Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/55667
Friday, February 17, 2012 – Daily News BLYTHE (MCT) — One of California's show- case solar energy projects, under construction in the desert east of Los Angeles, is being threatened by a deadly outbreak of distem- per among kit foxes and the discovery of a prehis- toric human settlement on the work site. The $1 billion Genesis Solar Energy Project has been expedited by state and federal regulatory agencies that are eager to demonstrate that the nation can build solar plants quickly to ease dependence on fossil fuels and curb global warming. Instead, the project is providing a cautionary example of how the rush to harness solar power in the desert can go wrong — possibly costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and dealing an embarrassing blow to the Obama administration's solar initiative. Genesis had hoped to be among the first of 12 approved solar farms to start operating in Southern California deserts. To do so, it had to meet certain deadlines to receive feder- al assistance. The 250- megwatt plant, being built on federal Bureau of Land Management land 25 miles west of Blythe, is backed by an $825 million Department of Energy loan guarantee. Native quick and dirty, you are going to wind up with big mistakes and unintended consequences," said Lisa Belenky, senior attorney for the Center for Biologi- cal Diversity. Kit foxes became an issue at the site in late August, when two animals died. At the time, biolo- gists assumed the foxes succumbed to dehydration in an area where summer temperatures soar to 118 degrees. On Oct. 5, Gene- sis crews discovered another fox carcass and sent it to state Fish and Game veterinarians for a necropsy. At the time, the compa- Americans, including the leaders of a nearby reservation, are try- ing to have Genesis delayed or even scuttled because they say the dis- temper outbreak and dis- covery of a possible Native American crema- tion site show that acceler- ated procedures approved by state and federal regula- tors failed to protect wildlife and irreplaceable cultural resources. The problems threaten the entire project, said Michael O'Sullivan, senior vice president of develop- ment for Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources, one of the largest renewable energy suppliers in North Ameri- ca and the builder of Gen- esis. The project is to start producing power by 2014. If too many acres are deemed off-limits to con- struction, "the project could become uneconomi- cal," O'Sullivan said. Plans for Genesis call for parabolic-trough solar thermal technology to cre- ate enough energy to power 187,500 homes. But last fall, as crews began installing pylons and sup- port arms for parabolic mirrors across 1,950 acres of land leveled by earth- movers, the company ran into unexpected environ- mental and cultural obsta- cles — the kind that critics say could probably have been avoided by more rig- orous research and plan- ning. "The issues facing Gen- esis underline the notion that if you do something ny was using "passive haz- ing" strategies approved by state and federal biolo- gists to force kit foxes off the land before grading operations began in November. To scatter the kit foxes, workers removed sources of food and cover, sprinkled urine from coyotes — a primary fox predator — around den entrances, and used shovels and axes to exca- vate about 20 dens that had been unoccupied for at least three consecutive days. By early November, only three active dens remained, but the foxes using them wouldn't budge, raising the risk of construction delays. The California Energy Com- mission, which has juris- diction over the project, scrapped the three-day timetable and said the company could destroy dens that had been vacant for 24 hours. Five days after making that change, the results of the necropsy came back. The fox found Oct. 5 had died of the first case of dis- temper ever recorded among desert kit foxes. Ultimately, at least seven kit foxes died. Deana Clifford, state wildlife veterinarian for the California Department of Fish and Game, said she isn't certain the outbreak is connected to Genesis, "but we know that habitat dis- turbance causes stress, and when animals succumb to stress they become more susceptible to disease." State and federal biolo- RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-- adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you. SAT., FEB. 18th Or by appointment • 11:30 am - 1:30 pm Rio Vista Mobile Estates #92 ON THE RIVER, 2/2 Doublewide 1300 sq ft $47,000 $39,500-obo. Financing available. Call 527-7297 WESTERN REAL ESTATE MINCH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 760 Main St. • 530-527-5514 Commercial Properties For Sale: • 455 S. Main St. SALE PENDING • 840 Main St. Major Price Reduction! • 1870 Montgomery • Flores Ave/I-5 ( • 13545 Saint Marys Ave. • 1156 Monroe St. Major Price Reduction! 2.67 Acres 11,400 sq/ft 2 Acres SALE PENDING . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 53 or 62 Acres 40,000 sq/ft 6,580 sq/ft Commercial Properties For Lease: • 22680 Antelope Blvd. • 460 Antelope Blvd. • 731-741 Main St. • 225 Walnut St. • 955 Main St. • 726 Pine Street 5,600 sq/ft 1 to 3,000 sq/ft various size suites 2,000 sq/ft 2,995 sq/ft 1,250 sq/ft • Medical Practice Suite available in St. E campus area ............... 2,000 sq/ft • 562 Antelope Blvd • 218 Washington St. 2,200 sq/ft 1,350 sq/ft RED BLUFF - 4.9 ACRE PARCELS Rolling Hills With Oaks Power/Phone Available, Perk Done, Paved Roads Starting at $34,000 with $3K Down Owner Will Carry (530) 925-4075 gists are now trying to pre- vent the disease from spreading beyond the site. To discourage displaced kit foxes from re-entering the area, electric wires have been installed along the top of waist-high fences originally intended to keep desert tortoises relocated by NextEra from trying to return to their for- mer burrows. Evidence of a human settlement is of even greater concern to the company. Earthmovers on Nov. 17 churned up grind- ing stones lying on a bed of charcoal — possible evidence of an ancient cre- mation site. In a subse- quent meeting with Col- orado River Indian Tribes, a federally recognized reservation just east of the work site, Bureau of Land Management officials described the discovery as "unprecedented," tribal leaders said. The remains are pro- tected by the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatria- tion Act. Work has been halted on 400 acres, or one-fifth of the project's total area, while state and federal archaeologists con- duct a detailed assessment. The discovery did not come as a complete sur- prise. In 2010 testimony before the state energy commission, archaeologist David S. Whitley warned that Ford Dry Lake, at the southern end of the Gene- sis site, had been a gather- ing place for prehistoric people who cremated their dead. Based on surface evidence, at least three locations within the Gene- sis project area appeared "to represent lake shore village sites that have the potential to contain buri- als/cemeteries," Whitley said. To avoid the old lake shore area, NextEra recon- figured the project, mov- ing it about two miles north. However, the company did not follow customary methods for searching the new site for human remains. Instead of using established but costly and time-consuming proce- dures, NextEra opted for a new, less exacting search method developed by the state energy commission and the BLM to expedite Genesis and three other desert solar projects. The energy commis- sion outlined the new method in a Dec. 3, 2009, letter that included a warn- ing: If the search found nothing, but artifacts were discovered later, during construction, the project could be suspended while an exhaustive investigation was performed. That's what happened. NextEra's search involved digging more than 500 shovel test pits each up to 3 feet deep. It found noth- ing. Now the Colorado River Indian Tribes reser- vation is demanding that NextEra halt construction until its own experts can investigate. Eldred Enas, chairman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, said in a letter to the federal government last month that the discovery of a nes- tled pair of metates — stones used to grind acorns, pinion nuts and other staples — atop a bed 3B Problems cast shadows of doubt on solar project of charcoal indicates that it was a cremation site that is "too sacred to disturb." Separately, a nearby group of Native Ameri- cans called La Cuna de Aztlan Sacred Sites Pro- tection Circle is preparing a legal challenge based on the kit foxes and the possi- ble cremation site. Cory Briggs, an attorney repre- senting La Cuna Aztlan, said NextEra received an early warning: "This is the wrong place to build. Instead, they put their foot on the gas pedal in order to get this thing approved and deal with problems later." The company and regu- latory agencies are study- ing options, which could range from avoiding loca- tions known to contain significant Native Ameri- can remains to a formal archaeological excavation. In an interview, Nex- tEra officials acknowl- edged that in a worst-case scenario, they could decide that they cannot meet the conditions of the company's power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and close down a project that is expected to create 800 construction jobs. MCT photo Workers are seen through the parts of pylon that are being installed to hold huge mirrors at Gene- sis Solar Energy Project located about 25 miles west of the city of Blythe. Tehama Country Real Estate OPEN HOUSE If that were to happen, 80 percent of the project's outstanding loans would be covered by the federal government, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Manage- ment would begin shop- ping for another renew- able energy company that was interested in leasing the property. If there were no takers, the scarred land would be restored with reclamation bond funds, BLM officials said. Looking ahead, Roger Johnson, deputy director of siting with the state energy commission, said lessons learned from the Genesis project will be included in other high-pri- ority solar facilities. Jeffrey Lovich, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said the challenges facing NextEra are messy reminders of the fact that "peer-reviewed scientific studies to help us tease out the impacts of solar ener- gy development" on the California desert do not exist. "So there will be very likely be additional sur- prises as we move for- ward," Lovich said. This Week 100% Financing Available Use your Income Tax Return to Buy a Home Call Access Mortgage & Real Estate Buyers Agent: Tim Arrowsmith 530-200-2929 Tim Arrowsmith NMLS# 502254 FOR SALE BY OWNER MLS# 01220716 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Or lease) (Industrial) (Roll-up Doors) (Or lease) (Or lease) (Former T i Upstairs re Shop (Of f ice, Shop with Roll-up Door) (Residence & Of (Professional of fice)........................................................... fice w/on-site parking)..................... Industrial / Ag , Duck Pond) (Retail space available in Holiday Market) ) (