Lava Ridge Affects Everyone
BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
It’s almost a certainty that if you live in Blaine County you’ve heard of the Lava Ridge Wind Project. So what is it and why is there so much controversy? It’s designed to be the biggest wind power farm in the nation yet the energy will not go to Idaho and has turned into an environmental bipartisan issue. At the very crux is the concern with the State of Idaho’s rights and concerns when opposed to federal legislation.
Lava Ridge
“The Lava Ridge Wind Project is a proposed wind farm from MVE (Magic Valley Energy). The original project proposes 400 turbines across 75,000 acres of public land. The majority of the turbines would stand over twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty—with the tallest towers standing about 740 feet. They would occupy land in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties. It would contain the largest wind towers in the world and be the biggest wind farm in the nation.” (stoplavaridge.com)
Wind turbines – but they are renewable ‘green’ energy, right? Surely that’s a good thing. Imagine paying a lower power bill.
“The energy generated by the turbines would not benefit Idaho residents but instead be shipped to California. Idaho residents would be negatively impacted in many ways:
Impacts on Blaine County:
• Grazing
• Farming
• Aviation
• Fire Suppression
• Emergency Communication
• Water
• Roads & Traffic
• Post-Construction & Decommissioning Land Rehab
• Health Concerns
• Ground Temperature Change
• Hunting
• Wildlife
• Recreation
• Historical & Cultural Sites
• Scenic Landscape
(stoplavaridge.com)
Many people and groups use the public lands where the proposed project is to be built, from biking groups, ranchers, backcountry enthusiasts and photographers, to supporters and visitors of the Minidoka National Historic Site. The core issue at stake in the Lava Ridge project has to do with aesthetics, land use, actual power distribution, quality of equipment and historical status for trauma relief.
“Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome, Idaho, tells the painful stories of the unconstitutional forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Minidoka is a place to heal deep emotional trauma, educate the public about racial injustice, and commemorate our ancestors. When visiting the site, visitors experience a sense of isolation and remoteness due to the sweeping vistas of surrounding lands and distant mountains.
“The proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project will forever alter Minidoka’s somber landscape and fails to honor the significance of the events that occurred at Minidoka as a place of reflection, healing, and education for the survivors, descendants, and public. The proposed project places 340 towers in the Minidoka NHS viewshed with 12 of those towers on the historic Minidoka footprint.
“The Minidoka community of survivors and descendants deserve the respect and acknowledgment of this gross violation of civil liberties by our nation’s government through the preservation of the site. The Minidoka story must be recognized and treated in an honorable and somber manner as other painful events in our nation’s history. The proposed Lava Ridge project minimizes the trauma, loss, and humiliation suffered by American citizens based solely on racial discrimination.” (minidoka.org)
As the turbine farm was to originally be placed directly on the site, talks with the public have helped steer deployment. In a gesture, the project managers and BLM have changed the location so that now it is to be adjacent to the site; however, the size and area of the turbines indelibly alter the site and dislodge the land of its natural beauty for miles.
Green Power
The issue of whether or not the turbines work as intended is well worth researching. The turbines are powered by generators or through the grid directly. The DC power they do generate after boot-up trickles into the grid after being balanced back to AC power with more power from the grid. The company that produces them leases them to the landowner who collects a small percentage of money for their production where the leasing company collects the rest and generally allocates all liability for any malfunction or problem with the disposable turbines on the leasee.
The turbines are known for catching fire. Fire Safety Science has written a comprehensive article on this problem at https://publications.iafss.org/publications/fss/11/983/view/fss_11-983.pdf\
“We have found that fire is the second leading cause of catastrophic accidents in wind turbines (after blade failure) and accounts for 10% to 30% of the reported turbine accidents of any year since the 1980s. In 90% of the cases, the fire leads to a total loss of the wind turbine, or at least a downtime that results in the accumulation of economic losses. The main causes of fire ignition in wind turbines are (in decreasing order of importance): lightning strikes, electrical malfunction, mechanical malfunction, and maintenance. Due to the many flammable materials used in a wind turbine (e.g., fiberglass-reinforced polymers, foam insulation, cables) and the large oil storage used for lubrication of mechanical components, the fuel load in a turbine nacelle is commonly very large. (publications.iafss.org)
Energy
The most practical issue with the Lava Ridge project is the size and the fact that what power is generated will be directed to residents of California. Idahoans will not reap any benefits from this project, which is helmed by Magic Valley Energy, a subsidiary of New York-based LS Power.
“We recognize the impact on ranching and farming” and “have been coordinating with them since the beginning,” said Luke Papez, Nevada-based senior director of project development for LS. The developer plans to alleviate potential impacts, such as by replacing lost forage.
“The problem always has been how big they want to make this thing,” said Darren Taber, a Lincoln County farmer. Access to on-site roads would be from narrower roads designed for tiny traffic volumes and farm vehicles, he said.
Dean Dimond, whose farm could be less than an eighth of a mile south of a turbine, depending on the final design, said that in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer’s lava rock, most wells lack the traditional long case to keep the hole open. The aquifer is less like a lake and more like “a series of lava tubes,” he said. He’s concerned the tall towers’ vibrations could cause partial cave-ins or alter groundwater flow.
Potential impact on raptors also concerns Dimond, as “about every third or fourth year we get hit with a vole infestation” that the birds of prey help alleviate.
Stronger, farther-reaching wind turbulence from the bigger towers is among Crop Jet Aviation owner George Parker’s concerns. Pilots would face new safety considerations.
Lava Ridge stands to affect 42 ranching families and about 62,000 animal unit months. An AUM is a measure of a month’s worth of forage for a cow-calf pair or five sheep with lambs. Replacement of 30% to 50% of total feed would be needed.” (wind-watch.org)
Politics
The Idaho House of Representatives unanimously opposed the project.
U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, all Idaho Republicans, introduced the “Don’t Develop Obstructive Infrastructure on our Terrain Act.”
Coined the “Don’t DO IT Act,” by its sponsors, it would require the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to deny any wind or solar energy project proposed on public land that is disapproved of by the state Legislature. The bill was inspired by a proposed wind project in Idaho that has sparked significant controversy.
Letters have been written as this issue is centered entirely on states’ rights in opposition to federal legislation.
“In a joint letter with the Idaho delegation to BLM state director Karen Kelleher, Idaho Governor Brad Little and Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke previously expressed concerns about the wind project to the BLM.
“Affected farmers, ranchers, tribes, the Japanese American community and sportsmen have voiced legitimate objections,” they said in the letter. “As it stands today, the local community predominantly has not shown support for this development.”
In the letter, the officials said the project conflicts with “deep-rooted” Idaho values for land conservation and land use opportunities for recreation, grazing and sporting activities.” (dahocapitalsun.com)
Will legislation and public concern from the State of Idaho matter to the federal agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM)?
BLM
The BLM released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in August 2023.
“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a notice of availability for the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Lava Ridge Wind Project (the project) in the Federal Register on January 20, 2023. The notice is available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-01-20/pdf/2023-00646.pdf.
“This began a 60-day public comment period, which was extended to 90 days and ended on April 20, 2023.” (eplanning.blm.gov)
In a Preliminary Summary of Public Comments, they document the impact of the project through the eyes of the people — the residents who would most be affected by this massive industrial facility.
“The BLM received a total of 11,179 submissions during the public comment period… In all, 119 submissions came from commenters who indicated they were representing an organization, business, tribal nation or tribal entity, or government agency. All other submissions came from unaffiliated individuals.
The issues of most concern were: Air quality – avian and bat species, including greater sage-grouse and eagle species – Aviation climate and greenhouse gases Cultural resources and Native American concerns – Environmental justice and socioeconomics – Fire and fuels management – Geology and mineral resources – Hazardous materials and solid waste – Human health and safety Issues not considered in detail – Land use and livestock grazing.” (eplanning.blm.gov)
It is interesting that they note the use of this public outreach.
“The BLM read, analyzed, and considered all comments of a personal or philosophical nature and all opinions, feelings, and preferences for one element or one alternative over another. Because such comments were not substantive, the BLM will not respond to them.
It is also important to note that although the BLM reviewed and considered all comments, none were counted as votes. The NEPA public comment period is neither an election nor does it result in a representative sampling of the population. Therefore, public comments are not appropriate to be used as a democratic decision-making tool or as a scientific sampling mechanism.” (eplanning.blm.gov)
Speaking Up
There is much to weigh in on here. The project aims to produce the most energy of all wind farms in the nation but it will take an unprecedented amount of land to do so and disrupt all manner of industry and the wellbeing of animals and humans through direct individual harm and indirect destruction of natural resources and species.
There are multiple outlets to make your voice heard. You can find a wealth of information and articles on the Facebook page Stop Lava Ridge. There are videos of what it’s like to live near a wind farm and plenty of testimony and article links to points of interest.
What do you think? Should the turbine farm be put in Magic Valley? If you want it, there isn’t much to do. If you oppose it, you can write letters and make phone calls to state officials.
It is advised that you represent some type of industrial or living space and wellbeing impact.
Contact stoplavaridge.com at https://stoplavaridge.com/contact-government-officials/
“The preferred way to comment is through the BLM’s explaining project site https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013782/510. Click on the “Participate Now” button to the right of the document link. Enter your comment and information, then click “Submit.” (stoplavaridge.com)
Once again, it’s up to the community to take action for what it believes in. You can make your voice heard!