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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'>SUPREME
COURT RULING:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Ruling
Favors Rivers Over Power Dams; The Supreme Court says states may protect the
waterways by requiring a steady flow at hydroelectric plants, which tend to
harness it<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><b><font size=4
color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:black;font-weight:bold'>Los Angeles</span></font></b></st1:City></st1:place><b><font
size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:black;font-weight:bold'> Times – 5/16/06<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'>By David
G. Savage, staff writer</span></font></b><font size=4 color=black><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on"><font size=4
color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>WASHINGTON</span></font></st1:State></st1:place><font
size=4 color=black><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'> — The
Supreme Court sided with the environment over electric power Monday, ruling
that state regulators may require a steady flow of water over power dams to
benefit fish and kayakers. <br>
<br>
The unanimous decision holds that states may protect the health of their
rivers, even though hydroelectric dams are regulated exclusively by the federal
government.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>The dispute arose over five small dams on
the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Presumpscot</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType>
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Maine</st1:State></st1:place>, but
the court's decision affects an estimated 1,500 power dams in 45 states. They
include scores of dams on the <st1:City w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:City>,
Klamath and San Joaquin rivers in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
Separately, the court agreed to take up an appeal from environmentalists who
are seeking to enforce stricter clean-air rules against aging coal power
plants. The justices said they would hear the clean-air case in the fall.<br>
<br>
The ruling on rivers and dams resolved a clear conflict in the law. The Federal
Power Act says hydro-power dams are to be regulated by federal authorities with
the aim of producing electricity. But the Clean Water Act says those who
"discharge" anything into a state's navigable waters must obtain a
permit from the state.<br>
<br>
Until recently, state officials believed they were entitled to protect their
rivers by regulating the flow of water over and through dams.<br>
<br>
But last year, the privately owned SD Warren Co., which produces hydroelectric
power in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Maine</st1:State></st1:place>,
won the Supreme Court's review of its argument that water flowing in and out of
a dam is not a discharge. <br>
<br>
Had the company prevailed, states would have lost their legal authority to
protect their rivers and ensure a steady flow of water. Not surprisingly,
officials of the power plants said that during dry seasons, they were more
interested in holding back water so they could be assured of a steady flow over
their generators to maintain power production.<br>
<br>
In its opinion, the Supreme Court looked to the dictionary to decide the
meaning of the word "discharge."<br>
<br>
"When it applies to water, 'discharge' commonly means a 'flowing or
issuing out,' " said Justice David H. Souter, citing Webster's New
International Dictionary. Other judges and regulators have agreed with
"our understanding of the everyday sense of term," he added. <br>
<br>
Therefore, since water flowing over a dam is discharged back into the river, a
state may regulate the operation of the dam, the court concluded in SD Warren
Co. vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Maine</st1:State></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
"This is a victory for rivers, for clean water and most of all for good
common sense," said Rebecca Wodder, president of the environmental group <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">American Rivers</st1:PersonName>. <br>
<br>
But environmentalists are anxiously watching two other Clean Water Act cases
that are pending before the Supreme Court. Both from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State></st1:place>, they will determine whether
federal regulators can continue to protect inland wetlands and small streams
from development or pollution. <br>
<br>
Private-property activists say the Clean Water Act protects only rivers and
lakes where boats can float, not wetlands that are far inland. Decisions in
those cases are due by late June.<br>
<br>
Bush administration lawyers joined all three Clean Water Act cases on the side
of the environmentalists.<br>
<br>
The clean-air case to be heard in the fall, however, concerns a move by the
Bush administration to relax a strict anti-pollution rule set by the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Clinton</st1:City></st1:place> administration. <br>
<br>
Under that rule, aging power plants that expanded or modified their facilities
were required to adopt modern anti-pollution controls in the process. This
issue has drawn much attention in the states of the Northeast, including <st1:State
w:st="on">New York</st1:State>, which are downwind of coal-powered plants in <st1:State
w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">West
Virginia</st1:State></st1:place>. <br>
<br>
The Duke Energy Corp. in <st1:State w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:State>
challenged the Clinton-era rules and won a ruling from the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> 4th Circuit Court of Appeals
concluding that the Environmental Protection Agency had exceeded its authority
in requiring such modifications.<br>
<br>
In a separate lawsuit, several Northeastern states are challenging the Bush
administration's move to relax the same rules. <br>
<br>
Taking up the cause of clean-air advocates, lawyers for the nonprofit group Environmental
Defense appealed to the high court. They argued it was the 4th Circuit Court
that exceeded its authority. <br>
<br>
The ruling will have a broad impact, environmentalists say. <br>
<br>
"Over 160 million Americans, more than half of the country, live in communities
out of compliance with the nation's health standards, and today the Supreme
Court took a big step toward aiding those communities in their efforts to
restore healthy air," Vickie Patton, an Environmental Defense lawyer, said
on Monday</span></font><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Advisor, California Trout, Inc</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'>http:www.caltrout.org</span></font></u><font
color=lime><span style='color:lime'> </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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