America - Regulation Nation

 I recently had the occasion to disagree with a colleague over the level of regulation in America. He claimed that "States just allow polluters to dump toxins in rivers and pollute our air". I completely disagree with this notion - as follows:

As an environmental scientist for 20 years - and someone who makes my living helping my clients secure environmental permits for their projects, including extensive work as an adviser to public agencies - I cannot think of any state which "allows" people to dump pollutants in rivers, or pollute the air.

In fact the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970, the Endangered Species Act, the Oil Pollution Prevention Act, the Coastal Zone Protection Act, and a thousand others strictly regulate what constituents, and in what concentrations any material may be put into the environment. The list of regulated chemicals in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is staggering, the database lists many thousands of chemicals and their various compounds and isotopes.

Naturally there is some difference of opinion as to what constitutes a pollutant. Some compounds are easily identified as a pollutant due to their extreme toxicity (e.g.. benzene's, VOC's, certain pesticides...etc..), others are less easily discernible - often the difference between "harmless" and toxic is merely the dosage. Dosage is confusing and can be strongly influenced by medium (air, water, groundwater), dispersal methods, time, environmental persistence, half-life, degradation, reaction to other environmental factors like UV light degradation...etc... The list goes on. But if your argument is that the "government" should regulate EVERYTHING. (Please forgive me if I have overstated your belief) Then you would degrade and eliminate our freedom entirely. The environments ability to mend itself is amazing and only now becoming more understood. If you remember the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico - a few years ago - it was said (by some) that the oil would persist for generations; and yet to some people's amazement - it was found that a huge bloom of micro-algae was quickly consuming most of the petroleum. To us in the industry this was no surprise but actually predicted.

Obviously I am not arguing that pollution is okay - what I am arguing is that the environmental laws we have are very capable of limiting and stopping the majority of pollution contributing causes and that we should all be VERY careful when we attempt to argue that more laws are needed. I personally believe we all live under a crushing blanket of over regulation....and in many discrete and overt ways they limit and diminish our freedom.

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Mining Related News can be found here:

http://www.mining.com/

Other important topics of interest to Nevada Mining are found here:

http://www.nevadamining.org/index.php

Mining News in Nevada:

http://mining.einnews.com/state/nevada

The Geological Society of Nevada:

http://www.gsnv.org/index.html

Nevada Rae Gold runs more efficiently and looks to future with enthusiasm

 
ORONTO, ONTARIO, Aug 16 (MARKET WIRE) --
Pacific Gold Corp. (Reuters Article)

 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/idUS136931+16-Aug-2011+MW20110816

Mining Plans

Nevada Rae Gold, Inc. has measured its next 3 mining blocks to be mined
and processed in the third and fourth quarters of 2011. These blocks are
estimated to collectively contain 120,000 cubic yards of gravel and the
Company expects the grade of the next 3 blocks to be approximately 0.4
grams of gold per cubic yard ("g/yd3"). It is possible that the gold
grade per yard could vary as this is the nature of alluvial deposits.
Grades will vary over time as the Company mines all of the Black Rock
Canyon Mine ("BRCM") claims and leases.

The Company has rented a small fleet of equipment from a large heavy
equipment manufacturer that includes a track dozer, two front end
loaders, three 40 ton haul trucks, a motor grader, water truck and
hydraulic excavator. The Company plans to use this equipment at least
through the end of 2011 and then adjust its equipment requirements based
on its mining plans for 2012 which will be determined late in the fourth
quarter of 2011.

July Production

Production at BRCM since July 13th has totaled approximately 9,600 tons
or about 6,500 yards of gravels. The processed gravels comprised the
entire remaining stockpile at the BRCM as of June 30th. Included in the
stockpile were mostly those gravels which the Company has identified as
'mudflow' as well as a limited amount of gravels that the Company
considers normal 'pay' gravels (gravels that the Company has identified
as its main resource). From the stockpile gravels the Company produced
approximately 30 ounces of gold. The overall gold grade of the stockpile
amounted to approximately 0.2 g/yd3. The mudflow which was a large
portion of the stockpile had an average gold grade of about 0.1 g/yd3.
The grade of gold within the pay gravels of the stockpile were between
0.3 and 0.4 g/yd3. Due to the commingling of the gravels over time (the
stockpile was mined in 2007) an exact number for the pay gravels was more
difficult to determine. The stockpile was mined mostly from the mudflow
section (the mudflow being discovered by the Company through a seismic
study on the drainage area) as part of a previous plan by the Company to
test the gold grade of the mudflow, as this area was not previously
mentioned in the historical reports describing the claims and leases of
the Company. As a result of now processing a section of the mudflow and
its apparent lower gold grade, the Company has decided to not currently
mine any more of the mudflow material but to focus on its' previously
identified pay gravels for the remainder of 2011. Depending on the world
spot price of gold, the Company may return to new areas of the mudflow in
the future. The mudflow is located underneath the pay gravels in the
deposit and is relatively easy to bypass when mining.

Plant Operations

The Company is pleased to announce that the plant is now operating more
efficiently. So far in 2011 the plant has operated 19 out of 20 possible
operating days and averaged about 500 tons or 350 yards per day. The
Company has limited the feed rate to the plant in order to make sure that
the plant was operating properly during an extended period. In August and
September the Company plans to increase the plant throughput gradually on
a weekly basis with daily targets of 750 yards by the end of August then
up to 1,000 yards by the end of September, eventually to as much as 95%
of plant capacity.

PCFG estimates that total Company costs, including production and SG&A,
for operating the BRCM should not be more than $270,000 per month from
August to December 2011.

Redstone Wins Nevada Approval for Client to Begin Gold Mining Operations

Redstone Environmental Consultants has been successful in gaining approval for our client, Nevada Rae Gold (NRG) to begin full operations at its Black Rock Canyon Mine in Northern Nevada.  

After being stalled in permitting for quite some time Nevada Rae Gold, a subsidiary of Pacific Gold Inc., has now been authorized by the Nevada Bureau of Mines to begin full operation.


http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/pacific-gold-corp-ndep-operating-approval-pink-sheets-pcfg-1535974.htm


http://www.pacificgoldcorp.com/news110708.html

NRG has plans to begin the permitting process necessary to expand current process capacity.  Permitting for this phase will begin immediately.

BLM to Re-examine Shale Oil Plans

BLM Begins New Look At Oil Shale Plans

OK - this has to be filed in the (its about time category)

The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it has begun the process to take a fresh look at commercial oil shale and tar sand plans issued under the previous Administration.

The BLM will publish in tomorrow’s Federal Register a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) governing allocation of oil shale and tar sands resources on BLM lands in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

“The BLM remains committed to a thoughtful, orderly, and responsible oil shale development program,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “Public involvement is a vital component in this process as we seek to develop critical information about oil shale development.”

In 2008, the BLM published a Final PEIS that, in addition to expanding the acreage potentially available for commercial tar-sands leasing, amended 8 resource management plans (RMPs) in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming to make approximately 1.9 million acres of public lands potentially available for commercial oil shale development and 431,224 acres for tar sands leasing and development. 

With commercial development of oil shale at least several years away, the new planning process will allow the BLM to take a fresh look at what public lands are best suited for oil shale and tar sands development. Final land-use decisions will be made in light of any new information about potential resource needs and impacts, and technological innovations.

The public is being invited to submit comments and concerns on potential resource issues that should be discussed in the NEPA analysis, including input on historic and cultural resources within the areas proposed for land use plan amendment. 

Link to Notice of Intent to Prepare a PEIS on Oil Shale

Clean Water Act - Recap 2008 Rules Change for Compensatory Mitigation

In 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adopted new rules that dramatically changed its approach to mitigation under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates fill in wetlands and other waters of the United States.
 
The new rules adopt a mitigation hierarchy that moves away from the prior preference for on-site, in-kind mitigation in favor of mitigation banks and watershed-based mitigation programs. The rules also clarify the financial measures the corps will require to ensure that the mitigation is actually carried out. Finally, the rules change a wide range of requirements in the Section 404 program, including new requirements for the information in a permit application and in public notices.

For impacts authorized under section 404, compensatory mitigation is not considered until after all appropriate and practicable steps have been taken to first avoid and then minimize adverse impacts to the aquatic ecosystem pursuant to 40 CFR part 230 (i.e., the CWA Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines). Compensatory mitigation can be carried out through four methods: the restoration of a previously-existing
wetland or other aquatic site, the enhancement of an existing aquatic site’s functions, the establishment (i.e., creation) of a new aquatic site, or the preservation of an existing aquatic site. There are three mechanisms for providing compensatory mitigation:

1. Permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation, 
2. Mitigation banks, and,
3. "In-lieu" fee mitigation. 

Permittee-responsible mitigation is the most traditional form of compensation and continues to represent the majority of compensation acreage provided each year. As its name implies, the permittee retains responsibility for ensuring that required
compensation activities are completed and successful. Permittee-responsible
mitigation can be located at or adjacent to the impact site (i.e., on-site
compensatory mitigation) or at another location generally within the same
watershed as the impact site (i.e., offsite compensatory mitigation).

Mitigation banks and in-lieu fee mitigation both involve off-site compensation activities generally conducted by a third party, a mitigation bank sponsor or in-lieu fee program sponsor. When a permittee’s compensatory mitigation requirements
are satisfied by a mitigation bank or inlieu fee program, responsibility for ensuring that required compensation is completed and successful shifts from the permittee to the bank or in-lieu fee sponsor.

http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/wetlands/wetlandsmitigation/index.html

http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/index.cfm

http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/workshops.cfm

In the Interest of getting both sides of each story we present this...

 

SPECIAL REPORT:

More Than 1000 International Scientists Dissent over Man-Made Global Warming Claims – (Challenge UN IPCC & Gore)

321-page 'Consensus Buster' Report set to further chill UN Climate Summit in Cancun

Wednesday, December 08, 2010By Marc Morano  –  Climate Depot

Link to Complete 321-Page PDF Special Report

 

 INTRODUCTION:

More than 1,000 dissenting scientists (updates previous 700 scientist report) from around the globe have now challenged man-made global warming claims made by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former Vice President Al Gore. This new 2010 321-page Climate Depot Special Report -- updated from the 2007 groundbreaking U.S. Senate Report of over 400 scientists who voiced skepticism about the so-called global warming “consensus” -- features the skeptical voices of over 1,000 international scientists, including many current and former UN IPCC scientists, who have now turned against the UN IPCC. This updated 2010 report includes a dramatic increase of over 300 additional (and growing) scientists and climate researchers since the last update in March 2009. This report's release coincides with the 2010 UN global warming summit in being held in Cancun.

The more than 300 additional scientists added to this report since March 2009 (21 months ago), represents an average of nearly four skeptical scientists a week speaking out publicly. The well over 1,000 dissenting scientists are almost 20 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored the media-hyped IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers.

The chorus of skeptical scientific voices grew louder in 2010 as the Climategate scandal -- which involved the upper echelon of UN IPCC scientists -- detonated upon on the international climate movement. "I view Climategate as science fraud, pure and simple," said noted Princeton Physicist Dr. Robert Austin shortly after the scandal broke. Climategate prompted UN IPCC scientists to turn on each other. UN IPCC scientist Eduardo Zorita publicly declared that his Climategate colleagues Michael Mann and Phil Jones "should be barred from the IPCC process...They are not credible anymore." Zorita also noted how insular the IPCC science had become. "By writing these lines I will just probably achieve that a few of my future studies will, again, not see the light of publication," Zorita wrote. A UN lead author Richard Tol grew disillusioned with the IPCC and lamented that it had been "captured" and demanded that "the Chair of IPCC and the Chairs of the IPCC Working Groups should be removed." Tol also publicly called for the "suspension" of IPCC Process in 2010 after being invited by the UN to participate as lead author again in the next IPCC Report. [Note: Zorita and Tol are not included in the count of dissenting scientists in this report.]

Other UN scientists were more blunt. A South African UN scientist declared the UN IPCC a "worthless carcass" and noted IPCC chair Pachauri is in "disgrace". He also explained that the "fraudulent science continues to be exposed." Alexander, a former member of the UN Scientific and Technical Committee on Natural Disasters harshly critiqued the UN. "'I was subjected to vilification tactics at the time. I persisted. Now, at long last, my persistence has been rewarded...There is no believable evidence to support [the IPCC] claims. I rest my case!" See: S. African UN Scientist Calls it! 'Climate change - RIP: Cause of Death: No scientifically believable evidence...Deliberate manipulation to suit political objectives' [Also see: New Report: UN Scientists Speak Out On Global Warming -- As Skeptics!] Geologist Dr. Don Easterbrook, a professor of geology at Western Washington University, summed up the scandal on December 3, 2010: "The corruption within the IPCC revealed by the Climategate scandal, the doctoring of data and the refusal to admit mistakes have so severely tainted the IPCC that it is no longer a credible agency."

Selected Highlights of the Updated 2010 Report featuring over 1,000 international scientists dissenting from man-made climate fears:

“We're not scientifically there yet. Despite what you may have heard in the media, there is nothing like a consensus of scientific opinion that this is a problem. Because there is natural variability in the weather, you cannot statistically know for another 150 years.” -- UN IPCC's Tom Tripp, a member of the UN IPCC since 2004 and listed as one of the lead authors and serves as the Director of Technical Services & Development for U.S. Magnesium.

“Any reasonable scientific analysis must conclude the basic theory wrong!!” -- NASA Scientist Dr. Leonard Weinstein who worked 35 years at the NASA Langley Research Center and finished his career there as a Senior Research Scientist. Weinstein is presently a Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Aerospace.

“Please remain calm: The Earth will heal itself -- Climate is beyond our power to control...Earth doesn't care about governments or their legislation. You can't find much actual global warming in present-day weather observations. Climate change is a matter of geologic time, something that the earth routinely does on its own without asking anyone's permission or explaining itself.” -- Nobel Prize-Winning Stanford University Physicist Dr. Robert B. Laughlin, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1998, and was formerly a research scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

“In essence, the jig is up. The whole thing is a fraud. And even the fraudsters that fudged data are admitting to temperature history that they used to say didn't happen...Perhaps what has doomed the Climategate fraudsters the most was their brazenness in fudging the data” -- Dr. Christopher J. Kobus, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University, specializes in alternative energy, thermal transport phenomena, two-phase flow and fluid and thermal energy systems.

“The energy mankind generates is so small compared to that overall energy budget that it simply cannot affect the climate...The planet's climate is doing its own thing, but we cannot pinpoint significant trends in changes to it because it dates back millions of years while the study of it began only recently. We are children of the Sun; we simply lack data to draw the proper conclusions.” -- Russian Scientist Dr. Anatoly Levitin, the head of geomagnetic variations laboratory at the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radiowave Propagation of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“Hundreds of billion dollars have been wasted with the attempt of imposing a Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) theory that is not supported by physical world evidences...AGW has been forcefully imposed by means of a barrage of scare stories and indoctrination that begins in the elementary school textbooks.” -- Brazilian Geologist Geraldo Luís Lino, who authored the 2009 book “The Global Warming Fraud: How a Natural Phenomenon Was Converted into a False World Emergency.”

"I am an environmentalist,” but “I must disagree with Mr. Gore” -- Chemistry Professor Dr. Mary Mumper, the chair of the Chemistry Department at Frostburg State University in Maryland, during her presentation titled “Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming, the Skeptic's View.”

“I am ashamed of what climate science has become today.” The science “community is relying on an inadequate model to blame CO2 and innocent citizens for global warming in order to generate funding and to gain attention. If this is what 'science' has become today, I, as a scientist, am ashamed.” -- Research Chemist William C. Gilbert published a study in August 2010 in the journal Energy & Environment titled “The thermodynamic relationship between surface temperature and water vapor concentration in the troposphere” and he published a paper in August 2009 titled “Atmospheric Temperature Distribution in a Gravitational Field.” [Update December 9, 2010]

“The dysfunctional nature of the climate sciences is nothing short of a scandal. Science is too important for our society to be misused in the way it has been done within the Climate Science Community.” The global warming establishment “has actively suppressed research results presented by researchers that do not comply with the dogma of the IPCC.” -- Swedish Climatologist Dr. Hans Jelbring, of the Paleogeophysics & Geodynamics Unit at Stockholm University. [Updated December 9, 2010. Corrects Jelbring's quote.]

“Those who call themselves 'Green planet advocates' should be arguing for a CO2- fertilized atmosphere, not a CO2-starved atmosphere...Diversity increases when the planet was warm AND had high CO2 atmospheric content...Al Gore's personal behavior supports a green planet - his enormous energy use with his 4 homes and his bizjet, does indeed help make the planet greener. Kudos, Al for doing your part to save the planet.” -- Renowned engineer and aviation/space pioneer Burt Rutan, who was named "100 most influential people in the world, 2004" by Time Magazine and Newsweek called him "the man responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living engineer."

“Global warming is the central tenet of this new belief system in much the same way that the Resurrection is the central tenet of Christianity. Al Gore has taken a role corresponding to that of St Paul in proselytizing the new faith...My skepticism about AGW arises from the fact that as a physicist who has worked in closely related areas, I know how poor the underlying science is. In effect the scientific method has been abandoned in this field.” -- Atmospheric Physicist Dr. John Reid, who worked with Australia's CSIRO's (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Oceanography and worked in surface gravity waves (ocean waves) research.

Read complete story at :  

http://www.climatedepot.com/a/9035/SPECIAL-REPORT-More-Than-1000-International-Scientists-Dissent-Over-ManMade-Global-Warming-Claims--Challenge-UN-IPCC--Gore?goback=.gde_55492_member_37446806

USGS Finds Pavement Sealant Made from Coal Tar to be Largest Source of PAHs in Lakes

Coal-tar-based pavement sealant is the largest source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in 40 urban lakes the U.S. Geological Survey studied, according to the agency.

PAHs are an environmental health concern because several are probable human carcinogens, they are toxic to fish and other aquatic life, and their concentrations have been increasing in urban lakes in recent decades.

Coal-tar-based pavement sealant is the black, shiny substance sprayed or painted on many parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds. USGS scientists evaluated the contribution of PAHs from many different sources to lakes in cities from Anchorage, Alaska, to Orlando, Fla.

 http://eponline.com/articles/2010/12/03/coal-tar-based-pavement-sealant-contributes-largest-share-of-pahs-to-us-lakes.aspx

New Google Earth Technology Allows Tracking of Environmental Changes

Google has unveiled an online technology that allows scientists and researchers to track and measure changes to the environment using 25 years worth of satellite data. Google Earth Engine, introduced during climate talks in Cancun, utilizes "trillions of scientific measurements" collected by NASA’s LANDSAT satellite, the company said.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/introducing-google-earth-engine.html

Apparently this has not been released yet except to beta-testers.

Redstone’s Perspective on Tribal Sovereignty, Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency

Redstone’s Perspective on Tribal Sovereignty, Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency

Over time, and through various discussions with friends and colleagues in tribal government, my ideas about tribes and their sovereignty has evolved. Through this process my thinking has been shaped to focus more on the deeper issues behind tribal sovereignty; not as the standard throw-away term many of us have heard of. I began to think about its interaction, as a concept, with sustainability. Not the neo-clique definition of sustainability as a way of showing off your newest hemp clothing or some conversion to an organic-vegan diet as a political statement; but as a newly relevant tribal lifestyle irrevocably linked with self-sufficiency and independence. And as I thought about these things I saw how they were interconnected on a number of levels. Not all of them obvious, but nevertheless critical to each other.

As I think about tribes and tribal communities I think about how tribes are, and will be (in the not-too-distant future) increasingly facing more diverse and challenging times. This issue of sovereignty is obviously unusual and distinct to tribes, but it is also an issue which does have some spiritual ramifications. The debate surrounding sovereignty and what that truly means. The issue of sovereignty has a direct and substantial impact on what it means to be sustainable.

There is an unusual dichotomy that exists in many native people today and it is difficult to grasp even for many people that live with it. At the heart of the issue are many people who wish to reject many elements of the modern world and return to a simpler time.

This is a worthy and fulfilling vision and I feel it should be embraced, at least in part. We all must find our own way in the modern world, but we do not have to live as others do. This is a universal truth and I believe that tribal governments should do the best they can to help their tribes prepare for the future - to become as independent as possible – this is the heart of “sustainability”. Many tribes know that they cannot exist indefinitely on federal grant funds. It is highly probable that the federal government will become insolvent - as California, Greece, Spain, Italy and many other countries are currently discovering.  Many of these governments including our own federal government may go bankrupt altogether. But before that happens much of the financial aid to tribes and other communities may very well diminish greatly or even disappear altogether.

This reality formed a significant part of the reason behind why I formed my Non-Profit Corporation called the Corporation for Sustainable Communities or CSC and my consulting company Redstone Consulting. These were formed, in large part to actively help tribes and native communities become more self-sufficient and sustainable. In keeping with this vision, I define sustainability in more traditional terms.

A truly sustainable tribe, or community, is able to generate its own electricity, produce its own fuel, grow their own food, treat their own sick, and educate their own children. In short, to rely on themselves the way their ancestors did; and to rely on others (i.e., the federal government) to the least extent possible. We believe that this is the best way for a tribe, a community, or a person, to be sustainable and thereby, truly sovereign

Scott Ackert, Redstone President, 2009

Solar, Wind Companies Predict Projects Will Slow If U.S. Eliminates Grants

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-04/solar-wind-companies-predict-projects-will-slow-if-u-s-eliminates-grants.html

Solar, wind, geothermal and biomass power companies predict a slowdown in renewable-energy projects if Congress fails to extend a U.S. grant program during its post-election session.


The American Wind Energy Association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the Biomass Power Association and the Geothermal Energy Association sent letters on Nov. 2 to lawmakers, pressing to extend the program that expires next month. The groups are acting before Republicans take control of the House next year after campaigning on a pledge to lower the federal deficit.

The industry organizations said the credits, which are part of the stimulus package, saved or created tens of thousands of U.S. jobs. White House officials said in an Oct. 25 memo that the grants had been “much more effective in promoting renewable energy” than a program to provide renewable projects with federal loan guarantees.

Letting the grants expire will lead to a “significant slowdown in the renewable-energy industries, resulting in the loss of jobs and further transfer of clean-energy leadership to other countries,” the groups wrote to congressional leaders.

Legislation to extend the grants has been introduced in Congress and may be tied to the debate over extending tax breaks enacted during the Bush administration, which are to end this year.

The Treasury Department has awarded more than $5.4 billion to 1,387 renewable-energy projects. The program lets solar, wind and renewable projects that would be eligible for production and investment tax credits instead seek a one-time grant from the Treasury covering 30 percent of costs.

Goshen North Wind Farm in Bonneville County, Idaho Open for Business

 http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9024973&contentId=7065987

IDAHO FALLS, ID – November 4, 2010 – Ridgeline Energy, LLC and BP Wind Energy today announced full commercial operation of the Goshen North Wind Farm in Bonneville County, Idaho some six months after the project moved into full construction. 
 

Generating capacity of 124.5 megawatts (MW), the wind farm is the largest wind facility in the state of Idaho and will generate enough clean, renewable electricity for over 37,000 average American homes annually.

Located on an 11,000-acre site approximately 10 miles east of the city of Idaho Falls, the Goshen North Wind Farm utilizes 83 GE xle wind turbine generators, each with a rated capacity of 1.5 MW. The project employed approximately 250 workers during peak construction and will employ a full-time staff of approximately 10 who will monitor and maintain the site now it is operational.

“The Goshen North project is a bellwether for Idaho’s progress toward reducing our dependence on fossil fuel imports and leveraging our plentiful renewable resources like wind, solar, geothermal and biomass,” Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter said. “Ridgeline Energy and BP Wind Energy are among those at the forefront of helping to achieve my goal of having 25 percent of Idaho’s energy come from renewable sources by 2025.”

“Today marks the culmination of nearly ten years of effort to make this project a reality,” said Steve Voorhees, CEO, Ridgeline Energy. “Idaho Falls and Bonneville County have a long tradition of developing and using clean energy technology, and we are proud to be a part of that tradition.”

“On behalf of the BP Wind Energy project team I would like to thank all those involved who have worked tirelessly to deliver the Goshen North Wind Farm into full commercial operation ahead of the planned schedule” said John Graham, president and chief executive officer, BP Wind Energy. “BP believes that sustainable energy alternatives including the development of wind power offers the American people an attractive option as part of the new energy mix and as BP Wind Energy continues to build its wind power business, our vision is to find ways to offer customers access to affordable, cost-competitive, low carbon power.”

New Utah Wind Farm Announced

The first wind farm built by a Utah-based utility will some day provide power to an array of Utah communities  — to as far south as Blanding and Enterprise to the northern reaches of the state in Cache County’s Hyrum.

Constructed by the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, the Horse Butte Wind Project will be located on more than 17,600 acres in Bonneville County, Idaho, near Idaho Falls.

From the archive

• Utah utility to build Idaho wind farm – Nov. 19, 2010
• $1.1M grant to help streetlights in rural Utah towns go green – May 20, 2010
• Utah activist urges use of alternative energy – Dec. 17, 2009

An announcement of the project was made Thursday by the consortium, which draws on 51 members spanning eight states. The initial installation of 32 wind turbine generators will provide 58 megawatts of power to be delivered to communities in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and California.

The Utah cities of Beaver, Blanding, Brigham City, Eagle Mountain, Ephraim, Enterprise, Fillmore, Hurricane, Hyrum, Kaysville, Lehi, Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, Price, Santa Clara, Springville and Washington have agreed to participate and purchase power, as well as the town of Paragonah and Heber Light and Power. Jackie Coombs, the group’s manager of customer services, said each of the participating cities made a determination of the percentage of renewable energy to be delivered to residents.

The smallest is on board for 100 kilowatts of power while the largest is taking 1,500 kilowatts, she said. “Each member has a different entitlement” to the energy, she said. Negotiations over the past year led to agreements that put the project officially on UAMPS' priority list, with construction slated to begin early next month. The wind farm should be completed a year from now, and plans call for future expansion to 99 megawatts of power at an anticipated cost of $250 million. Project officials say the location of the farm is ideal because of an “excellent” wind resource, its remote location and the fact that it is entirely on private land that already includes high-voltage transmission lines.

“This is an exciting day for UAMPS,” said Doug Hunter, the organization’s general manager. “Our members take their responsibility of planning for the long-term energy needs of their cities and towns very seriously. Adding an additional wind resource to our power supply portfolio is a smart choice that gives our members more options, so they can continue to provide the cleanest, most reliable and affordable electricity possible to their communities.” The project is being funded through a joint private/public venture, with members paying some costs up front.