Did California & CEQ Knowingly Implement Killer Wildlife Energy Policy?

Earlier this week William La Jeunesse reported on a wind turbine farm, Pine Tree, operated by Los Angeles Department of Power & Water. It's located in Kern County. Oh... and by the way, it kills some 80 Bald Eagles a year.

La Jeunesse reports that Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County planning commissioner said, "We're requiring full environmental impact reports, which take at least 12 to 18 months... Can I promise that a bird will never be injured or killed? I can't. But again, we have this tradeoff in society, between the things we need to function as an economy and the fact that we wanna make sure we have an environment for future generations." (Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/16/energy-in-america-dead-birds-unintended-consequence-wind-power-development/#ixzz1VKwxjuVk)

From her statement one would be under the impression that LADPW and Kern County was unaware of the threat to the migratory birds until after the wind farm was built.

However, while the wind farms are State approved they are Federally funded. Meaning that grant applications must be applied for, and environmental impact studies conducted. All of this should be good news to Ms Oviatt and the power that be over at LADPW because I think we can save them a year-and-a-half study time and a lot of money.

You see, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) submits reports to theSenate Environment and Public Works Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee in accordance with section 1609(c) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Their last report was submitted May 4, 2011 (http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/attachments/may2011/CEQ_ARRA_NEPA_Report_May_2011.pdf).

On Page 24 a report summary on the potential placement of wind turbines at the Black Hills National Forest we find, "Based on the results of the Environmental Assessments, Job Corps management decided on September 1, 2009, that placement of the turbines would not be appropriate at these