TWO LAWSUITS OVER LOCAL WIND ENERGY ISSUES HEAD TO COURT

By Miriam Raftery

February 28, 2014 (San Diego) – Opponents of  the Tule Wind project in McCain Valley will have their day in court on Monday, March 3 in San Diego’s U.S. District Court.  Then on April 25, a separate suit against the County over its wind energy ordinance and general plan amendment will also be heard.

The suits were filed by the Protect Our Communities Foundation and Donna Tisdale. Tisdale informed ECM that it's important to have many East County residents attend these trials.

The first case was filed against the federal Bureau of Land Management over its approval of Iberdrola's Tule Wind, a massive project slated to be built on public lands. That case will be heard on March  3 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 4A of U.S. District Court, Southern District by Judge Sammartino. The address is 221 West Broadway, San Diego.

The case against the County will be heard on April 25 at 1:30 p.m. in Department C-71 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor at 220 West Broadway, San Diego.

Tisdale hinted that another lawsuit may be in the works. “Protect Our Communities is now dealing with the Bureau of Indian Affairs approval of Tule Wind phase II on the Ewiiaapaayp reservation,” she said.  The tribal lands constitute a small portion of the Tule Wind project which also includes turbines planned on federal, state and county lands.

For more information on the Protect Our Communities Foundation, visit www.protectourcommunities.org.