Whistling Ridge - Wind Energy Development Comments

About the Project:

Whistling Ridge Energy LLC is proposing to construct up to 50 turbines along the 2,000 foot elevation ridgeline boundary of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area near White Salmon, Washington. Approximately 384 acres would be developed for wind turbine foundations, connecting roadways and overhead and underground transmission lines. Each turbine would be more than 420 feet tall and equipped with blinking lights that would be visible for miles within the National Scenic Area. The photos shows wind energy development along a forested ridge in West Virginia.

The Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) is required to review the potential impacts of the project on the environment and surrounding communities and will use the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform its decision on whether to recommend approval or denial of the Whistling Ridge Energy Project to the Governor of Washington. The Governor is the final decision-maker on the project.

Wind energy should be an important part of our energy future, but poorly planned projects like Whistling Ridge should not be allowed to sacrifice our natural scenic treasures like the Columbia River Gorge. Now is your chance to comment on the Draft EIS and ask that this project be denied because of the harm it would incur on natural and scenic resources in the Gorge.

Please scroll down to send a letter today and personalize the message with your own comments.

Alternatively, you can submit your comments on the toll-free comment line at (800) 622-4519. Comments will be accepted until 5 PM August 27, 2010.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

CLICK HERE FOR TALKING POINTS

Subject:

Your Letter:

I am writing to comment on the DEIS for the Whistling Ridge Energy Project, proposed in the Underwood, WA area, near the Skamania and Klickitat county lines.

This proposal is likely to have different and greater wildlife impacts than any other wind energy facility proposed in the State of Washington, because it is proposed along a forested ridgeline in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and on the boundary of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The proposed project would cause significant negative impacts to sensitive wildlife and plant habitat, and would degrade the outstanding scenic beauty of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

I am concerned that the DEIS is fundamentally flawed because it fails to provide a credible alternatives analysis. EFSEC and BPA need to consider other alternatives, including other means of providing electricity (including increasing efficiency and reducing consumption), other sites for wind energy, other configurations, deleting turbines to reduce impacts, alternative routes for hauling turbines to avoid traffic impacts to the National Scenic Area, etc.  Only two alternatives are meaningfully considered in the DEIS (the proposal and the no-action alternative). This is inadequate.

The DEIS has other flaws. The DEIS fails to adequately analyze the potential cumulative impacts of this project when considered with other existing and likely future wind energy projects and other development projects in the region. The photo simulations in the DEIS are inadequate and misleading. Some of them have cloudy backgrounds, thus not adequately representing the full extent of the impacts, and other simulations are out scale. Additional viewpoints need to be considered, including views from the Historic Columbia River Highway. The DEIS erroneously concludes that the scenic impacts would not be significant, even though most of the turbines would be visible from designated key viewing areas within the National Scenic Area. In addition, the BPA and EFSEC have not adequately consulted with the Yakama Nation to ensure the protection of cultural resources.

Lastly, EFSEC and BPA need to fix the flaws in the DEIS, issue a revised or supplemental DEIS, and make substantial revisions to the EIS to fully inform the public about the true environmental impacts of the project. If another DEIS is issued the 50-turbine layout should be rejected.

Thank you for extending the public comment period and allowing me to submit these comments into the record.

Washington EFSEC

905 Plum Street SE
Olympia,, WA 98504-3172

Fax:(503) 230-3285