BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 25, 2022
Four Kennebec River dams can continue operating while a lawsuit accusing their owners of illegally killing vulnerable fish goes forward, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The ruling was a setback for environmental groups that say Brookfield Renewable is violating the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Court Judge Jon D. Levy said the groups would likely succeed in proving Atlantic salmon are harmed by the dams, but he doubted forcing the dams to sit idle until Brookfield improved fish-passage standards would be an effective remedy.