Craig Mountain Today
But for how long???
Craig Mtn simulation with turbines
view south toward Ramo Flats
Craig Mountain Today But for how long??? |
|
Craig Mtn simulation with turbines view south toward Ramo Flats |
|
Action Alerts &
Announcements
also check Calendar & Events for details If you have any experience regarding weeds, roads, water, geography, wet lands, wildlife, archeology, historic sites, recreation, etc. let the city or county know! contact stopb2h@gmail.com May 5, 2018 9:30 AM
- 3 PM Oregon Trail
artifacts & trails /
OCTA (Oregon - California Trails Association) Conference @ EOU |
Type
B Amendment = No Public Comment on
Additions
Oregon Trail artifacts and Trails - Everyone Welcome May 5th @ EOU Union Commissioners Work Shop on Article 52 OCTA Conference @ EOU May 5th Action Alert ! Write Now More about Article 52 Discussions Article 52 Proposed Additions / Changes Submitted to County Commissioners Public Comment on SB 1519 and SB 1537 rule making for Energy Facility Siting |
|
Your generous donations . . .
help
us educate the public about the
true impact of wind energy. Please send your donations to: FGRV PO Box 116
Union, OR 97883
Make your check payable
to FGRV.*
For more info call 541-910-8263 * As a 501 (c)(3) donations are tax deductible |
|
FGRV Radio Ads
1
2
3
4
5
Mother Nature Bad Neighbors No SIP 3% Energy Challenge Energy facts
& figures
compliments of Irene
 3 % Challenge Begins Grande Ronde Valley  
prevent our wildlife
- health - environment - economy from being thrown
to the wind!
FGRV Yard Sale nets $875 During Union's Grassroots
Festival on August 13th FGRV added $875 to its war chest
for
Protected eagle halts future projects and possibly legal actions in its continuing fight to keep more wind industrial complexes out of the Grande Ronde Valley. A bake sale and information table provided a little extra benefit to those stopping by for a good deal. Of course the best deal was the printed info and SWINDLE bumper stickers that were handed out. Thanks to energetic FGRV members headed by orgainizer Bonnie Dunn more people have joined the fight while these funds were raised. * Grassroots Festival provided another venue for the 'grassroots' efforts of FGRV. * Union was highlighted as Oregon's 'Volunteer Town' in a PBS documentary several years ago. FGRV members continue the volunteer tradition by giving their time, talent and treasure to protect the Grande Ronde Valley. Eastern Oregon wind farms  by Ted Sickinger The Oregonian 9-29-10 The
endangered golden eagle has grounded the first wind farm
in Wasco County and is throwing another in Gilliam
County into doubt.
read the rest of the article  Lightening Strikes Again Idaho
Power website gives
up todate info on what wind actually brings to the consumer - higher rates. Idaho House, Senate
Request
Changes to PURPA by Michael
Foley, Idaho Power
Ontario'w Wind Policy
Blows
by Rob
Granatstein, The Toronto Sun
Are Tax Incentives
for Commercial Wind Farms Good for Idaho?
by Steve
Priebe,
Idahoans for Responsible Energy Policy
by John
Miller, Daily Reporter April 7, 2011
www.greenfieldreporter.com
excerpt: “We already give them massive federal subsidies,” Christensen told The Associated Press after the vote. “If they can’t survive on those alone, they should not have any more of our taxpayer dollars.” read the entire article Editors note: several attempts by Idaho's grassroots groups failed but they finally suceeded! Our Congratulations to them for their efforts, and determination and victory. Wind
power is a technological, economic
and environmental failure." John Droz, Physicist Wind farms are not farms ... they don't grow anything. We call them factories.  Call, write, email our county commissioners and tell them STOP wind power in Union County Steve McClure smcclure@union-county.org Mark Davidson mdavidson@union-county.org Bill Rosholt brosholt@union-county.org 1106 K Avenue La Grande, Oregon 97850 phone: 541-963-1001 Fax: 541-963-1079 How is this green?
In Baotou, China, where
neodymium is extracted, a vast man-made lake of
foul-smelling radioactive waste, five-miles wide,
has been created from the by-product. It has
killed farmland for miles around, made thousands of
people ill and put one of China's key waterways in
jeopardy. One of the largest users is a top-
capacity wind turbine that uses 4,400 lbs. of
the neodymium-based permanent magnet material.In advisory vote, eastern Oregon residents reject proposed wind farm By a slim majority Tuesday, Union County voters said they don't like the idea of Horizon Wind Energy building the 300-megawatt Antelope Ridge Wind Farm near Union. Excerpted from the article Dennis Wilkinson, the head of Friends of Grande Ronde Valley said: "With the defeat of Measure 31-75, the people of Union County have made an informed and educated decision that they do not want the Antelope Ridge Wind Farm in their community." ... the vote will "resonate throughout the country proving that people in rural communities are standing up to the foreign corporations that are attempting to destroy the land, way of life, wildlife, health and more in the name of 'clean, renewable energy." click to read entire article thanks to www.wind-watch.org
~~~~~~~~
Union
County
Election Results November 2, 2010 Totals
11/03/10 3:16 AM
All 19 Precincts Counted 70.98 voter
turnout total ballots cast
10,810
Measure 31-75
"Do the citizens of Union County support the
Antelope Ridge Wind Farm application currently before
the Oregon Department of Energy?" Yes 5,060 votes (48.09%) NO 5,462 VOTES (51.91%) OF OREGON'S
RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD
A Beacon Hill Institute & Cascade Policy Institute Policy Study March 2011 David G. Tuerck, PhD Michael Head, MSEP Paul Bachman, MSIE excerpts from Executive Summary: Since renewable energy generally costs more than conventional energy, may have voiced concerns about highter elecrticity rates. Moreover, since Oregon has a liited ability to generate new renewable energy, the state will start from a low power generation base. In addition,m some renewable energy sources (wind and solar power in particular) require the installation of conventional backup generation capacity for cloudy, windless days. The need for this backup further boosts the cost of renewable energy. Oregonians will begin to see these higher costs on their electric bill this year. Pacific Power and Portland General Electric Implemented rate increases (in some cases double-digit percentage increases) directly tied to SB 838. read the entire study
by The
Oregonian Editorial Board www.oregonlive.com
March 15, 2011 excerpt: Oregon has
stopped throwing money at anyone who mouths the magic
words: "Green energy." But a three-part
series in The Oregonian made it clear this week that the
state must further tighten the rules --- and the
oversight --- of its Business Energy Tax Credit program. excerpt:
Given the enormous cost, the green subsidies demand
stronger scrutiny from lawmakers, the governor and
the public than they've received. Former Gov.
Ted Kulongoski's energy policy --- y'all come ---
ignored the mounting cost until hundreds of millions
of dollars were committed, no small amount of it to
companies that failed to live up to the promises of
jobs, economic development and green energy. excerpt: ... If we're
going to toss $300 million to green energy developers
every two years, we should know exactly what we're
getting in return.
Reasons for projected OTEC rate increases in 2011 thanks to
Super Talk Radio
KLBM 1450 www.otecc.com Pod Casts 9-16-10 Werner Buehler,
OTEC's General Manager, and Steve Schauer, OTEC's
Manager of Member Services discuss a BPA wholesale
rate increase scheduled for October 2011.
Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010Part 1, length 8:25 Part 2, length 9:52 When Green
Subsidies are gone this is what is left!
 Komoa wind farm
abandoned
 Komoa view The Gas Is Greener by Robert Bryce June 7, 2011 published in The New York Times
Oregon green energy tax breaks face sweeping changes, cutbacks Harry Esteve June 9, 2011 published in The Oregonian Editors note: This article discusses Oregon House Bill 3671 excerpt: "As written, the bill would stop the practice of subsidizing half the construction cost of wind and solar energy developers, who receive tens of missions of dollars worth of tax credit." Here's the link to the full article |
Type
B Amendment = No Public
Comment on Additions
Our Union County Commissioners
held a work session on April
11 during which Article 52 was
discussed. I feel
obligated to report on it.by Irene Gilbert FGRV / Legislative Analyst 4-26-18 included are 2 PDFs Irene sent to Energy Facility Siting Council Since
the Oregon Department of
Energy developed their
new Amendment rules,
they decide what
amendment process to go
through before the
public is even told
anything about what they
are doing. The
new rules also say
that the public has no
right to appeal the
decision that is made
regarding what
amendment procedure is
used.
In the Type B Amendment process that developers request there is no opportunity for the public to ask for a contested case. If the public disagrees with the decision that the Oregon Department of Energy makes on any items the public has to appeal directly to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Let's all hope that the appeal of the new rules that has been filed by nine groups regarding the removal of the public from the "public processes" is heard soon and the groups win. PDF
re: significant
adverse impacts of
Wheatridge wind
development's
request for Type B
Amendment
PDF re: significant adverse impacts of NextEra Energy / Stateline wind development's request for Type B Amendment Todd and Janine: I
am requesting that the
attached two documents
(links above) be
provided to the Energy
Facility Siting
Council (EFSC)
regarding that these
requests
of amendments by
developers be
processed as Type B
Amendments.
Isabell
Hernandez and Senator
Olsen:
Please see
that these two
documents (links
above) are posted and
available to the
members of your
committee. They
are examples of the
types of requests that
are being made for the
use of the Type B
Amendment Procedure
which denies the
public the opportunity
to have a contested
case procedure.
If these requests are
approved, the only
opportunity the public
will have to object to
the decisions of the
Oregon Department of
Energy and Energy
Facility Siting
Council decisions will
be by filing an appeal
with the Oregon Court
of Appeals at
exorbitant cost to any
member of the public
or public agency who
does not agree with
the decisions
made.
All of a
sudden there is a
major increase in
requests for changes
without filing any
amendment request, as
well as these
types. The new
Amendment Rules seem
to be
encouraging developers
to file
amendments
It appears there
will be a significant
increase in the Oregon
Department of Energy
budget since there are
now 10 developments
being reviewed by the
Energy Facility Siting
Division and they will
be collecting the
costs of their work
from all of
them. I would
think the legislature
would want to exert
some control over the
agency writing rules
that increase their
budget absent any
control by the
legislature or the
public since these
increased energy costs
will be passed on to
the consumers.
 OCTA Conference (Oregon California Trail Association) @ EOU May 5, 2018 submitted by Stop B2H 4-3-18 Artifacts and Tales of the Trail, celebration of the Oregon Trail Saturday, May 5, 9:30 AM - 3 PM at EOU's Huber Auditorium. Tales of
Oregon Trail travelers and
of Ezra Meeker, who
committed yeas to
preserving evidence of the
beloved trail, will be
brought to life.
Sharon Hohstadt, past president of Union County's Museum Board, will display and discuss artifacts brought by early Union County families. Current efforts to preserve the trail in our area will be recognized. $15 for a day of fascinating local history includes a deli lunch. Sponsored by Oregon California Trail Association. Calendar & Events has location and more info on this event. Union Commissioners Work Shop on Article 52 ARTICLE 52.00 Commercial Wind Power Generation Faciity Siting Requirements from Ray Randall 04-17-18 Scott Hartell (Union County
planner) introduced the matter
and asked that the commission
provide some guidance.
He acknowledged that a group
of '4 citizens' had offered a
new draft of Article 52 and
one part of that draft called
for a two-mile setback between
any wind tower and any
residence. Scott had
used GIS mapping with all
residences super-imposed for
the whole county to
demonstrate that the setbacks
would mean there likely would
be only a couple of
significant spots of several
hundred acres each available
for wind projects. He
also provided a map showing
wildlife restrictions for ODFW
Category I and Category II
Habitat which our group or '4
citizens' believes should be
avoided at all cost.
Both maps were provided to the
commissioners but no one
else. Generally
speaking, the commission
expressed some concern that
the two-mile setback may not
be "doable" but they made no
decision.
The '4 citizens' voiced
opinions to the commission and
Scott Hartell. None of
that generated much
discussion.
Ultimately the county
people agreed that Scott
should invite the group
of '4 citizens' in for a
discussion to fully understand
our varying positions.
So we are not exactly
encouraged, but not ready to
concede, either.
We have no idea how soon
Scott may want to talk.
We see no advantage in rushing
it at this time In the
meantime I will request
multiple copies of both of the
county maps that were
mentioned earlier.
Ray
Randall
member of Friends of
Grande Ronde Valley
(FGRV)
submitted by Stop B2H 4-3-18
Please
submit a Letter to the Oregon
Public Utility Commission (OPUC)
on Idaho
Power’s Plan for the Boardman
to Hemingway Transmission Line (Subject:
Idaho Power IRP—docket#
LC68)
or,
snail mail: Tips for Letter Writing: ·
Address
your letter to the Oregon Public
Utility Commission as a whole;
and copy each Commissioner. ·
Subject:
Idaho Power 2017 IRP
(LC68) ·
Choose
one or more points from the “Talking Points”
(linked.) Best to use your own
words! Be
respectful and address the
commissioners as someone that
can solve our problem. E.g.: “I
am concerned that in Idaho
Power’s 2017 IRP (LC68), they
have/have not….
(tip: OPUC is primarily
concerned with costs and risk.)
If you prefer a sample
letter, write to us: stopb2h@gmail.com
we can help! An addressed
template is below. ·
Request/Closing:
Ask the commissioners to
Not
Acknowledge Action Item #6
which says, "Conduct preliminary
construction activities, acquire
long-lead materials, and
construct the B2H project."
Idaho Power further
states, "The Commission's
acknowledgement of Idaho Power's
acquisition of B2H in the Action
Plan will serve as the Company's
satisfaction of EFSC's "Need"
standard under its Least Cost
Plan Rule." Acknowledging action
Item #6 will begin construction
of the B2H. That would not be a
prudent decision considering all
of the questionable data and
outdated information used by the
company in its IRP plan. (Also,
based
on your points, above, you may
request that they reconsider
other Idaho Power planning
data and information.) ·
Recognize
the
Commissioners as our (potential)
“heroes & defenders” They
are the only ones who can
protect our interests in Oregon!
Our interests are: clean
energy, clean air & no coal;
energy efficiency &
conservation; a distributed
grid, low cost & low risk
electricity for ratepayers; and
protecting our farms &
timber resources; and our strong
pioneering, Oregon Trail
heritage and identity! ·
Copy
your letter to Ruchi Sadhir
(Governor Brown’s Energy Policy
Advisor): Ruchi.SADHIR@oregon.gov
and to each of your State
legislators.
Their addresses are here:
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html
or, for quick reference to most
of our readers:
(Umatilla & Union) Sen.BillHansell@oregonlegislature.gov; Rep.GregBarreto@oregonlegislature.gov; (Baker & Malheur) Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature.gov; Rep.LynnFindley@oregonlegislature.gov Please,
send us a copy of your letter
too J - you can submit
to us anonymously if you prefer. Write TODAY! Template: Filed via email to puc.commission@state.or.us and to Commissioners Lisa.Hardie@state.or.us, stephen.bloom@state.or.us, and megan.decker@state.or.us
March XX, 2018 Commissioner Hardie, Bloom, and Decker Public
Utility Commission of
Oregon Subject: Idaho Power 2017 IRP (LC68) Dear Commissioners Hardie, Bloom, and Decker, Insert
your text ....
(see “Talking Points” -
click here.)
your name and address here More about Article 52 discussions March 22, 2018 by Ray Randall Article 52 is our
(Union) county guideline for the
siting of any wind farm in Union
County. It will be
reanalyzed and modified in the
near future. The County
Commission has indicated that they
will set some parameters for this
process in a work session on April
11, 2018 beginning at 9:00 am and
there will be an opportunity for
public comment. The
Commission has not yet publicized
its April 11th agenda which is not
very helpful. But, for those
of us who wish to have a say about
wind farms, we must prepare for
this potential now.
The Friends of the
Grande Ronde Valley is inviting
all interested citizens to an
information-sharing session at the
Cook Library Community Room on
Thursday, April 5, 2018. The
doors will open at 5:30 pm and we
hope to finish by 7:00 pm.
If you have concerns about the
trashing of our open spaces,
please attend.
Ray Randall
Article 52 Proposed Additions / Changes Submitted to Union County Commissioners 2-24-18 authored by Jed Farmer, John Milbert, Chuck LeBold, Ray Randall; sent to Commissioners January 2018 Union
County Article 52
"Therefore, the purpose of this
ordinance is to clarify existing
rules governing the siting and
development of wind generators with
the intention to encourage wind
power renewable energy resource
development."
Proposed Additions / Changes to current Article 52 was Submitted to Union County Commissioners January 2018 by authors Jed Farmer, John Milbert, Chuck LeBold and Ray Randall as members and on behalf of Friends of the Grande Ronde Valley. Set backs is a major part of the proposed changes. Currently set backs are 1500 feet. Umatilla County has increased their set back to 2 miles. County Commissioners Work Session April 11th 9 AM agenda will be The Proposed Additions / Changes. Location of the meeting is Joseph Annex Building 1106 K Ave., La Grande, Oregon. public comment for submission for SB 1519 and SB 1537 by Irene Gilbert FGRV / Legislative Analyst February 5, 2018 included is PDF Irene sent to Senator Beyer and Committee members I am providing this
submission to you as my previous
comments were written under the
belief that these rules were going
to remove rule making from the
Energy Facility Siting Division and
Energy Facility Siting
Council.
Unfortunately,
as I found out during public
comments today, they exclude
this group. The bills are
positive, unfortunately, they do
not include the worst
offenders. I certainly hope
there is some effort to address
the Siting Division this session
rather than continuing to allow
ODOE to work for developers at the
expense of the public.
As long as
the governor continues to appoint
people to the Energy Facility
Siting Council like Marcia Grail
who currently works for IBEW 125
and their retirement fund, the
only possible way to get a neutral
evaluation of developments is
through removing control over
portions of the process from the
Oregon Department of Energy.
I question how impartial a person
can be who knows that every time
she votes to approve a
development, she is making jobs
for her employer. Perhaps
someone can find out who vetted
Marcia and why they did not
question the conflict of interest,
or why the governor has insisted
that this does not pose a conflict
of interest.
Wishing you peace December 30, 2017   Energy Department and council under fire for cutting out public from The Oregonian 12-13-17 read
the full article in The Oregonian
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/12/energy_department_and_council.html Excerpt: The state panel responsible for siting large energy facilities is under fire for adopting rules that conservation groups and others say will limit transparency and cut the public out of decisions. ... In the end, critics say it's another example of the dysfunctional Energy Department ignoring the public interest, interpreting rules and statues unlawfully, and cozying up to the industry that pays its bills. ... Irene Gilbert, a La Grande resident and researcher for the Friends of the Grande Ronde Valley, has opposed numerous windfarms in Eastern Oregon based on their impacts on wildlife, wetlands, noise levels, and their visibility from towns or areas designated as wild and scenic. She says the council, at the recommendation of the Energy Department, has denied every one of her requests for a contested case. By her count, the council has rejected more than 80 requests for contested cases and not granted a single one. ... "They control the whole process, and their determination over and over again is no significant impact," she said. "They get paid by the applicants. They bill for every hour of work on an application, then charge developers to monitor projects. So, in effect, they're working for the applicant." ... FGRV meeting 2 PM December 14, 2017 posted 12-9-17 Agenda includes
Updates on ODOE / EFSC activity
& county Article 52 status.
See date on Calendar & Events page for more info Location is downstairs at Union Library in City Park on Main Street THE OREGON PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION WILL HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING November 2nd IN ONTARIO, OREGON ON IDAHO POWER’S APPLICATION TO BUILD THE BOARDMAN TO HEMINGWAY (B2H) TRANSMISSION LINE from B2H coalition 10-28-17
 Idaho Power’s own sales
figures show that demand has been flat
for ten years. You will pay if the line
is ever built, and you will also pay
Idaho Power a guaranteed profit
for building it. Come to the meeting to
voice your concerns to the members and
staff of the Oregon Public Utility
Commission. It’s very important and they
want to hear from you.
THIS IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOURSELF HEARD: Idaho Power customers will pay hundreds of millions of dollars for a line that may never be needed. August 23, 2017 Meeting 6 PM Union County & City of La Grande 2nd Joint Public Meeting on location of B2H Transmission Line The Union
County Commissioners and City of La Grande
are hosting a second Boardman to Hemingway
siting meeting. It will be on Wednesday,
August 23rd at 6 pm in the
Blue Mountain Conference Center (aka
the Armory). Since we had over 140 people
at the last meeting they are moving the
event to the big conference room. We’d
like to fill the room to express our
support for our elected representatives in
letting Idaho Power know that their
transmission line is not welcome here! The county
and city are in the process of reviewing
Idaho Power’s application for
“completeness” and there are huge gaps in
the application. We have found many areas
where Idaho Power has missed key
information that should be considered by
the State of Oregon before determining
that the application is complete. Heck
they didn't even know we have a helipad at
the hospital for life-flight. Their report
does not describe in detail the 100+ miles
of new or improved roads they want to
build; nor proper weed or fire protection
plans. And the list of incompleteness goes
on… At the
meeting the city/county will inform us on
the work that they have done so far
and they are asking for all of us to
help. YES, asking us to help! The
application is HUGE and there is a limited
amount of time to submit comments to the
state. If you have any experience
regarding weeds, roads, water,
geography, wet lands, wildlife,
archeology, historic sites,
recreation, etc. let the city or
county know! The full
application is on Union County web site at
http://union-county.org/b2h-amended-preliminary-application-for-site-certificate/
If you have any knowledge in any of these
areas, please get involved! There will
be future opportunities for public comment
as the state process progresses over this
coming year. We need to make sure that the
state considers everything that could
negatively impact our homes and our
environment. We need to be heard and our
elected representatives want to hear from
us – how often does that happen ;-)! For more
information: Contact Union
County directly 541-963-1001; Pass the Word! Forward this email & look forward to seeing you there! -Stop B2H Coalition
August
14th meeting in Baker County
Commissioners' Chamber ON IDAHO POWER’S APPLICATION TO BUILD B2H Transmission
Line
DATE AND TIME: Monday, August 14th, 2017 at 5:00 pm at the Baker County Commissioners’ Chamber, Baker County Courthouse The County and City have until September 1 to make comments before Idaho Power’s application is accepted as complete by the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE). The county and city want to know your opinion about the impacts this transmission line will have on the valley and YOU. Idaho Power is only notifying landowners within 500 feet of these steel giants, which they are planning. The line will enter the valley from Ladd Canyon by I-84 coming into Baker County; travels due south along the eastern edge of irrigated, agricultural fields and passes west (in front of) the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center; then continues south to Durkee and Huntington, and passes east of the Oywhee Reservoir into Idaho. Come to the meeting to talk to our elected officials with your questions/opinions and conditions you want to see them recommend. THIS IS THE TIME TO EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS regarding impacts to views, wildlife, police and fire, noise, traffic, groundwater, flooding, agricultural and forest impacts such as invasive weeds, setbacks from homes, the Oregon Trail, including the viewscape impact from the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, and historical resources, etc. For more
information, contact:
stopb2h@gmail.com
Last
week,
the Oregon Department of Energy informed
local government units along the B2H route
that they would have until September 1st
to comment on the “completeness” of Idaho
Power’s Amended Application for a “Site
Certificate” (or, in other words, the
application for a permit for the right of
way to build B2H.) There
are NO public hearings at this stage of
the game in the Oregon siting process but
there will be later in this process. However,
Union
County and the City of La Grande have
graciously agreed to conduct their own
public meeting to solicit input from
citizens, before they comment on the
application. The meeting will be starting at 6 pm on Tuesday, August 1st at the Blue Mtn Conference Center (aka Armory) at 404 12th Street in La Grande. PLEASE Mark your calendars NOW!
The County
and City have until Sept. 1 to make comments
before Idaho Powers application is accepted
as complete by the Oregon Department of
Energy (ODOE).
The county and city want to know your
opinion about the impacts this transmission
line with have on the valley and you. Idaho
Power is only notifying landowners within
500 feet of these steel giants which they
are planning.
The line
will enter the valley from the west where
the current 230 kv does then run behind the
hospital, over Morgan Lake road, and follow
the foothills alongside Ladd Marsh, visible
to all, and out Ladd Canyon by I-84. Come to the
meeting to talk to our elected officials
with your questions/opinions and
conditions you want to see them
recommend. THIS IS THE TIME TO EXPRESS
YOUR CONCERNS regarding impacts to
views, wildlife, police and fire, noise,
traffic, Ladd Marsh, groundwater,
flooding, agricultural and forest
impacts such as invasive weeds, setbacks
from homes, the Oregon Trail, historical
resources, etc.
The
format
will be informal in that no decisions will
be made and there will be no strict times
for speaking—more of a listening
session—according to Commissioner McClure. He
wants to hear from everyone! He
says now is the time to put all of your
concerns on the table about the B2H and/or
the sighting application. He has asked
Idaho Power to come and present too. They
will have their maps and
renderings—probably similar to what we
showed you in our last Stop B2H
newsletter, but fancier (if you did not
receive our newsletter—or couldn’t open
it, please contact us right away.) The Stop B2H
Coalition’s research working group is
meeting this week to coordinate our
research and writing for the citizen
portfolio that we will be submitting soon
to the Public Utility Commissions of Idaho
and Oregon (PUC's) – AND – also to prepare
for this meeting! At
this stage, it is important to let the
public officials know: ·
What you
think the city and county should be
looking for in the application for
completeness.* ·
What
conditions you want them to insist will
be in the Site Certificate (if one is
granted.) ·
And, of
course: What is important to You! We hope to post some talking points for everyone later in the week. However, the main thing is to show up! Speak from the heart (or mind) and tell your story. You do not need to be an expert. However, if you would like to prepare more yourself, here is the link to the Amended Application: http://union-county.org/b2h-amended-preliminary-application-for-site-certificate/ It
is
overwhelming! So,
a tip for review would be: go
to the Chapter/Exhibit that you are
interested in; read the section that you
have an interest (or the geographic areas
you're interested in); and see if they
have covered your concerns. This
will make your reading shorter &
directly in line with your interests. For more
information: Contact
Union County directly 541-963-1001; or,
Stop B2H Coalition: stopb2h@gmail.com Two
proposed DOE rule amendments below Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) Public hearings February 23 and 24, 2017 Thursday, February 23,
8:30am – 5:00pm Cousins' Country Inn,
2114 W 6th St, The Dalles, OR 97058, USA
The
Department of Energy is planning to
implement two amended rules which will
cause irreparable damage to Wildlife and
citizen's right to due process when
actions are taken to build energy
developments in the state.
I
encourage you to review the attachments
and consider submitting comments and
objections to the impacts they will
have. Public hearings will be held
on these two rule amendments on February
23 and February 24. SUMMARY OF
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PLANNED
CHANGES TO AMENDMENT CONTESTED
CASE RULES The Department
of Energy (DOE) is once again
demonstrating that they should not
have control of the hearings
process. Currently
the DOE is the only state agency
which writes regulations, receives
incomes from developer applicants,
controls who is allowed a
contested case, and hires its own
hearing officers to hear contested
cases about their decisions.
The proposed amendments
reinforce the existing process;
they lack objective criteria
necessary for guiding transparent,
equitable decisions.
The current 8 pages of
rules are being replaced by 32
pages of amendments, all
apparently designed to deny the
public access to the decision
making process.
To date, DOE has a 100%
record.
It has denied every request
for a contested hearing on amended
site certificates.
The new and confusing rules
will further complicate the
process and guarantee the same
questionable outcomes. The proposed
rule changes will: Continue to give the DOE and EFSC total control over who is allowed a contested case hearing. Create
procedural
barriers to further complicate
the process and provide
additional procedural
justifications for 100% denials
of contested case requests.
Increase time to process
amendment requests.
Increase costs to
developers requesting
amendments.
Allow DOE to hire
additional staff to deal with
the new process which developers
will have to pay for.
Eliminate
required notification to all
special advisory groups when
amendment requests are being
reviewed.
Eliminate required
evaluation of an entire
development’s impacts when
processing amendment requests to
increase the size of a facility.
Allow waiving some
requirements of the proposed
rules for developers; no such
waiver will be available to the
public.
Fail
to provide the objective
criteria necessary for
evaluating contested cases based
on the impacts of given
amendments. |
