Kinneytown Dam ‘out of compliance’
The Naugatuck River Restoration Coalition, working to restore fish passage at Kinneytown Dam on the Naugatuck River, says federal regulators have found the dam “out of compliance.”
According to an email from Anthony Allen at Save the Sound, in December “the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) declared Hydroland, the owner of Kinneytown Dam, out of compliance with their licensing exemption for its failure to provide safe, timely, and effective fish passage, and directed them to comply with a strict schedule for the implementation of measures to restore fish passage. The fish ladder at Kinneytown Dam has failed to adequately pass fish since it was constructed, and passage rates have continued to decline with the disrepair and neglect of the facilities and ceased operations of the hydropower units. Now, based on the documentation of on-the-ground conditions and failed fish runs by Save the Sound, Naugatuck River Revival Group (NRRG), and Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), FERC has finally escalated its enforcement efforts and is requiring a comprehensive review of necessary solutions to this longstanding issue.”
“Your continued support has made possible these collective efforts to develop a record on which FERC could act. The filing of our Complaint on September 30, 2021 argued aggressive and comprehensive action, including revoking the Kinneytown license exemption based on noncompliance and material alterations of the facility and its operations. While FERC dismissed the Complaint on the grounds of administrative exhaustion (a doctrine that requires that all administrative review processes and remedies be pursued prior to the filing of a legal complaint), it clearly grabbed FERC’s attention and drove urgency on this matter,” he added.
“Less than a week after dismissing our Complaint, FERC filed enforcement action. After two decades of noncompliance, this is a serious step forward in this monumental fight for the fish, wildlife, and communities of the Naugatuck River Valley.”
More information is available from the:
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments