Ray Dias: Let environmental groups pay cost of fish ladders

The Turlock Irrigation District directors are correct to question the cost of adding fish ladders to the renewing of the Don Pedro power-generation license. I attended one of the public agency meetings discussing license renewal requirements; it was clear that multiple organizations were adding unnecessary steps to the relicensing process which were beyond the federally mandated basic requirements. A fish ladder is one of many examples.

While the goals of these organizations may be meaningful, they are acting as if relicensing is a free-for-all process where they are able to add their demands for enhancements and studies without taking any responsibility to pay the costs of these requests. There are costs to renew the Don Pedro license; however, these costs are borne by the district ratepayers and should only be what is mandated by existing statutes. All additional enhancements, such as ladders and studies, need to have those costs paid for by the groups who want them, and not be added to the backs of the ratepayers.

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Ray Dias: Let environmental groups pay cost of fish ladders."