| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Some American Indians object to desert energy projects
Credit: DAVID DANELSKI, The Press-Enterprise, www.vvdailypress.com 7 November 2010 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
The recent sight of road graders clearing old-growth Mojave Desert shrubs for the nation’s first large-scale solar energy project on public land pained Phil Smith.
“It hurts because it will never be the same again,” said the Chemehuevi elder, who lives near Needles.
The Ivanpah Valley in northeast San Bernardino County holds ancient trails and worship sites, he said. It is home to the desert tortoise and other plants and animals that were important sources of food and medicine to his people.
But state and federal reviews earlier this year found the land for the 5.6-square mile project – being built near the Nevada border by Oakland-based BrightSource Energy Inc. – had no significant cultural resources, such as former village or burial sites. Government officials are allowing the tortoises to be captured and moved.
The project will feature thousands of mirrors focusing heat on towers with steam boilers, turning turbines to generate enough electricity for 140,000 homes.
Smith is among several Native Americans upset with the federal government for rapidly approving large solar projects on public land. They fear the process will obliterate sacred places, landmarks and artifacts.
Tribes say that the BrightSource solar property outside Primm, Nev., has trails and other sites sacred to Native Americans.
Tribal members say they are overwhelmed by the number energy projects. They don’t have time to examine and respond to thousands of pages of environmental documents and arrange site visits with appropriate leaders.
They’re also concerned because, in several cases, the government won’t decide how to deal with lost cultural resources until after projects are approved.
The U.S Bureau of Land Management is “fast-tracking” approvals for 23 solar, wind and geothermal energy projects on 236 square miles of public land in California, Arizona and Nevada. Developments that are construction-ready by the end of 2010 qualify for federal stimulus dollars, according to a BLM website.
Three projects were approved recently: in the Ivanpah Valley, one in Lucerne Valley and another in Imperial County.
“It is a backward process,” said Linda Otero, director of the Aha Makav Cultural Society and a member of the Fort Mojave Tribe. “There are so many projects, it is impossible to juggle them all.”
BLM officials said they regularly consult with tribes to avoid harming important sites. Energy officials say applications have been filed for years, giving tribes ample opportunity for input. BLM officials also acknowledged that they expect several large energy projects will be approved before archaeological assessments are complete.
“The project may be approved, but a lot of work still needs to be done,” said Alan Stein, resources manager for BLM’s California Desert District, said during a recent public meeting in Needles.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
 (via Paypal) |
 (via Stripe) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=43537 ]
