Portland, Maine (October 31, 2011) -  At their October 27, 2011 meeting the Institute’s Governing Board determined that the Benton Falls Hydroelectric Project met the LIHI Certification Criteria.  In reaching its decision to certify the Benton Falls Hydroelectric Project,the LIHI’s Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer’s report. The Board’s vote to certify the Project was unanimous, and the Board approves certification for the Benton Falls Hydroelectric Project for five-years with the following conditions:

In order to ensure ongoing compliance with LIHI’s Fish Passage and Protection criterion, Benton Falls Associates (“BFA”) shall do the following:

1. Annually report to LIHI on (a) the number of Atlantic salmon and American shad passed upstream during the just completed upstream migration season, and (b) the number of American shad and Atlantic salmon that were found in the facility’s trash racks or otherwise entrained, or found injured or dead downstream of the facility.

2. In the event that more than 100 American shad are passed upstream in any two years of the term of the certification, or any salmon are passed in any single year, BFA shall immediately engage in consultations with the federal and state resource agencies for the purpose of reaching agreement with the resource agencies on the design and implementation of one or more scientifically-valid downstream effectiveness studies to occur the next migration season, and shall report to LIHI whether agreement has been reached with the resource agencies on their design and implementation no later than March 1st of the year in which the effectiveness study (or studies) is to be conducted. Should BFA conclude that one or more downstream effectiveness studies is not timely or otherwise required notwithstanding the occurrence of one or both events described above, BFA shall immediately report this position and its basis to LIHI.

3. Benton Falls Associates shall report to LIHI on the results of any effectiveness study conducted and any conclusions reached within two months of the conclusion of that study. If any of the above conditions are not met, LIHI reserves the right to suspend or terminate its certification. The effective certification date for the Benton Falls Hydroelectric Project is November 23, 2010 and will expire on November 23, 2015. Any Commenter may submit a letter to the Certification Administrator requesting an appeal within 30 days of

the posting of the Certification Decision on the Institute’s Web page. An appeal request must include specific reasons why the hydropower facility should have failed one or more criteria. If an individual or organization did not comment on the initial Application Package, they may not file an appeal.