News
PPL Montana Files Drought Management Plan
On March 4, 2002, PPL Montana filed a Drought Management Plan for the Kerr hydroelectric project with the U.S. Department of the Interior as required by a February 1 order of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The need for such a plan was underscored as the region struggled through a severe drought during 2001.
"The plan will be used for those years in which there will be a water shortage in the Flathead," said John Van Daveer, manager of the PPL Montana Hydro Operations, who noted that "the issue is one of finding the appropriate balance of competing interests so that the hardships of drought do not fall disproportionately on any one interest or resource."
The goals of the plan provide for:
- The development of an annual process through which water conditions will be evaluated. An annual plan will be prepared and updated at monthly intervals.
- A process by which, in low water years, forecasts will be converted into a protocol for operation of the Kerr hydroelectric project during critical periods.
- Input by all interested stakeholders and consideration of the information submitted.
- Communication of water shortage information to all interests.
- A drought response plan that is fair to all interests at stake.
The plan provides for formal input from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, federal and state resource agencies, and all other interested property and commercial owners using the lake's resources.
The February 1 FERC order required that PPLM either file such a plan by March 4 or request an extension of time within which to file it. Because of concern that a plan be in place for 2002, PPLM decided to expedite the plan preparation in the 30 days allowed, although it was not then possible to circulate the plan for public comment prior to submission to the Department of the Interior. The plan proposed the following procedural schedule for formal input:
- A public forum for the discussion of the proposal on March 20, 2002 in Kalispell, Montana. PPLM will provide public notice in local news media of this opportunity for discussion of the proposal.
- Written comments on the plan would be due by April 20, 2002.
- A formal ruling from the Department of Interior with respect to the plan after evaluation of written comments is requested by May 15, 2002.
- Subject to the Department of Interior's agreement to undertake a public comment process, comments would be submitted directly to Interior. Otherwise, PPLM would receive comments from all interested parties and reserves the right to modify the plan based on those comments.
For a copy of the draft Drought Management Plan, please contact Sharon Vidrich at 406-533-3413 or at sevidrich@pplmt.com.