Green Options » kempthorne

$236K Newly-Renovated Bathroom Awaits Salazar at Interior Department HQ

Timothy B. Hurst — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:59:47 +0000

Ah, the executive bathroom, one of the unheralded perks of holding a cabinet-level seat. But unfortunately for outgoing Interior Department Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, the $236,000 renovation of the Main Interior Building Executive Suite bathroom was finally completed just in time to hand the keys over to Interior Secretary-nominee, Ken Salazar.

It is the first time any such renovations have been done at the building since it was built in 1936, but for $236K, that must be one heck of a water closet.

As part of the renovation, workers modernized and upgraded the plumbing, mechanical and lighting systems in the bathroom of the Executive Suite. The modernization is part of a larger $243 million makeover of The Main Interior Building’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems in all of its office spaces.

Will the Klamath Dams’ Removal Benefit Farmers or Be Traded for New Dams in CA?

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:12:45 +0000

Since it was announced last week that a deal had been reached for the probable removal of four dams on the Klamath River, I’ve been ecstatic. The Klamath dams have been the cause of massive fish kills, are owned by the richest man in America Warren Buffett, do not provide green energy, have shut down west coast fisheries, and have hurt the Native American culture. Of course, since the Bush administration negotiated the deal, I am wary there may be a hidden agenda for this once mighty river in my neighborhood.

Should the nonbinding deal go through, this would be the largest dam removal project in US history. The alternative for PacificCorp to re-license the dams was to build fish ladders mandated by federal biologists costing $300 million. Dam removal is the cheapest option and the best decision for the health of endangered salmon on the Klamath River. The California Energy Commission reported PacifiCorp could save $101 million over the next 30 years if the dams were removed and replacement power bought. As part of the deal, ratepayers will foot $200 million in removal cost, and California will ask voters to approve a $250 million bond. Studies and analysis will occur until 2012, at which point the dams could be removed in 2020. Under the deal, PacificCorp would receive immunity from the dams’ environmental liabilities.

Bush wanted the deal to remove the dams, yet his administration has always backed farmers in the dispute over water rights, such as when irrigation was shut off to under the Endangered Species Act in 2001. Even after the Klamath dams’ removal deal was announced on November 13, 2008, Bush released a statement saying, “Together, we have produced an agreement that will greatly reduce the risk of future shutdowns of the irrigation system.“ Already, the Klamath deal is under attack for supporting farmers over fish. Many suspect the deal will shut down California water quality hearings that may have doomed the dams anyway.

Alaska Sues to End the Polar Bear

Joshua S Hill — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:21:23 +0000

In a move that can only be seen as ludicrous, bordering on the delusional, the state of Alaska has sued Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, in an attempt to get him to reverse his decision listing polar bears as a threatened species under the US Endangered Species act.

Led by Governor Sarah Palin, state officials fear that listing the polar bear as endangered will cripple development of oil and gas drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. “We believe that the Service’s decision to list the polar bear was not based on the best scientific and commercial data available,” Palin said in announcing the lawsuit.

Not surprisingly, this decision by Palin and co. has not gone down well.