AU TRAIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) – Renewable World Energies (RWE), owner of Au Train Dam, told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Tuesday that it has “no means of making the necessary improvements.” at the dam.

In the letter to FERC Secretary Debbie Reese, RWE states:

“On September 12, 2024, the Commission sent a letter to UP Hydro requiring: (1) a plan and schedule for making necessary spillway capacity improvements to meet the Commission’s dam safety standards ; (2) a plan and schedule for making improvements to the South Levee to meet the Commission’s dam safety standards; and (3)…a report on the status of the request, as well as an updated plan and schedule for completing the modification request, including dates for significant milestones. The licensee has no way to make the necessary upgrades. UP Hydro has a net loss of approximately $140,000 over the past 12 months. Therefore, the licensee cannot provide a plan or timeline for completing these elements..»

RWE also said some of the land around the dam was being seized by Stephenson National Bank and Trust, which would in turn sell it to the DNR.

The response comes after RWE was cited by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) in September for an unauthorized drawdown of the Forest Lake impoundment, noting a rise in the water nearly three feet below the minimum requirement. THE water continued to decrease significantlyleaving the tank noticeably low. The EGLE and DNR said this was due, in part, to the outdated minimum capacity of the dam’s spillway, while RWE told us the reservoir was low due to drought conditions and a mandate that requires the dam to pass 50 cubic feet of water per second through it.

The DNR told TV6 that FERC first ordered improvements to the dam’s insufficient spillway capacity 25 years ago, when it was still owned by UPPCO. The order was reissued to two other owners. First to UP Hydro in 2010, then to RWE in 2016 when the license was transferred to each. FERC continued to request plans with an accelerated timeline for upgrading the dams, the most recent requiring a response from RWE by November 12, and RWE continued to say it would not be able to to make these upgrades due to its financial difficulties. standing.

RWE, however, proposed an alternative water withdrawal plan to deal with the drought. On Wednesday, FERC issued a letter to RWE in response to this proposal, proposing guidelines for a new drawdown plan that is expected to last indefinitely at the dam until the spillway capacity modification can be completed, other dam safety updates are completed or the permit is amended. .

RWE has 60 days to update this reduction plan to include consideration of the impacts of a long-term reduction plan, including: efforts to relocate stranded aquatic organisms; measures to avoid, minimize, monitor and mitigate sedimentation and turbidity downstream, and obtain all necessary permits.

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