to review this document and send comments to: Glen Canyon Institute PO Box 1925 Flagstaff, AZ 86002 cea@ glencanyon. org phone ( 520) 556- 9311 fax ( 520) 779- 3567 We appreciate and value your participation in this unprecedented citizen- sponsored initiative. Public involvement is vital to the process. page 2 * As the term " lake" describes natural bodies of water, and " reservoir" is used to describe man- made bodies formed by dams, Lake Powell is referred to as Powell reservoir throughout this document. |
