KR3 THREATENS PUBLIC SAFETY
In 2013, the forebay of sister project KR1 failed catastrophically, causing a flood that eroded the mountainside and a landslide that closed Highway 178 for 10 days
ISSUE: Transporting millions of pounds of water every minute in an elevated manmade conduit above a major road is inherently dangerous. The catastrophic failure of sister project KR1 in 2013 proves that the regulatory framework governing project safety is inadequate.
OUR TAKE: KR3 poses a significant threat to public safety.
DETAILS:
In 2013, there was a catastrophic failure of KR3’s sister project KR1, both along its water conveyance and at its forebay, causing erosion of the mountainside resulting in a landslide that completely closed Highway 178 for 10 days.
FERC subsequently increased the hazard rating on KR1 from “low” to “significant.”
KR3 has a similar configuration to KR1: an elevated concrete water conveyance and forebay 821 feet above a major road.
KR3 transports up to 278,256 gallons or 2,309,524 pounds of water every minute — 50% more than KR1.
A catastrophic failure of the KR3 conveyance, forebay, or penstocks would send all of this water downhill, eroding the mountainside and deluging Mountain Highway 99 (aka Sierra Way).
OUR PROPOSAL: An independent engineering firm should evaluate the risks KR3 proposes to public safety and identify measures that can decrease those risks.
EDISON’S RESPONSE: The current regulatory framework is adequate.
HOW TO HELP: Tell FERC (click the link for instructions),
Who you are;
How much you care about the North Fork Kern;
That you are concerned about threat to public safety posed by the KR3 hydroproject;
That you want an independent engineering firm to evaluate project safety; and
You support Kern River Boaters’ Public Safety Study Proposal.
GO DEEPER: Read (1) KRB’s Public Safety Study Proposal and (2) Lois Henry’s article on the KR1 Landslide. Watch this 25-second video of the KR3 siphon. Below are recent images of the KR3 conveyance above M99:
The highly pressurized siphon:
