DID
DID YOU
DID YOU KNOW A LOT OF US PAY SOME OF THE CHEAPEST RATES FOR
ELECTRICITY IN THE COUNTRY BUT
TONIGHT THE KING5 INVESTIGATORS
EXPOSED THOSE LOW BILLS COME AT
A PRICE.
SALMON AND ORCAS ARE
DISAPPEARING AND NATIVE
AMERICANS ARE SUFFERING
DEVASTATING LOSSES AND IT'S
BECAUSE OF SEATTLE CITY LIGHT
KING5 SUSANNAH FRAME EXPLAINS
IN HER NEW INVESTIGATION SKAGIT
RIVER OF LIGHT AND LOS.
THE SEATTLE SKYLINE BEHIND ME
IS PARTIALLY LIT UP BY POWER
GENERATED 100 MILES AWAY FROM
HERE ON THE SKAGIT RIVER.
THAT'S WHERE SEATTLE CITY LIGHT
OPERATES THREE DAMS FOR
HYDROPOWER.
WELL, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH OUT
OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND FOR PEOPLE
HERE.
BUT TRIBES THAT LIVE IN THE
SKAGIT VALLEY AND FEDERAL
REGULATORS SAY THAT PROJECT IS
HURTING FISH AND NATIVE
AMERICAN WAYS OF LIFE AND THAT
SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU FEEL AS
THOUGH THE
OF
OF SEATTLE HAS STOLEN THIS RIVER FROM YOU ABSOLUTLEY.
YEAH, THEY'VE THEY'VE TAKEN A
LOT FROM FROM THIS TRIBE FOR
THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS AND AND
THE TRIBE IS NOT GOING TO TAKE
IT ANYMORE.
THE SKAGIT RIVER IS ONE OF THE
TREASURES OF THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST.
IT'S THE LARGEST RIVER IN
WESTERN WASHINGTON, THE ONLY
ONE THAT'S HOME TO ALL FIVE
SPECIES OF PUGET SOUND SALMON.
IT'S THE NUMBER ONE FOOD SOURCE
FOR THE BELOVED ORCA VO2 AND IT
IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE HEART
OF THE UPPER SKAGIT INDIAN
TRIBE OUR PEOPLE WHO RESIDE IN
THE UPPER SKAGIT VALLEY FOR
LITERALLY TEN THOUSAND YEARS
NOW.
SCOTT SCHUYLER IS THE NATURAL
RESOURCES DIRECTOR OF THE UPPER
SKAGIT TRIBE WHICH IS BASED IN
CEDAR WOOLY, THE SKAGIT RIVER
IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF MY PEOPLE.
THE SALMON ARE ALSO PART THAT
LIFEBLOOD.
NEARLY A CENTURY AGO MAJOR
CHANGE CAME TO THE FREE FLOWING
SKAGIT SEATTLE SATELLITE THE
THREE MASSIVE DAMS IN THE
MIDDLE OF IT FOR HYDROPOWER.
SINCE THEN THE MAGIC POWER IS
UP ABOUT 20 PERCENT
OF SEATTLE'S LIGHTS AT A
BARGAIN PRICE SEACITYLIGHT
CUSTOMERS PAY LESS THAN HALF
OF WHAT RESIDENTS DO IN CITIES
SUCH AS SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK AND
BOSTON.
AND THAT'S GREAT.
WHO DOESN'T WANT INEXPENSIVE
POWER THAT DOESN'T CAUSE AIR
POLLUTION BUT THAT'S NOT THE
WHOLE STORY.
IN A THREE MONTH INVESTIGATION
INVOLVING DOZENS OF INTERVIEWS
AND A REVIEW OF MORE THAN 1000
PAGES OF GOVERNMENT RECORDS,
THE KING5 INVESTIGATORS HAVE
FOUND THERE'S A VERY DARK SIDE
GENERATING LIGHT HERE ON THE
SKAGIT RIVER.
THE UTILITY DENIES IT'S TO
BLAME.
BUT SINCE THE FEDS LAST
RELICENSE SEATTLE'S DAMS IN
1990, FIVE THREE SPECIES
OF SKAGIT FISH HAVE LANDED ON
THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.
BULL TROUT, STEELHEAD AND
CHINOOK SALMON ANNNND IN 2005
ORCAS WHO DEPEND ON CHINOOK
SALMON FROM THE SKAGIT TO
SURVIVE WERE ALSO LISTED AS IN
DANGER.
IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED BY FEDERAL
AGENCIES THAT DAMS COULD HURT
FISH BY BLOCKING OFF HABITAT
THEY NEED TO SPAWN AND GROW.
SEATTLE'S DAMS CHOKE OFF NEARLY
40 PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE RIVER
A RIVER THE EPA'S GADGETS SAY
IS THE SOUL OF THEIR CULTURE.
THEY CALL THEMSELVES SALMON
PEOPLE.
BUT WITH SALMON SLIDING TOWARD
EXTINCTION, THE TRIBE SAYS
SEATTLE IS EXPLOITING ALL THAT
TO THEM IS SACRED.
THE TAKING OF THE RIVER, THE
IMPACT TO OUR SALMON, THE
DESECRATION OF SITES THAT ARE
IMPORTANT TO US.
THIS IS CULTURAL TRAUMA.
IS THE CITY OF SEATTLE
EXPLOITING INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
FOR HYDROPOWER FOR CHEAP POWER?
I CAN ABSOLUTELY TELL YOU THAT
THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE AND
SEATTLE SATELLITE HAVE WE HAVE
NO INTENTION OF OF EXPLOITING
THE PEOPLE IN THIS KIND
OF VALLEY, THE TRIBES THAT THAT
MAKE THEIR HOME THERE AND WHO
HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR WAY
OF LIFE THERE.
DEBORAH SMITH IS THE CEO
OF SEATTLE CITY LIGHT.
SHE SAYS THEY HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR
RATEPAYERS BUT ALSO TO THE
TRIBES AFFECTED BY THEIR
BUSINESS IF THEY FEEL EXPLOITED
,THEN THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE
TO WORK ON.
OUR COMMITMENT IS TO CONTINUE
TO LEARN TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND
AND AS WE DO SO TO CHANGE
CHANGED OUR POSITION IN PUBLIC
MESSAGES ABOUT THE SKAGIT DOWNS
SEACITYLIGHT SAYS THEY'RE
HELPING NOT HURTING FISH.
THEY LABEL THEMSELVES THE
NATION'S GREENEST UTILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS TO
MOTHER NATURE.
WE OPERATE OUR HYDRO PROJECTS
IN NOAAFISH FIRST MANNER.
ON TOP OF THAT THE CITY SAYS
THEY'RE NOT HARMING SALMON
BECAUSE THE FISH NEVER LIVED
THAT FAR UP THE RIVER ANYWAY
EVEN BEFORE THEIR DAMS WENT IN.
THEY SAY STEEP CANYONS AND
ENORMOUS BOULDERS FOR MAN
EFFECTIVE NATURAL FISH BARRIER.
THIS IS WERER SEATTLE CITY
LIGHT AND THEIR SCIENCE SAYS
THERE'S NO WAY THE RIGHT THEIR
FISH COULD GET PAST THAT
BOULDER IN YOUR SCIENTIFIC
OPINION IS THAT TRUE?
NO, NOT AT ALL, JOHN PAUL
SHANNAHAN IS THE UPPER SKAGIT
TRIBE'S TOP BIOLOGIST.
HE SAYS FOR DECADES THE UTILITY
HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH NOT
PROVIDING A WAY FOR FISH TO GET
OVER THEIR DAMS LIKE BUILDING A
FISH LADDER BY STICKING TO
THEIR GUNS THAT HISTORICALLY
SALMON COULDN'T SWIM PAST THE
NATURE MADE OBSTACLES BELOW
THEIR DAMS.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
IT'S KIND OF LIKE BIG TOBACCO
WHEN HE USED TO SAY SMOKING'S
NOT BAD FOR YOU, IT'S LIKE BIG
HYDRO SAYING FISH NEVER GOT UP
HERE.
IT'S THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FISH
SWIM UP STREAM.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
THIS IS NOT AN INSURMOUNTABLE
BARRIER TO SALMON KEY FOR THE
EPA'S GADGET.
THEY WANT SEATTLE TO CONDUCT A
STUDY TO FIND OUT IF FISH EVER
SWAM PAST THE ENTIRE DAM AREA.
IF IT TURNS OUT THEY COULD
SIUATTLE MAYBE ON THE HOOK TO
SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
BUILDING A FISH PASSAGE SYSTEM.
SO FAR THE CITY WILL NOT AGREE
TO THIS STUDY.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO JOIN WITH
US ON A ON A SCIENCE TRAFFIC
INQUIRY ABOUT FISH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S SO
DANGEROUS ABOUT THAT.
THE UPPER SKAGIT INDIAN TRIBE
ISN'T ALONE IN ITS DEMAND FOR A
STUDY.
PUBLIC RECORDS SHOW EVERY
SINGLE AGENCY INVOLVED WITH A
DAMNING PROJECT AGREES WITH
THEM.
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE, THE
STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND
WILDLIFE, NATIONAL MARINE
FISHERIES SERVICE, THE NATIONAL
PARK SERVICE, THE BUREAU
OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY, THE
SWINOMISH SIUATTLE TRIBES AND
MORE ALL THESE GROUPS ON ONE
SIDE WITH ONLY THE CITY
OF SEATTLE ON THE OTHER SO FAR
REFUSING TO AGREE TO A
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON FISH
PASSAGE ONLY SIUATTLE THE ONE
AGENCY WITH A FINANCIAL
INTEREST HERE SAYING SOMETHING
ELSE.
I MEAN WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO
YOU MALOTT SAYS WE NEED TO
LISTEN MORE AND WE ARE STARTING
THAT PROCESS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE LISTENING AND WE'RE GOING
TO APPROACH THE DISCUSSION WITH
A COMPLETELY OPEN MIND THIS
SMALL UPPER SKAGIT TRIBE KNOWS
THEY'RE UP AGAINST A POWERFUL
CITY AND UTILITY BUT THEY SAY
THEY WON'T STOP FIGHTING UNTIL
THEY GET THEIR RIVER AND SALMON
BACK MISCIAGNA TO HELP BUILD
SIUATTLE UNDER PROBABLY THE
GREATEST CITY ON THE WEST COAST
AND WE HAVE AN EXPECTATION NOW
THAT THAT'S A RETURN TO THE SKY
TO THE SKY THAT ISN'T
DIASPPEARS NEED OF HELP RIGHT
NOW AND WE'RE HOPING THE CITY
GOVERNMENT NOW SEES FIT TO
START LOOKING AT A RETURN TO
THE GADGET AND HELPING US
REBUILD THIS GADGET TO THE
GREATEST RIVER IN THE PUGET
SOUND.
NO ONE IS SAYING IT.
SEATTLE SHOULD SHOULDER ALL THE
BLAME FOR FISH IN DECLINE THE
SKAGIT RIVER.
OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER
FACTORS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE AND
OTHER TYPES OF HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT.
ALL THOSE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE
OTHER SIDE, ALL THEY'RE SAYING
IS THEY WANT THE CITY TO COME
TO THE TABLE IN GOOD FAITH AND
AGREE TO DO THEIR