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February 20, 2011 (
San Diego’s East County) – The California Public Utilities Commission and U.S. Bureau of Land Management have extended from February 16 to March 4, 2011 the deadline for public comments on a draft environmental impact report and draft environmental impact statement (DEIR/DEIS) for several controversial and inter-related energy projects proposed for the Jacumba and Boulevard areas.
Projects include SDG&E’s proposed East County Substation (ECO Substation), as well as the proposed Tule Wind project proposed by Pacific Wind Development which would tie into the substation and Sunrise Powerlink. In addition, the agencies have extended the comment period for the Energia Sierra Juarez Gen-Tie trans-border project which are being considered collectively.
Of additional significance, the comment extension notice states that the agencies intend to also consider the collective impacts of the proposed projects along with the impacts of three other wind projects currently in the pipeline including the Campo, Manzanita, and Jordan wind energy projects.
“By including these nascent wind projects as components of the proposed wider PROJECT, it allows the lead agencies to further consider broad impacts, mitigation and consequences of the ECO substation project specifically, and the wider PROJECT as a whole.”
Comments must be submitted by close of business on March 4, 2011. Written comments may be submitted via email to the CPUC at ecosub@dudek.com and to the BLM at catulewind@blm.gov. Faxed comments may be submitted to (800)371-8854 (press “2” to send a fax). Comments may also be mailed to Isan Fisher, CPUC/Greg Thomsen, BLM, c/o Dudek, 605 Third St., Encinitas, CA 92024.
For copies of the joint DEIR/DEIS, see:
http://cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/dudek/ECOSUB/ECOSUB.htm
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/tule.html
Three local organizations have filed a lawsuit to halt the projects. Those organizations are the Protect Our Communities Foundation, East County Community Action Coalition, and Backcountry Against Dumps.
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