The Weston Dam, which holds back the Kennebec River in Maine, is the target of a lawsuit filed by conservation groups that allege the dam owner is violating the Endangered Species Act by harming Atlantic salmon.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Environmental groups contend four Kennebec River dams in Maine are violating federal law by harming endangered Atlantic salmon.
The dam operator, Brookfield Renewable U.S., is violating the federal Endangered Species Act because an exemption spelling out limits on the death and injury of salmon expired in 2019, according to a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Atlantic Salmon Federation U.S., Conservation Law Foundation and Maine Rivers.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 16, asks a federal judge to find that Brookfield Renewable is operating the dams illegally and to take appropriate steps to protect the salmon.
Brookfield didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
The lawsuit represents the latest twist when it comes to the fate of the four dams, including the 100-year-old Shawmut hydroelectric dam.
It has been a roller coaster ride since the Maine state government took a step toward removing the dams - before backing down after Brookfield sued. Maine environmental regulators then threatened to deny a water certification before backing down again when Sappi North American said loss of the certification could lead to the Shawmut Dam's removal and closure of the company's paper mill in Skowhegan, Maine.
The pulping and papermaking mill employs more than 700 people, according to the company's website.
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