The Whitman County Planning Commission has been working for months to recommend new rules governing wind farms. Those recommendations will go to the Whitman County Commissioners for consideration of final approval.
The effort is a response to a controversial wind farm proposed by a company called Steelhead Americas. The Portland company wants to build and operate a wind farm near Kamiak Butte North of Pullman. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from many local residents who have formed a coalition called Save the Palouse.
The county commissioners have placed a moratorium on new commercial wind turbines to give the planning commission time to recommend new regulations. A Washington State Environmental Policy Act Checklist review is part of that process. That review involves public comment which is currently open.
According to the legal notice from the Whitman County Planning Department in the Whitman County Gazette, the proposed revisions “will not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment.” The notice is for a determination of non-significance regarding the state’s environmental policy act. The environmental checklist application from county planner Alan Thomson doesn’t detail any proposed changes for regulating wind farms. The application notes that there will be public hearings about the proposed changes. The document repeatedly states that the environmental checklist application is for a “non-project action.” It goes on to say that “any future development resulting from this revised code will be evaluated at that time.”
The public can comment on the determination of non-significance through 5:00 on the afternoon of Thursday December 11th and 5:00 on Wednesday December 17th. Those deadlines are for written comments that need to be submitted by mail to the County Planning Office PO Box 430 Colfax WA 99111 or via fax to 509-397-6210. The legal notice in the gazette also announces the planning commission’s public hearing for the proposed wind farm code revisions. In person testimony will be accepted during the hearing which the legal notice announces for 7:00 on December 17th in the Whitman County Public Service Building in Colfax. There is a discrepancy with that public hearing notice as the county’s website shows that the critical meeting will start at 6:00 on the 17th.
The current moratorium on new commercial wind turbines in Whitman County expires on January 7th. The county commissioners have already extended that moratorium once to allow the planning commission more time to recommend updates to the wind farm code.
Steelhead Americas could circumvent the Whitman County approval process for its proposed wind farm near Kamiak Butte. The company informed the county months ago that they were considering taking their plan to the State of Washington for approval. That process is allowed through the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council and the governor’s office.
Steelhead’s proposed wind farm called Harvest Hills would be developed near a National Natural Landmark. The company didn’t submit any applications for the project prior to the moratorium.
You can read the SEPA Checklist Application which is up for public comment below.
