Nothing could be further from the truth, but clearly this action is needed to correct that false perception. The House Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards approved legislation which would establish a new position of Deputy Administrator for Science and Technology at the Environmental Protection Agency on May 17. It is hoped that these two changes would add stability to the agency during transitions between presidential administrations. The bill will now move on to be considered by the full Science Committee. FERC currently oversees the operating licensure for approximately 2500 dams in the nation.
Licenses typically last for three to five decades.
A new FERC proposal also released this month would give the agency more power in clean water decisions, a move many say is tied to California's recent energy problems. Critics of FERC's proposal charge that it would equal a loosening of water quality regulations, including regulations governing the amount of water needed to maintain several species of wildlife which depend on the waterways. They also question whether the current process is truly flawed. The GAO report has added fuel to the controversy regarding the proposal. The GAO says that more data are needed on the efficacy and efficiency of the current process before changes can be suggested or implemented.