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suBMrrrED by hon. iarry iardoco 



QUESTIONS FOR BPA TASK FORCE HEARING 

 APRIL 28, 1993 



FISH AND WILDLIFE/SALMON RECOVERY 



1) Does BPA plan on cutting its current Fish and Wildlife program? If so, can you give 

 this Task Force an approximate amount of cuts in the Fish and Wildlife program? 

 Will it be necessary to maintain current Fish and Wildlife staff levels to administer 

 less money? Further, will there be an equal decrease in Fish and Wildlife 

 administrative staff commensurate with cuts in Fish and Wildlife programs? 



2) With many salmon stocks currently listed as threatened or endangered species on the 

 Columbia/Snake River system and the nearly certain listing of more salmon stocks, is 

 this a prudent time for BPA to cut its Fish and Wildlife program? 



3) Earlier this year, BPA made a rate proposal of 11.6%, with 4% ascribed to fish and 

 wildlife costs. Now BPA is stating that there have been additional costs since the 

 initial rate case which will require a higher rate increase. $28 million of this 

 additional increase is ascribed to increased fish and wildlife costs. Specifically, what 

 accounts for the increased costs for fish and wildlife since the initial rate proposal? 



4) There have been proposals made to modify John Day and Lower Granite dams to 

 operate in a drawdown mode. According to these proposals, at most these 

 modifications would cost $200 million. Does BPA concur with these modification 

 cost estimates? If not, what does BPA estimate modification of these two dams to 

 cost? What would the annual preference rate increase be if this project was amortized 

 over fifty years like other capital construction costs? 



5) If the above modifications were made to Lower Granite Dam, what is BPA's latest 

 estimate of the annual costs of a ten week drawdown of Lower Granite Dam to 

 spillway crest? Please provide a breakdown for the various components such as firm 

 power, secondary power, etc. 



6) What is BPA's latest estimate of the annual costs for a drawdown of the four lower 

 Snake River dams (i.e. the "Idaho Plan")? Please use the definition of drawdown used 

 in the Huppert Report and include the appropriate dam modification costs released by 

 the Army Corps of Engineers earlier this year. Please provide a breakdown for the 

 various components such as firm power, secondary power, etc. 



7) What is BPA's latest estimate of the annual costs of the Power Council's current flow 

 augmentation plan? Again, please provide a breakdown for the various components 

 such as firm power, secondary power, etc. 



8) Please explain the different impacts of these two plans on BPA rates. 



9) Currently many entities such as the states, the tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 



