House members urge Trump to renegotiate Columbia River Treaty
Seven members of the U.S. House from Washington state and Oregon have sent a letter to the White House urging President Donald Trump to begin renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty as soon as possible.
The 1964 treaty obligates the U.S. to send hydropower to Canada, commonly known as the Canadian Entitlement, which is borne by 6.4 million Northwest electrical customers at a cost of $250 million to $350 million annually, the members of Congress wrote in their June 21 letter.
“Renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty has an enormous impact on jobs, hydropower, water storage, flood control and the environment in the Pacific Northwest,” Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., said. “It’s important to begin formal negotiations as soon as possible to address certain inequities such as the Canadian Entitlement as well as ensure we have an updated and equitable treating for the 21st Century.”
Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., said the treaty has fostered important cooperation for more than 50 years but the update is long overdue.
The letter urges Trump to use a “Notice of Termination of the Power Provisions” if necessary to prompt Canada into negotiations.
Some estimates show Canada receives almost 10 times the benefits the U.S. Pacific Northwest receives from coordinated system operations, the representatives wrote.
Certain provisions related to flood control automatically expire in 2024 while most portions, including the Canadian Entitlement, continue indefinitely without action, they wrote.
Others signing the letter were Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Greg Walden, R-Ore.; Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash.; and Dave Reichert, R-Wash.