A company whose work tribes and environmentalists say will destroy sacred sites is suspending all major work on two geothermal plants at Medicine Lake in northern California.

Calpine Corporation will not do any drilling until 2005, although some exploratory wells were drilled. The move comes in light of renewed legal challenges to the company's projects.

A coalition of northern California tribes and environmentalists is challenging the Bush administration's approval of the geothermal plants. A federal judge rejected one suit, which is being appealed. A second suit was filed earlier this month.

The tribes say the plants will destroy the medicinal properties of Medicine Lake.

Get the Story:
Calpine halts geothermal projects (The Mount Shasta Herald 5/27)

Court Decision:
Pit River Tribe v. BLM (February 13, 2004)

Relevant Documents:
Proposed Geothermal Development Project for Medicine Lake Highlands - Records of Decision (Bureau of Land Management [note: does not include reversal of decisions])

Relevant Links:
Medicine Lake Video - http://www.medicinelakevideo.org
Medicine Lake Information - http://www.sacredland.org/medicine_lake.html
Calpine Corporation - http://www.calpine.com

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