Reposted from the April 18, 2008 Sun Blast e-mail newsletter:
Foes of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power's Green Path North project that would string high voltage power lines through the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve (formerly Pipes Canyon Preserve), through historic areas such as Johnson Valley's rock corrals (a wonderful place for hiking - the wildflowers were exquisite there recently), may want to take serious note of the battle south of here in San Diego County over the proposed Sunrise Powerlink project - the evil twin of Green Path.
While San Diego Gas & Electric (a Sempra Energy utility company) has been gathering supporters for the project, from the Governator to Imperial Beach Mayor Jim Janney, more interesting information is coming to light.
First, it would appear from documentation here in my hot little hands that - surprise - the Sunrise Powerlink project may not be satiated by stringing those high voltage "green" power lines through pristine areas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (as if our state parks aren't having enough trouble already), and through designated Wilderness areas (which sets off even more trouble by setting precedent), but they may already have ... plans for expansion.
Yep. Green Path foes take note: The destruction doesn't stop with the initial proposal - that's just the starting point. Sunrise Powerlink already appears to have plans to connect SDGE's power lines to Southern California Edison lines.
Yes, it appears that SCE already has 250 Megawatts of wind power in Mexico under contract, ready to connect to the Powerlink transmission project. It looks like everyone is ready to cash in on the green power windfall.
Meanwhile, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club have taken issue with the draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the project, in a 31- page response.
"San Diego Gas & Electric Company ("Applicant," "Company," or "SDG&E") has repeatedly failed to provide adequate information, leaving the DEIR/EIS with significant flaws in its analysis and inadequate information for the public to consider," the organizations note. "We do not support any transmission line route alternative and therefore, the mitigation recommendations in this comment letter are only intended to assist in reducing harm from the project in the event that the CPUC / BLM approves a transmission alternative."
There they go again. Those cholla-hugging, enviro- fascists - fighting against the "greater good" that corporations like SCE and Sempra are trying to bring the good people of San Diego. Only like-minded loonies would take a similar stance. Right?
Wrong.
In a finely written 18 page response to the DEIS/EIR, it turns out that the County of San Diego has gratefully given government a good name. And these folks waste no time in making their position clear.
"The DEIS/EIR does not support the need for the Proposed Project," the County response begins. "It is unclear why this alternative was selected for analysis..."
The County goes on to note that the No Project/No Action Alternative - in other words, doing nothing - would have fewer impacts than the proposed project, and notes that quite a few of the likely impacts would be unmitigable, and are therefore unacceptable. Period. I really liked the folks who wrote this response by the time I was through reading.
Now someone needs to send it to San Bernardino County...
Thank you for your support,
Steve Brown
Publisher and Executive Editor for The Sun Runner Magazine,
in sunny, Twentynine Palms, California.
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