Negotiations On Columbia River Treaty To Start This Spring

Members of Congress from Washington state are praising the decision to start negotiations this year over the future of a half-century-old agreement between the United States and Canada that governs hydropower and flood-control operations along the Columbia River.
Lawmakers from across the Pacific Northwest have been pressing the U.S. government to reopen Columbia River Treaty talks for several years. The 1964 agreement doesn’t have an expiration date, but either country can cancel most of its provisions after September 2024, with a 10-year minimum notice. The U.S. State Department announced Dec. 7 its intention to enter talks with Canada over the treaty. Eric Tegethoff has more.