Word of firings at Grand Coulee Dam remains uncertain
Workers at the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center referred questions to the Bureau of Reclamation's general email for press inquiries. Reclamation did not immediately respond.
Municipal officials and residents from Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, Electric City and Elmer City on Friday reported either not knowing anything or hearsay that a handful of employees had been fired.
The Star newspaper in Grand Coulee reported it is looking into tips about the firings from employees.
"So far, those affected may be in the tens, not hundreds, but the process seems to be in full bloom," the Star wrote in an article Wednesday.
Of Reclamation's 6,000 employees, about 550 work at the dam, according to a 2017 article by Cory Dunlap, training administrator for the bureau's Grand Coulee Power Office.
The critical infrastructure manages water levels of Lake Roosevelt flowing into the Columbia River, generates 6,800 megawatts of electricity for eight western states and Canada, and provides irrigation for the Columbia Basin Project.
James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
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