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Environmental Impacts on Hydro power Hydroelectric power plants have many environmental impacts, some of which are just beginning to be understood. These impacts, however, must be weighed against the environmental impacts of alternative sources of electricity. Until recently there was an almost universal belief that hydropower was a clean and environmentally safe method of producing electricity. Hydroelectric power plants do not emit any of the standard atmospheric pollutants such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide …

…animals that used to live there. <Tab/>Finding a suitable site can be difficult - the impact on residents and the environment may be unacceptable. Sources: Philip Raphals, "The Hidden Cost of Canada's Cheap Power", New Scientist, February 15, 1992. Geoffrey P. Sims, "Hydroelectric Energy", Energy Policy, October 1991. Eric M. Wilson, "Small-scale Hydroelectricity", Energy Policy, October 1991. Peter Kakela, Gary Chilson & William Patric, "Low-Head Hydropower for Local Use", Environment, January/February 1984.