State hearings on wind farm set for Monday; Desert Claim project scrutinized
The Daily Record|Mike Johnston|July 11, 2009
Monday's formal adjudication hearing in Ellensburg on the proposed Desert Claim Wind Power Project may take less time than other county wind farms that have come before the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC.
Monday's formal adjudication hearing in Ellensburg on the proposed Desert Claim Wind Power Project may take less time than other county wind farms that have come before the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC.
ELLENSBURG- Monday's formal adjudication hearing in Ellensburg on the proposed Desert Claim Wind Power Project may take less time than other county wind farms that have come before the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC.
A formal hearing before EFSEC members will begin 10 a.m. Monday at the Hal Holmes Community Center, 209 N. Ruby St., in Ellensburg.
If needed, the Monday hearing will be continued to Tuesday.
Allen Fiksdal, EFSEC manager, said only limited pre-filled testimony has been submitted so far, and the wind farm applicant and the state Attorney General's Office have already reached agreement on a number environmental and habitat concerns.
The applicant is Desert Claim Wind Power LLC, a part of the …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]ELLENSBURG- Monday's formal adjudication hearing in Ellensburg on the proposed Desert Claim Wind Power Project may take less time than other county wind farms that have come before the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC.
A formal hearing before EFSEC members will begin 10 a.m. Monday at the Hal Holmes Community Center, 209 N. Ruby St., in Ellensburg.
If needed, the Monday hearing will be continued to Tuesday.
Allen Fiksdal, EFSEC manager, said only limited pre-filled testimony has been submitted so far, and the wind farm applicant and the state Attorney General's Office have already reached agreement on a number environmental and habitat concerns.
The applicant is Desert Claim Wind Power LLC, a part of the international wind power development firm of enXco Inc.
The stipulated agreement between the applicant and the Counsel for the Environment from the AG's Office resolves the concerns raised by the counsel.
The counsel is charged with representing the general public's concerns with environmental impacts related to non-hydro power projects.
If the requirements and conditions in the stipulations are made part of a final agreement with EFSEC, the Counsel for the Environment indicated he would support approval of the wind farm by EFSEC.
This would also preclude any need for the Counsel for the Environment to cross examine any expert witnesses representing the wind farm project on Monday.
The Monday hearing reviews the 95-turbine wind farm proposed by Desert Claim Wind Power LLC. The facility is planned to be spread on 5,200 acres of private and state-owned land eight miles northwest of Ellensburg north of Smithson Road.
Although the general public can attend the formal adjudication hearings, only official parties to the wind farm request and legal intervenors can speak before EFSEC during the formal sessions.
An evening hearing for the general public to have their say on the wind farm before EFSEC members is set for 7 p.m. Monday at the Hal Holmes Community Center.
A second public hearing for anyone to speak is also planned for the Puget Sound area, set for 7 p.m. July 21 in Rooms C-110-111 at South Seattle Community College, 6737 Corson Ave. S., Seattle.
Fiksdal said county government representative, at a recent pre-hearing conference, indicated the county would not cross-examine any expert witnesses put forth by the wind farm applicant and would likely not make comments during the adjudication hearing.
Fiksdal said the only pre-filed testimony has come from the applicant, the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development and the Economic Development Group of Kittitas County. The testimony supports approval of the wind farm.
County Commissioner Alan Crankovich on Friday said the commissioners have not established a position for or against the Desert Claim project.
Fiksdal said county government officials have submitted concerns in response to the project's draft supplemental environmental impact statement.
Those concerns allege the inadequacy of the environmental study to fully address negative impacts to the county's scenic vistas and from cumulative effects of more wind farms.
Concerns also relate to the inadequacy of visual simulations of how the wind farm would look. The county also believes the applicant didn't fully consider alternative sites.
In the meantime, an economic study commissioned by Desert Claim was released this week that concluded the wind farm will create 282 jobs and generate more than $33 million in economic activity throughout the state in the year it is constructed.
It also estimates that it will create 36 jobs and $6.2 million in annual economic activity statewide after wind farm operations begin.
EFSEC officials said public comments on the project continue to be accepted in writing through the EFSEC office at: P.O. Box 43172, Olympia, WA 98504-3172 or e-mailed to: efsec@cted.wa.gov.
EFSEC has indicated its goal is to make a formal recommendation to the governor on the project before the end of the year. The governor then makes the final decision on whether to approve construction and operation of the wind farm.
To find all Desert Claim wind farm documents online, including the latest environmental study, go to: https://www.efsec.wa.gov