The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has denied a Colorado businessman’s application for a re-hearing on his proposal to build a pipeline to transfer water from southwestern Wyoming to Colorado’s Front Range. It’s the second time Aaron Million’s proposal has been denied.
It was also opposed by state and local governments in Wyoming and by environmental groups who feared the damage it would do to some endangered species in southwest Wyoming as well as recreation in the area. Duane Short of the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance hopes this is the last gasp for the project.
“From the very beginning most everyone, we think, besides the proponent himself thought this was just one of the worst ideas to come along. (Laughs) And we are just so glad to see that FERC denied the permit. ”
He says diverting the water could have harmed some endangered fish in southwest Wyoming…
“The draw down from this huge ten foot diameter pipeline, 81 billion gallons of water a year being pumped out of the Flaming Gorge reservoir would have definitely impacted and probably destroyed the habitat necessary for these four endangered fish to survive. ”
Million says he will try and secure funding to try and make another attempt at getting a permit for a similar project in the future.