April 9, 2013
Oregon

Obama had no right to suspend due process, Chinese wind farm developer argues

By Mike Francis, The Oregonian | April 9, 2013 | www.oregonlive.comBy Mike Francis, The Oregonian | April 9, 2013 | www.oregonlive.com

Ralls Corp., the Chinese-owned company whose wind farm project near a Navy training range in north-central Oregon was blocked by the Obama administration for reasons of national security, has fired back at the government in federal court.

The U.S. government has the “extraordinary notion” that it could “deprive Ralls of its constitutionally protected interests with no notice of the allegations against it and no opportunity to respond,” the company said Monday in a filing in the District Court of the District of Columbia.

Last September, Obama ordered the project stopped and told Ralls to divest itself of its Oregon assets. “To this day,” Ralls said in its filing, “the government has never provided Ralls with any reasoning or explanation for its conclusions or actions.”

In discussing the issue of national security, cited in the president’s order, Ralls cites cases involving the Taliban, Iranian political parties and AK-47 rifles. Despite the government’s interest in national security, the company argues, it doesn’t have “a blank check” to suspend due process.

Monday’s filing was an argument against the government’s earlier motion to dismiss Ralls’ complaint. The company asked the judge to deny the government’s request.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/09/obama-had-no-right-to-suspend-due-process-chinese-wind-farm-developer-argues/