Please use this link to sign the on-line petition to stop the HH wind farm project.

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/just-say-no-to-the-horse-heaven-wind-farm.html

My name is Margaret Hue, a teacher, a farmer, and a resident of Badger Canyon in West Kennewick for over 40 years. Thirty years ago, I was involved in the fight to remove 250,000 acres from aerial application of herbicides in Benton County.  Once again, I find myself working for a Tri-Cities cause – to protect the Horse Heaven Hills (HHH) and surrounding areas below the ridge from Scout Clean Energy’s (SCE) Wind Turbine Project.  This wind farm will consist of 150 turbines between 657-671’ tall or 244 turbines between 496-499’ tall.   The rotational diameter of the blades will be 417-459’ or 518-557’, respectively.  

These turbines will do more harm than blemish the skyline.  Other negative impacts could be adverse health effects (Ref: National Library of Medicine, Official Publication of The College of Family Physicians of Canada, May 2013) and rising temperatures (Ref: The Harvard Gazette, The Downside to Wind Power, 10/4/2018) plus the effect on crops such as vineyards, orchards, and other diversified agriculture. What effect will local rising temperatures of 2-3.6 degrees F have on crops such as vineyards, orchards, diversified agriculture, residents and local PUD’s demand and cost on local power? How much extra power will residents pay for that annual rise in temperature when not receiving any power from the wind farm?  The aesthetic beauty of the hills will be lost forever which will have a detrimental impact on tourism.  Property values could be reduced in farm and residential areas near large wind farms.  It is possible, but doubtful, that the loss of revenue to schools from depreciated property could be made up by tax revenues from Scout Clean Energy’s promises.

I’m asking for your help to stop this travesty to our beautiful Horse Heaven Hills skyline.  Here are some steps that can be taken:

• Read the attached Information Sheet about the wind turbine project being proposed by Scout Clean Energy and endorsed by Governor Inslee.  Print a few copies for distribution.
• View and print the attached Map Location Sheet for proposed Horse Heaven Hills wind turbine locations.Please note that most of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland, and outlying areas are not even shown as residential and developed lands. That omission appears to be deliberate on SCE’s part so that the approving entity (the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council [EFSEC]) will be kept in the dark about how close the proposed farm will be to residential areas.
• View and print the attached Height Comparison Flyer showing the height of the proposed wind turbines compared to the Seattle Space Needle.  If you want copies of the flyer, they are available for pickup from Pam Minelli.  Contact her at pam_minelli@hotmail.com or text to 509-539-6788.
• Print a copy of the attached Petition and take it to your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and relatives for signature.  Give them a copy of the Information Sheet.   Anyone over 18 can sign.  As soon as as you get the petitions filled in, please mail them to Margaret Hue (address on the petition) asap or by June 30 so I am prepared for a July hearing.  I will continue to collect petitions at the end of each month until a decision has been made. 
• Ask your friends in other neighborhoods to do the same as listed in above bullet items.  Keep a list with name, email, and phone # of those are willing to circulate a petition and hand out Information sheets so you can follow up with them and collect the signed petition forms.  Alternatively, signed petitions can be mailed to me at 29204 S 816 PR SE Kennewick, WA. 99338.
• Contact anyone you know at our libraries, grocery stores, or other busy places such as Walmart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot for permission to gather petition signatures and/or hand out information sheets and let me know that permission has been granted.  There are many people willing to help so keep their names and contact information so they can be added to the schedule.  I have some volunteers already on a list. 
• Donate to the legal fund through www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-horse-heaven-hills or send a check made out to HH Hills/Barry Bush directly to Barry Bush, 709 S. Hawaii St., Kennewick, WA  99336.  To drop off cash, call 509-460-1051 first. Any questions?  Email Barry at atomicbt@charter.net.  If Governor Inslee, who is on record as being in favor of this and has the final say, approves SCE’s application, it will end up in the courts. 

SCE’s Environmental Impact Statement is to be released to EFSEC soon, followed by a public hearing.  A date has yet to be determined but it will probably be sometime in July or August.  I want to present the signed petitions at that time.  I’m also asking that those who can attend, speak against the wind farm at the hearing. 

Since the wind farm proposal has not been constantly in the news, many think it has been abandoned which couldn’t be farther from the truth. It is vitally important that we stay vigilant and get all of our Tri-Cities neighborhoods from Kiona to Finley, Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, and across the river to Pasco actively involved and aware.   

Please help spread the word and stimulate conversation about the number one Tri-Cities issue that will impact us forever.   There is also an on-line petition at https://save-our-ridges.org but the one attached should also be signed as it is those signatures that will be given to Governor Inslee and EFSEC. 

Thank you for helping and fighting for our Tri-Cities community and protecting our hills. 

Margaret Hue m.hue39@gmail.com 29204 S 816 PR SE Kennewick, WA. 99338