"Leaked documents spark congressional hearing on historic deal to breach Snake River dams"
The Biden administration has announced plans to spend over $1 billion in the next decade to help recover depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest and explore alternatives to offset the benefits provided by four controversial dams on the Snake River. While the administration did not explicitly call for the removal of the dams, conservationists and tribes view the agreement as a roadmap towards breaching them. The dams have been identified as a major cause of the salmon's decline, and breaching them would provide the fish access to vital spawning grounds. The agreement also includes provisions for building new clean energy projects to replace the hydropower generated by the dams and allocating funds for fish restoration and habitat improvement. However, critics, including Republicans in Congress and utility and business groups, argue that the agreement undermines clean energy goals and raises concerns about rate increases and the impact on salmon.