ATA News
Northern California Shasta County is also in the fight against ill-conceived, environmentally dangerous alternative energy development!
Acton Takes Action | August 14, 2023 – This morning, ATA Chair, Ruthie Brock received a docket notification from the California Energy Commission (CEC) that Northern California Shasta County's legal department is challenging the fact that the Fountain Winds Turbine project was allowed to apply to the CEC "Opt-in" Program after TWICE being denied by Shasta County's BOS and Planning Commission.
In its objection filing, Shasta County is also challenging the language of CA Assembly Bill AB205, and the way the state passed it as a budget trailer bill rather than it going through a full legislative process where it would’ve been challenged by those who opposed it. In fact, AB205 was presented, passed, and signed into law within four short days!
Thus far, Fountain Winds Turbine LLC is the only developer that has applied to the CEC's "Opt-in" Program. The ATA and the Acton Town Council are closely monitoring this project as it will become the template for all alternative energy projects – not just wind turbine or BESS facility projects – going forward that apply for approvals using the CEC "Opt-in" program. It is very important that we block every effort and don't allow these "alternative energy developers" to sneakily weasel around CA State and LA County laws, rules, regulations, CEQA requirements and review, and the Antelope Valley General Plan approved land uses and zoning requirements.
The Shasta County Objection is a worthwhile, fast read, and we urge everyone to learn more about what other CA counties are doing to protect their communities from unbridled, untested and dangerous alt energy developments.
CLICK HERE to jump to Shasta County's Opposition to AB 205 Jurisdiction and Objection to Notice of Completion Request PDF.
Letter to LA County Planning – Acton BESS Opposition with FIRESCOPE CALIFORNIA Lithium-ion Battery Emergencies Training YouTube Video Link
Acton Takes Action | August 13, 2023 – Today, ATA Chair, Ruthie Brock wrote a letter to Ms A. Bodek, at LA County Planning further emphasizing Acton's opposition to BESS Projects being located in Acton, CA. In her email letter to Ms Bodek, Ms Brock also included a link to an eye-opening, stark video about the extreme fire and toxic gas dangers lithium-ion batteries present in a multitude of settings and in products that use Li-ion batteries. The Lithium-ion battery emergencies training video was released by California government agency, FIRESCOPE CALIFORNIA to CA firefighters statewide in October 2022.
Ruthie Brock requested that Ms Bodek and staff at LA County Planning view the video to see and understand for themselves the long-list of lethal, high-risk dangers li-ion batteries and BESS facilities pose to people and communities, stating clearly that, "FACT. Safety knowledge and mitigation procedures are failing to keep up with the technology that is leaping forward without critical foundational safety measures in place."; adding, "In simple terms, the Energy Industry is out over its skis."
To read the full letter, CLICK HERE to jump to the ATA's letter to LACo Planning. The letter also includes links to the FIRESCOPE CA website and its training video on YouTube.
Acton Residents Upset BESS Concerns Being Ignored
Santa Clarita Valley The Signal | August 11, 2023 – Today, the Santa Clarita Valley The Signal Newspaper (online) published an update regarding Acton residents expressing concern this week after learning county officials had, as Acton Town Council President Jeremiah Owen put it succinctly on Friday, “rescinded their rescission,” meaning they reversed their move to receive public input over a battery-storage project being proposed in the rural community.
We urge the community to read the full article to stay up-to-date and informed about the critical issues BESS projects present to the Acton community!
CLICK HERE to jump to the Signal's August 11, 2023, article: "Acton Residents Upset BESS Concerns Being Ignored"
ATA Sends 3rd Letter to BOS 5th District Supervisor, Kathryn Barger Regarding Acton's Opposition to Ministerial Review for Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project
Acton Takes Action | August 10, 2023 – This morning, ATA Chair Ruthie Brock, sent a third letter via email to BOS 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, to comment on the recent decision by LA County Planning to grant a return to a ministerial Site Plan Review (SPR) for Hecate Grid's proposed Humidor BESS facility to be located in Acton, California.
In her letter, Brock begins by pointing out the following:
"The Humidor BESS is only one of a potential six battery energy storage facilities that have targeted Acton due to the proximity to the Vincent Substation. The process by which this project is reviewed is the template for all projects of this type moving forward. To not give this project the appropriate level of scrutiny it warrants is showing a disregard for the known fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries."
Ms Brock further emphasized the danger of down grading the project review process by stating: "We do not believe that a ministerial review is adequate for approving a BESS that would be storing and transmitting millions of watts of energy and utilizing lithium-ion batteries to accomplish this. In addition, this project is proposed in a designated Very High Fire Hazard Area in extreme proximity to ranch homes, Metro rail tracks and the busy State Route 14. It also sits over the Acton Water Basin, on the border of the designated SEA, and beside the San Andreas Fault."
Very importantly, she further states that, "We [the Acton Community] do not believe a ministerial review of this project (and the others to follow) is conforming with the Antelope Valley Area Plan's approved land uses for renewable energy projects [nor other state laws and statutes including the Public Resource Code and the Warren-Alquist Act regarding energy projects]."
We urge the community to read ATA Chair Ruthie Brock's full letter to Supervisor Barger, which contains specific and detailed information on why the Humidor BESS project should NOT be down graded to an unacceptable ministerial SPR.
CLICK HERE to jump to the ATA's August 10, 2023, letter to Supervisor Barger: "Acton's Opposition to Ministerial Review for Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project."
ATA Clarification of August 1, 2023 Hecate Grid Humidor Project BESS Update Post
Acton Takes Action | August 08, 2023 – This morning, ATA Chair Ruthie Brock, posted a clarification of her August 1st post on social media platform Next Door, regarding the Hecate Grid update that their Humidor BESS project had been returned to a ministerial review with LA County (See August 1, 2023 bulletin below.). Ms Brock's clarification is included here:
"I want to apologize for missing a very important point regarding Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS project being returned to a ministerial Site Plan Review (SPR). I wrongly focused on the modification of the project, now no longer being developed on any A-2 zoned land, being the main reason for the project being allowed to undergo a ministerial SPR. That was the discussion I had with a representative at Regional Planning.
In reading the letter from Los Angeles County Planning (County) that was sent to the Acton Town Council (ATC), it’s clear this downgrade to a ministerial review was based on the County’s decision to recognize the battery storage as an “Electric Distribution Substation" (EDS) instead of an “Electric Transmission Substation” (ETS).
This decision was made by County in an effort to find an allowable M-1 zoning use most similar to battery energy storage. The ATC completely disagrees with this interpretation of the project as an “EDS” and will be challenging the County’s decision.
Again, I apologize for not focusing on the most important reason behind the County’s reasoning in returning the Hecate project to their original requirement of a ministerial review."
As Ruthie Brock concluded her clarification, she urged everybody to read the letter from the County to the ATC dated August 1, 2023, in order to understand the County's basis for their decision, and why the distinction between an "EDS" or an "ETS" classification being applied to the Humidor BESS project is so important.
CLICK HERE to jump to the County's August 1, 2023, letter to the ATC: "Los Angeles County Planning Department – Hecate Humidor BESS (APNs 3056004058 and 3056004044)."
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