Fronteras: Tribes fight wind project on archaeological sites

Monday, March 19, 2012  

"Several Native American tribes in the Southwest are fighting a large wind farm planned near the town of Ocotillo, in Imperial County, CA. The tribes say there are more than 400 archeological sites on the land where the turbines would be located.

The Ocotillo Wind Express Energy Project, proposed by Pattern Energy, would produce up to 356 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power more than 130,000 households.

Ocotillo wind is one of the largest renewable energy projects planned on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It's one of 18 priority projects designated in 2011 by the bureau.

The Cocopah, Quechan and Kumeyaay tribes say the project would desecrate a vast swath of land that’s part of their traditional cultural landscape. Ancient ceremonial sites, geoglyphs and other remnants of the tribes’ history are scattered across the 12,500 acres where the turbines will be placed, they say."

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Tribes Fight Green Energy Wind Project In Desert (Fronteras 3/19)