The Lava Ridge Wind Project, a proposed large-scale wind farm in southern Idaho, faces yet another challenge.
In a letter released Friday, the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation said it could not guarantee the project would not harm a local historic site and stated it would no longer work with the Bureau of Land Management to ensure it complies with National Historic Preservation Act requirements.
Set to be built mostly on public lands in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka Counties, the project has faced pushback from a variety of stakeholders, including legislators, ranchers and wildlife advocates concerned over its environmental impact. Japanese-American community members have also objected to the project’s proximity to the Minidoka National Historic site, where 13,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.
The proposed wind turbines would be located within nine to 25 miles of the historic site. The Friends of Minidoka nonprofit is concerned the turbines will impede the landscape surrounding the internment camp and fundamentally change how visitors experience the remoteness of the area. The organization argues preserving the views surrounding the area is key to capturing the sense of isolation felt by the Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated by the U.S. government.
In June, LS Power, the company behind the project, scaled down its design, reducing both the height of the proposed turbines and their numbers, from 400 to 270. The 1,200-megawatt project would be one of the biggest wind farms in the U.S. and could bring power to half a million homes.
The Bureau of Land Management can still approve the project, but will have to outline how it will ensure the preservation of the historic landmark.
