logo
Article

Wind turbine blade throw incident at Pattern Energy's Ocotillo Wind Project

Protect Our Communities Foundation & Backcountry Against Dumps|May 16, 2013
CaliforniaLegalSafetyStructural Failure

This wholly avoidable public health and safety hazard occurred just one day after San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the revised Wind Energy Ordinance & Boulevard Community Plan to remove community protections to allow 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines on private land in previously protected areas near homes, recreation areas, and sensitive wildlife.


173 Foot long blade crashes to ground blocking Jeep trail on public BLM Land 

This wholly avoidable public health and safety hazard occurred just one day after San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the revised Wind Energy Ordinance & Boulevard Community Plan to remove community protections to allow 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines on private land in previously protected areas near homes, recreation areas, and sensitive wildlife-just like the BLM did for Pattern Energy's Ocotillo Wind-despite pleas from adversely impacted community members over valid and justified safety concerns.

The blade throw incident also comes one day after Federal Judge Curiel finally granted plaintiffs' motion to remand our Ocotillo Express Wind …

... more [truncated due to possible copyright]
173 Foot long blade crashes to ground blocking Jeep trail on public BLM Land 

This wholly avoidable public health and safety hazard occurred just one day after San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the revised Wind Energy Ordinance & Boulevard Community Plan to remove community protections to allow 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines on private land in previously protected areas near homes, recreation areas, and sensitive wildlife-just like the BLM did for Pattern Energy's Ocotillo Wind-despite pleas from adversely impacted community members over valid and justified safety concerns.

The blade throw incident also comes one day after Federal Judge Curiel finally granted plaintiffs' motion to remand our Ocotillo Express Wind CEQA complaint back to state court where it belongs-after Pattern Energy had moved it to federal court with our federal complaints, based on false claims that Imperial County was acting on orders from the federal government. The Curiel Order and our complaint are both attached. Plaintiffs include The Protect Our Communities Foundation, Backcountry Against Dumps and Donna Tisdale. Since Ocotillo Express operation started in late 2012, residents complain of adverse impacts from noise, vibrations, electrical interference, shadow flicker and light pollution. People, pets and wildlife are suffering while the project's wind production is far less than advertised.

Park Ewing's Ocotillo Wind Turbine Destruction page has project photos and information: https://www.facebook.com/OcotilloWindTurbineDestruction

Jim Pelley's Save Ocotillo youtube site has project videos and photos: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaveOcotillo

Map to community center: https://itouchmap.com/?d=1868232&s=CA&f=building

Map of Ocotillo Express Wind project footprint surrounding Ocotillo: https://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/cdd/energy/0.Par.53015.File.dat/CACA051552_for_Web.pdf

Siemens wind turbine specs: https://www.energy.siemens.com/us/pool/hq/power-generation/renewables/wind-power/wind%20turbines/Siemens%20Wind%20Turbine%20SWT-2.3-108_EN.pdf

BLM project website: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/ocotillo_express_wind.html


Share this post
Follow Us
RSS:XMLAtomJSON
Donate
Donate
Stay Updated

We respect your privacy and never share your contact information. | LEGAL NOTICES

Contact Us

WindAction.org
Lisa Linowes, Executive Director
phone: 603.838.6588

Email contact

General Copyright Statement: Most of the sourced material posted to WindAction.org is posted according to the Fair Use doctrine of copyright law for non-commercial news reporting, education and discussion purposes. Some articles we only show excerpts, and provide links to the original published material. Any article will be removed by request from copyright owner, please send takedown requests to: info@windaction.org

© 2026 INDUSTRIAL WIND ACTION GROUP CORP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WEBSITE GENEROUSLY DONATED BY PARKERHILL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION