DUMMER — The licensing of the Pontook Hydroelectric Project on the Androscoggin River was one of the major environmental battles of the 1980s.
The project pitted Colebrook surveyor Robert Shaw and the Androscoggin Electric Co. against a host of conservation and environmental groups that fought to maintain flow levels in the section of the river.
kAmp7E6C J62CD @7 =68:D=2E:G6 5632E6[ 4@FCE 492==6?86D[ 2?5 2AA62=D E@ E96 u656C2= t?6C8J #68F=2E@CJ r@>>:DD:@?[ E96?\8@G6C?@C y@9? w] $F?F?F 42==65 E96 A2CE:6D E@86E96C[ 2?5 2 4@>AC@>:D6 H2D H@C<65 @FE :? pF8FDE `hgc]k^Am
kAm%96 4FCC6?E =:46?D6 6IA:C6D @? $6AE] b_[ a_b`[ 2?5 E96 =:46?D66D 2C6 368:??:?8 E96 =6?8E9J AC@46DD @7 C6\=:46?D:?8 H:E9 AF3=:4 D4@A:?8 >66E:?8D D4965F=65 7@C ~4E@36C]k^Am
kAm%96 52> H2D 24EF2==J 3F:=E :? `gff 2?5 56D:8?65 E@ 9@=5 324< =@8D 7@C E96 A2A6C >:==D] qJ E96 >:5\`hg_D[ !F3=:4 $6CG:46 @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6 @H?65 E96 52>[ H9:49 H2D :? 5:DC6A2:C] %96 @:= 4C:D:D =65 $92H E@ D:8? 2 =62D6 H:E9 E96 DE2E6 @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6 (2E6C #6D@FC46D q@2C5 2?5 2AA=J 7@C 2 >2;@C =:46?D6 7C@> E96 ut#r]k^Am
kAm$92H’D AC@A@D2= 42==65 7@C 2 h]e\>682H2EE CF?\@7\E96\C:G6C 724:=:EJ :? H9:49 H2E6C :D 5:G6CE65 7C@> E96 C:G6C :?E@ 2 A@H6C 42?2=]k^Am
kAm}6HDA2A6C C6A@CED 2E E96 E:>6 6DE:>2E65 E96 AC@;64E H@F=5 4@DE Sa_ >:==:@? H:E9 2? 2??F2= :?4@>6 @7 Sc]c >:==:@?] xE H2D 6IA64E65 E@ AC@5F46 6?@F89 6=64EC:4:EJ 7@C f[f__ 9@>6D]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@A@D2= 925 3C@25 DFAA@CE :? E96 }@CE9 r@F?ECJ[ H:E9 #6AF3=:42? tI64FE:G6 r@F?4:=@C #2J>@?5 qFCE@? 2?5 s6>@4C2E:4 v@G] wF89 v2==6? 3@E9 324<:?8 :E] qFE 2 8C@FA[ “%96 r@>>:EE66 E@ $2G6 E96 &AA6C p?5C@D4@88:?[” 7@C>65 E@ @AA@D6 C65F4:?8 H2E6C 7=@H =6G6=D[ H9:49 4@>>:EE66 >6>36CD D2:5 H@F=5 6=:>:?2E6 H9:E6 H2E6C A255=:?8 2E E96 C2A:5D 2?5 ?682E:G6=J :>A24E 7:D9:?8]k^Am
kAm~? yF=J af[ `hgc[ v@G] $F?F?F 2??@F?465 E96 A2CE:6D 925 C624965 2 4@>AC@>:D6 H9:49 96 D2:5 H@F=5 2==@H E96 AC@;64E E@ 36 3F:=E H9:=6 6?DFC:?8 E96 AC@E64E:@? @7 C64C62E:@? 2DD6ED] w6 D2:5 $92H 925 4@>>:EE65 Sad_[___ 7@C DEC62> >@5:7:42E:@? 2?5 28C665 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ E96 =682= 4@DED 244CF65 3J E96 4@>>:EE66] %96 =:46?D6 H2D EC2?D76CC65 3J $92H E@ !@?E@@< wJ5C@ !2CE?6CD] %96 4@>A2?J :D ?@H @H?65 2?5 @A6C2E65 3J !@?E@@< ~A6C2E:?8 {![ 2 qC@@<7:6=5 #6?6H23=6 r@>A2?J[ 2?5 :D 4@\=:46?D65 H:E9 E96 }]w] (2E6C #6D@FC46 q@2C5]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 DF>>6C >@?E9D[ H2E6C C6=62D6D H6C6 2==@H65 @? 2 D4965F=6 7@C C64C62E:@?2= FD6 3FE :? a_ac qC@@<7:6=5 DF3>:EE65 2 C6BF6DE E@ 2=E6C E96 D4965F=6 3642FD6 @7 2 D:8?:7:42?E C65F4E:@? :? C64C62E:@?2= 3@2E6CD D:?46 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4] (9:E6H2E6C 7=@HD 7@C H66<6?5 C6=62D6D @44FCC:?8 367@C6 yF=J c[ 6I46AE 7@C |6>@C:2= s2J H66<6?5[ 2?5 2== H66<6?5D 27E6C {23@C s2J H6C6 DFDA6?565] #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D @7 E96 G2C:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D 4@?4FCC65 E92E E96 C64C62E:@? C6=62D6D H6C6 F?56CFE:=:K65 3J E96 3@2E:?8 AF3=:4 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J 5:DCFAE:G6 E@ 7:D9:?8 5@H?DEC62> @7 E96 AC@;64E] ut#r 2AAC@G65 E96 G2C:2?46 =2DE s646>36C]k^Am
kAm}@ @E96C 492?86D @C ?6H 724:=:E:6D 2C6 AC@A@D65] %96 AC@;64E >FDE >2:?E2:? 2 >:?:>F> 7=@H @7 bd_ 4F3:4 766E A6C D64@?5]k^Am
kAm{2DE >@?E9 ut#r :DDF65 2 ?@E:46 @7 :?E6?E E@ 7:=6 2 AC6\2AA=:42E:@? =:46?D6] $4@A:?8 D6DD:@?D H:== 36 96=5 @? %9FCD52J[ ~4E] `d[ 2E sF>>6C %@H? w2== 7C@> h\`` 2]>] 2?5 e\g A]>] %96 D4@A:?8 D6DD:@?D H:== ?@E 92G6 2 7@C>2= AC6D6?E2E:@?[ 2?5 :?5:G:5F2= @C2= 4@>>6?ED H:== 36 E2<6? @? 2 @?6\@?\@?6 32D:D H:E9 2 4@FCE C6A@CE6C]k^Am
kAm%96 2AA=:42?E 2?5 4@>>:DD:@? DE277 H:== 4@?5F4E 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= D:E6 C6G:6H @? (65?6D52J[ ~4E] `c[ DE2CE:?8 2E `_ 2]>] p?J@?6 H9@ H:D96D E@ 2EE6?5 E96 6?G:C@?>6?E2= C6G:6H >FDE #$'! E@ $62? |4s6C>@EE 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iD62?]>456C>@EEo3C@@<7:6=5C6?6H23=6]4@>QmD62?]>456C>@EEo3C@@<7:6=5C6?6H23=6]4@>k^2m ?@ =2E6C E92? ~4E] `]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@46DD @7 =:46?D:?8 @C C6\=:46?D:?8 2 9J5C@6=64EC:4 724:=:EJ :D 2 4@>A=:42E65 @?6 H:E9 DEF5:6D[ E6DED 2?5 AF3=:4 :?AFE] %96 C6\=:46?D:?8 @7 E96 6:89E 9J5C@6=64EC:4 AC@;64ED @? E96 ``\>:=6 DEC6E49 @7 E96 p?5C@D4@88:? #:G6C 36EH66? q6C=:? 2?5 $96=3FC?6 8@E F?56C H2J :? a_`h] }6H =:46?D6D H6C6 :DDF65 :? $6AE6>36C a_ad]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i32C32C2o36C=:?52:=JDF?]4@>Qm32C32C2o36C=:?52:=JDF?]4@>k^2mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.