Paul Houser, the former U.S. Bureau of Reclamation senior science advisor who claimed he was fired in February after voicing concerns about the Klamath dam removal process to his superiors, spoke to about 200 people tonight at the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds in Yreka.
Houser tipped his hand a bit with regard to his opinions about the dam removal project, saying removing the dams should be an "extreme" last resort provided that other alternatives have been studied thoroughly, which he doesn't think they have been. Houser also suggested his whistleblower and scientific-integrity complaints were a reason Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced he was postponing his feasibility determination indefinitely. At the same time, he told me beforehand he didn't want his complaint to be used to further the agendas of others, including the anti-dam removal and tea party folks who were ubiquitous at the meeting.
My impression of Houser was he seemed like a sincere and even-handed guy who perhaps unwittingly (at least in the beginning) ran afoul of a very political situation, and feels he has a legitimate reason for going public now. Whether he has a legitimate beef with his former superiors will be ultimately up to federal mediators, and also pursestring-holding members of Congress, to decide.
For my story on tonight's meeting, check CapitalPress.com soon.
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