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EWEB unveils Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan
January 10, 2024 • Adam Spencer, Communications Specialist
EWEB Commissioners unanimously approved an action plan for decommissioning EWEB’s Leaburg Hydroelectric Project at their Board meeting Tuesday. (Navigate to 1:13:13 in above video to skip to LDAP presentation)
The Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan (LDAP) outlines the essential actions, activities, and regulatory processes required for the decommissioning of the Leaburg Project.
The objective of the LDAP is to position EWEB to begin on-the-ground decommissioning activities by 2032.
Decommissioning entails the removal of the Leaburg Dam and the restoration of the McKenzie River to a free-flowing state within the Project area.
EWEB is already implementing risk-reduction measures to mitigate dam safety concerns with the Leaburg Canal. The LDAP outlines ways the utility will permanently modify portions of the Leaburg Canal to safely convey tributary flows of creeks to the McKenzie River.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversees EWEB’s hydropower license. In its plan, EWEB maps out how it will navigate FERC processes to retire the Project.
The FERC requires formal consultations with Indian Tribes, public agencies that manage natural resources and public health, as well as community members.
EWEB will also conduct extensive studies on decommissioning impacts, such as how the hydrology of the river will change, water quality impacts, and impacts to endangered species, in order to develop strategies to mitigate negative impacts.
The 1928 Project is also a State Historic District, so EWEB will need to consult with the State Historic Preservation Office to determine appropriate mitigation strategies.
EWEB staff estimate it will take at least five years to assemble all the information required to apply to modify its license with FERC.
FERC ordered EWEB to cease generation at the Project in October 2018 when observations of extensive seepage and internal erosion in the Leaburg Canal raised dam safety concerns.
EWEB Commissioners unanimously decided to decommission the Leaburg Project in January of 2023 after determining the costs to fix the canal would be more expensive than purchasing electricity from other sources.
The full LDAP report is available online at (clicking link will download PDF): https://www.eweb.org/your-public-utility/board-of-commissioners/2024-board-agendas-and-minutes/01-09-24-board-agenda.
