Scout Clean Energy agrees to slow down process on wind farm

KENNEWICK, Wash.-The company wanting to build a massive wind farm in the Horse Heaven Hills area south of Kennewick has withdrawn its request for an expedited application for site certification through Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, and will conduct a full environmental impact study.

Scout Clean Energy says the move is in response to community concerns about the project.

“Scout completed a robust Environmental Checklist as part of our application materials, and were confident our project met the criteria for expedited review,” said Dave Kobus the Lead Project Manager for the proposal. “However, we received feedback that some members of the local community were concerned the process may limit public involvement, and took that to heart,” he added.

“To ensure a robust environmental review with full participation by interested residents and stakeholders, we have notified EFSEC of our willingness to pursue a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)”, said Kobus.

A Public Information Meeting scheduled for March 30th at 5pm is the first opportunity for the public to submit comments about the proposal. Scout and EFSEC staff will be available to answer questions about the Horse Heaven Wind Farm and the EFSEC review process. The meeting will be held virtually and may be joined by phone or Skype online by joining this link.