Or at least they sort of respond to some of them.
The document embedded below is the “Errata to the Presiding Members Proposed Decision” on Ivanpah SEGS by the California Energy Commission, in which they detail changes to the PMPD document based on public comment received. They seem to have picked and chosen the things to which they respond. For instance, my comments about the original document’s failure to address visual impact on nearly 100 square miles of the Mojave Preserve’s main unit are nowhere mentioned or addressed.
From the document:
Approximately 89 parties, individuals, and organizations commented on the PMPD. Their names are listed below. Those comments which raised substantial new environmental issues as well as selected other comments, are addressed throughout the remainder of this Decision. For substantively similar comments made by multiple commenters, our responses address the comment as a group, rather than individually. General comments to the effect that the Energy Commission should or should not approve the project were considered by the Commission but are not responded to individually.
Parties: Applicant, Basin & Range Watch, California Native Plant Society, CEC Staff, Center for Biological Diversity, San Bernadino County, Sierra Club, Western Watersheds
Non-Party Organizations: American Lung Association, CA Dept of Fish and Game, Southern California Edison, Californians for Reliable Energy, Inc., Western Lands Project
Individuals: Monica Alvarez, Janeen Armstrong, John Beetham, Tom Budlong, Chris Clarke, Craig Deutsche, David Dills, Amanda Finger, Jared Fuller, Kelly Fuller, Shaun Gonzales, Eric Hamburg, Richard Haney, Larry Hogue, Brendan Hughes, Timothy Ingalls, William C. McDonald, Thomas Meister, James Moody, LeRoy Murray, Susan Murray, Mary Ann Schroder, Rachel Shaw, Charlie Shrimplin, Michael and Joan Simmons, Charlotte Smith, Katherene Smith, Kim Snyder, Rebecca Swan
Saint Leo University Students: Monica Alvarez, Brittany Brasseur, Marquetta Brown, Chris Cappuccilli, Allison Cary, Michael Castronuovo, Julia Cavallo, Zhen Feng Chen, Elise Clyburn, Karen Coradin, Jessyca Daniel, Erin Davis, Chamel Dayaa, Nick Dublino, Sarah Eade, Nicoletta Everett, Anella Garness, Heather Gick, Brittany Groubert, Jeraldine Guaba, Stephen Hallet, Luke Haniford, Laquida Jennings, Kelvin Justiniano, Joe Kaman, Matthew Kendrick, Brooke King, Bryan Komorowski, Leah MacPherson, Megan Mancuso, Ryan McArdell, Richie Miller, JiHae Moon, Courtney Murphy, Chelsea Olivero, John M. Peterson, Ryan Popovich, Konstantin Pyankov, Ryan Regidor, Catherine Sands, Sara Schmalz, Kevin Sullivan, Andre Swain, Jamal Thompson, Preston Walsh, Terry Whitted, Sarah Young.
That’s a record number of comments on a CEC document. Thank you all for speaking truth to power. The thing about doing so is that power doesn’t always listen, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still have to speak.
Errata to the Presiding Members Proposed Decision (Ivanpah SEGS)
They also admit to ignoring science:
“Various commentators refer to a recent [Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan] Science Advisory Panel draft report which, after citing the recent results from the Fort Irwin [tortoise] translocation project, recommend that translocation not be conducted and development directed to previously disturbed lands. Whether to approve this project or not is a policy decision to be made by the Energy Commission, after considering all the relevant factors, including scientific opinion. Input from the Advisory Panel is informative but we are not bound by any policy recommendations it makes.” (p. 33)
These are only the Independent Science Panel composed of the top university PhDs in biology, geology, and desert ecology…
Good idea to post the names of the people who submitted these comments.
I am so sorry for everybody who loves and understands the desert.
I also would like to thank everyone who, in whatever way, spoke up against the injustice of hiding behind “green” to basically do a hatchet job on a place that is so important from a biological to spiritual level to the many who are concerned.
The beauty of Ivanpah Valley, unless something magic happens, is scheduled to be axed, Monday, October 4th 2010. The beginning effort will be desert tortoise biostitutes with shovels digging tortoises out of their burrows. The Fish and Wildlife Service has officially determined that translocated tortoises have a 50 percent mortality rate. Sundance Biology is the subcontractor for Bechtel which was chosen by Brightsource. Remember Bechtel? They were making poverty stricken people in Peru pay for drinking water! A true environmental outfit! I can not think of a better choice for a corporation out there to hire to do a hit on the desert tortoise. It’s almost symbolic. The bad boys of the Bush generation are now in the tortoise killing business.
This project will cause much damage to the desert and will contribute to driving the tortoise to extinction. It damn well better stop climate change!
The CEC has never seen the basics - making a silk purse from a pig’s ear won’t happen, independent of how many Conditions of Certification and project modifications are negotiated.
The CEC does not understand that to do it right you have to, well, do it right. There was no serious attempt to find a reasonable alternative. Only words so the CEC could say they tried.
Like not blaming Chevron, the CEC is only doing what they are born to do. It’s the Governor and Legislature who put them up to it. And where do they come from. So in the end, we have failed to influence the process from the top.
Just the same, I wonder if the Commissioners have second thoughts on the way home each day.
I sent my letter in, but it was mailed on the 1st or 2nd of Sep. Looks like mine didn’t make it in time.
Although it is dispiriting to see the casual brushing aside of so many comments, it is also inspiring to see the number of comments that went in. Hoping for a snowball effect with this start.