The pumped storage proposal poses undue risk for human and aquatic life

It is by now well understood that fish species, such as the Gizzard Shad, are drawn to areas of water warmed by industrial processes on the shoreline, such as the Bruce Nuclear plants on Lake Huron. In February this year, millions of Gizzard Shad were killed within the intake structure of Bruce A (Gowan, 2025; Environment Office SON, 2025). When water sits in a reservoir, it is warmed by the land that surrounds it and the sun that shines down upon it. When that warmed water is returned via turbines, to the bay, how can we adequately predict how the temperature change might impact the marine life habitats existing nearby? What contaminants picked up from the land might be shuttled into these same sensitive environments?

     A study by Yasuda and Watanabe (2016), analyzing serious incidents at hydropower plants in Japan, highlights that pumped storage plants experienced at least double (and in many cases 3 times) the probability for failure than hydroelectric plants built along naturally flowing water systems, such as rivers. They also detail that the majority of serious incidents are caused by machinery degradation and flooding issues. Secondary incidents involve the clogging of valves, jamming of turbines, oil leakages, and the detachment of machinery parts.

The story of the Taum Sauk Dam - a reservoir-to-reservoir pumped storage facility in Missouri - cautions as to how only a single system failure can result in widespread environmental disaster, particularly when there are humans and habitats living below.

Given the lessons of past failures, and current information about the probability for error, it seems ill-advised at best and inhumane at worst to even consider constructing this mega-dam where it puts the lives of humans and non-humans alike in such serious danger.

Environment Office: Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). (2025). Gizzard Shad incident at Bruce A - March 2025. https://www.saugeenojibwaynation.ca/news/gizzard-shad-incident-bruce-march-2025

Gowan, R. (2025). Bruce Power investigating after fish trapped in intake channel. The Owen Sound Sun Times. https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/bruce-power-investigating-after-fish-trapped-in-intake-channel

Hillhouse, G. (2024). The wild story of the Taum Sauk Dam failure. Practical Engineering. https://practical.engineering/blog/2024/10/15/the-wild-story-of-the-taum-sauk-dam-failure

Yasuda, M., & Watanabe, S. (2016). How to avoid severe incidents at pumped storage power plants. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 49, 112002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/49/11/112002