What is happening?

Kamiak Butte, and the Palouse as you know it, are in danger. Here’s what we know.

The Threat

Out of state landowners are leasing the land surrounding Kamiak Butte to developers who hope to build a nearly billion dollar industrial wind farm.

Visualization matching Harvest Hill’s full request with the Federal Aviation Administration. Tower locations and turbine design may change.

The map and associated visualizations include site data for finalized and pending leases and well as notional installation corridors and sites based on publicly available information. This information is a “best guess” and subject to change.

Keep the Palouse green – stop Harvest Hills!

Visual Impact: Calculated areas of significant visual impact. Many residents of Colfax, Pullman, Albion, Palouse, and Moscow can expect to see the top of Vestas turbines even if they cannot currently see Kamiak Butte.

The Process

The process of preserving the Palouse starts with you. Harvest Hills is ready to start construction this Fall, pending regulatory approval – and your vocal opposition.

Whitman County

Before permits are submitted, Whitman County has several options to limit the impact of the Harvest Hills wind project.

Permit Submitted

Once the permit is submitted, Whitman County code defers decisions regarding “energy installations” to independent hearing examiners, placing the process outside the hands of your elected officials.

Independent Hearing

The independent hearing examiner will consider whether the application meets county code and state environmental protection regulations, and issue a final decision on the permit.

EFSEC

Harvest Hills is planning on a speedy approval from Whitman County. In the complex legal environment surrounding heavy industry, the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council process may also be completed in accordance with RCW 80.50 – with or without county approval.

Construction

The rolling hills of the Palouse are forever altered, and in 30 years the county foots the bill for dismantling and cleaning the hazards left behind at each site.

Legal Challenges

Along each step in the process, the Palouse community is stepping up, and, if necessary, support legal challenges to the industrial blight on our landscape.

Learn More

Power Grid

This isn’t about renewable energy. This is about location. And simply, there are better locations for heavy industry than our National Landmark.

Location

The installation is planned in the heart of the Palouse – stretching from Steptoe, Atop Kamiak, and everywhere inbetween.

County Code

Whitman County code is currently unashamedly permissive of wind industry. This needs to change.

Turbine Size

Vestas has Proposed the V150 and V162 wind turbines for this project – significantly larger than the nearby Oakesdale project and taller than the Washington Monument and Space Needle.

Energy Cost

Little information has been released on the impact of these subsidized turbines on local electric costs.

Tourism

The area immediately surrounding Kamiak is famous around the world, forming the heart of “America’s Tuscany”.

Act Now

Your help matters. You have the power to Preserve the Palouse: contact your county and state elected officials today and tell them to stop the Harvest Hills Wind Project.

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