Wind farm study goes back out for public comment

Whitman County has updated the study of the environmental impacts of First Wind’s proposed wind farm after the firm last week added 10 more turbine sites to its plans.

After measuring stations showed enough wind for turbines in the Steam Shovel Hill area south of Naff Ridge, Boston-based First Wind decided to proceed with development plans there.

The Steam Shovel Hill addition means the Palouse Wind farm will cover 9,000 acres of land in the north central county with as many as 65 turbines.

An addition to the first draft environmental impact statement published in November will address how the new towers impact area wildlife, stormwater, sound and traffic.

The proposed wind farm is east of Highway 195 about three miles west of Oakesdale between Oakesdale and Blank roads.

County Planner Alan Thomson said the public may comment on the addition to the impact statement through March 14.

The environmental impact statement was to be finalized by the end of February, but was delayed with the Steam Shovel addition.

Thomson said the county opted to allow public comment on the addition.

“There is no legal requirement for us to publish a legal notice, and there is no legal requirement that we have a comment period,” said Thomson. “But we felt the document needs to reflect that the project has now been expanded to include the Steam Shovel area.”

Those comments, if deemed pertinent by planning staff, will be addressed in the final version of the environmental impact statement.

Thomson said CH2M Hill, the engineering firm hired by First Wind to prepare the statement, was still putting together the addition to the environmental impact statement as of Tuesday afternoon.

He said the addition to the impact statement will be posted on the county’s web site Thursday. Paper copies will be available for review at the Colfax library and at the county planning office.

The statements have been required as part of the application process for a conditional use permit to install the turbine sites in the county’s ag zone.