FirstLight’s Northfield Mountain pumped storage facility is a vile affront. It’s death and destruction. Profits are extracted, dead fish, and a crippled river are left behind. As if it was OK, I had become accustomed to its ongoing operation. Had you?

Huge turbines grind up aquatic life when they pump the Connecticut River up to the mountaintop reservoir. They kill again when gravity drops the water back down, spinning those house-size turbines to generate electricity and profits.

When the facility pumps water out of the river, it takes so much that some water gets sucked up from downstream. When it gets released back into the river, some of the enormous rush of water pushes upstream. Yep, both sucking up and gushing down, the facility forces the river to flow upstream. The river runs backwards! Over and over and over again, year after year.

FirstLight refers to the river as its “lower reservoir.” It’s a disgrace. This long-standing desecration of our river must stop. Our river, not their reservoir!

Connecticut River Defenders are working to shut it down (ctriverdefenders.org). There are many layers to this onion: the electric grid, FERC 50-year licensing, MassDEP, Clean Water Act, money, power. There are lots of ways to engage our hearts and minds, to be heard, and to work toward getting it done. All are welcome.

I have decided to stop looking the other way. What part can you play?

Gary Seldon

Greenfield