WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- U.S. federal regulators said they recommended more control measures for the expansion of a 44-year-old hydroelectric project in a Texas national forest.
The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission published its draft environmental impact statement on the expansion of the existing Toledo Bend hydroelectric project.
The facility is in the Sabine National Forest in Texas. FERC said it would affect land and waters in Texas and parts of Louisiana.
State authorities filed a request to install turbines to increase the electricity generated from the project.
FERC said its draft assessment called for more monitoring downstream from the facility. It said Louisiana and Texas authorities should be responsible for ensuring invasive species are kept out of the area. Additional measures should ensure protective species like the bald eagle are preserved and the river remains accessible for recreational use.
Comments on the draft survey are accepted until Aug. 5.
The facility started generating electricity in the late 1960s.
