PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 2, 2022
Fifty years have passed since the passage of the Clean Water Act. Maine’s waters now run clean, but its promise to restore native aquatic species remains unfulfilled. Too many Maine hydroelectric dams prevent Atlantic salmon, shad and alewives from reaching critical spawning habitat. Many Maine fish ladders do not function effectively. Toronto-based Brookfield Renewable Energy owns over 80% of Maine’s hydrogeneration capacity. Brookfield is suing the state over its efforts to manage the Kennebec River fisheries and has another filing pending over the Maine DEP’s rejection of their water quality certification application for the Ellsworth Project on the Union River. These actions delay restoration of Maine’s fisheries. Time is running out for Maine’s Atlantic salmon. The Kennebec River represents Maine’s best chance to realize major improvements by removal of the lower dams. ~ Stephen Heinz, Cumberland Foreside