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PRESS RELEASE: U.S. EPA Invites Massive Loan to Bail Out Poudre River Dam Boondoggle

11/28/2023
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310

Fort Collins, CO: Yesterday, Save The Poudre was informed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has “invited” the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) to apply for a massive loan of U.S. taxpayer money to try and bail out the $2.25 billion NISP boondoggle (see page 4 on the EPA’s website here). NISP — the massive proposed Poudre River dam project  which has limped along for 20 years in permitting and in court — was originally proposed to cost $140 million in 2004, and now is proposed to cost $2.25 billion (see our previous press release here about the cost of NISP).

Two years ago, NISP sent a “letter of interest” to the EPA, asking for a $484 million loan from the U.S. taxpayer through the EPA’s “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act” (WIFIA) program to bailout the project.  After NISP sent its letter of interest, Save The Poudre sent lengthy comments to the EPA about how the project should not receive a taxpayer loan (our comment letter to EPA is posted here). The EPA completely ignored Save The Poudre’s comments and has now invited NISP to apply for a loan.

“As our comments made clear, the EPA should be investigating NISP for the criminal violation of lying in its letter of interest, not asking NISP to apply for a loan,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. “NISP purposely used ‘falsification and misrepresentation’ in its letter about the environmental impacts of NISP which is a criminal violation.”

In addition to ignoring Save The Poudre’s comments, the EPA has also ignored the City of Fort Collins. As our 12/4/2021 press release points out, the City of Fort Collins has grave concerns about the impact of NISP on the Poudre River’s water quality and the City’s Natural Areas. To this day, the Fort Collins City Council has voted to be 100% opposed to NISP.

“If the Biden Administration moves this loan forward, they will have effectively turned the EPA into the ‘Environmental Destruction Agency,'” said Wockner. “NISP is lying to the federal government to try and get taxpayer money to bailout a massive river-destruction scheme which violates every ethical standard of the WIFIA program and what the EPA should be doing.”

This press release is posed here.

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