Which way the wind blows
North Coast Journal | July 11, 2019 | www.northcoastjournal.com
I am grateful that in his op-ed Greg King brought to light the financial distress Terra-Gen is experiencing at this time. (“Hook, Line and Turbine,” July 4). Their desperation to push this project through for the sake of the current tax breaks that expire in 2020 no doubt account for the rushed and incomplete DEIR they submitted. Perhaps this San Diego-based corporation sees Humboldt County as a giant GoFundMe site where we are expected to donate/sacrifice our natural beauty and the health of our people, forests, birds, fish and rivers so as to assure the stability of their bottom line.
You may have seen in print a sentence stating how many Humboldt homes this project could supply with energy. The key word here is “could.” On June 10, I was present at the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce luncheon when the local Terra-Gen representative was asked about this potential improvement. She said Terra-Gen has submitted a proposal to the Redwood Coast Energy Authority as to this possibility but they are still in discussion on the topic. So at present, the could is like a “maybe or a might.” Our sacrifices might end up sending energy to Marin County.
As I drive north on U.S. Highway 101 from Fortuna, I am enjoying the fresh new surfacing Caltrans is laying down during these dry months. Now I wonder how they will look and feel once Terra-Gen starts 10,000 truck trips, with trucks up to 90 feet long and weighing 110 tons. In their DEIR, Terra-Gen states that once construction is completed, repair work on 101 will be paid for by the taxpayers.
Right now, it looks like Humboldt County gets all the pain for no gain.
Jo Anne Godinho, Fortuna
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/07/11/which-way-the-wind-blows-2/