Paul Kusnierz
Avista Corp.

DESCRIPTION

Water quality regulation and compliance grows ever more complex for hydro operators.  Whether seeking a Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification, implementing 401/License Conditions, or carrying out hydro construction projects, hydro operators have to navigate a wide range of water quality protection requirements for success.

This session will help hydro owners, contractors and consultants understand the key regulatory contexts for water quality compliance and provide examples of how these issues are playing out across our region.

This Panel is within the Regulatory and Policy Track at the conference. 
 
This session is a 201-level discussion for those looking to take a deeper dive into this subject matter. 

Moderator:
Bruce Howard, Avista

Panelists:

• Pradeep Mugunthan, Four Peaks Environmental Consulting
• Ed Zapel, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants
• Paul Kusnierz, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Avista

Panelists Bios:

• Paul Kusnierz has been a fisheries biologist for Avista for almost 9 years. He is responsible for the implementation of multiple fisheries and water quality protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures associated with Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge hydroelectric facilities on the Clark Fork River in Montana and Idaho. Prior to working for Avista, Paul worked in water quality monitoring and TMDL development for the Department of Environmental Quality in Montana and Chinook Salmon research and harvest for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho.