Lawsuit Final Option for Opponents of Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm

Tri-Cities Cares, the group that for three years has fought to keep the state’s largest windfarm from being built in the Horse Heaven Hills, now says their final option is a lawsuit.

   With Gov. Inslee giving final approval in October, the courts are all that’s left

Tri-Cities Cares provided and testified time and time again about the effects this massive 29-mile trail of wind turbines, from Nine Mile Canyon near Finley towards Benton City in the north.

The project, which recently was cut in half by the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC), was returned to most of its original configuration before being approved by Inslee.  He rejected the cuts made by EFSEC, which were based on science, data, and input from various groups including area Native American tribes.

Now, according to Tri-Cities Cares, the opposition clock is ticking. They released a statement that read in part:

“To Sue or Not to Sue? That is the Question

The Decision by the Governor to approve the Project forces us to make a very difficult decision with very little time. A lawsuit must be filed by December 2, 2024.

Filing a lawsuit is the only way to possibly stop or delay the construction of the project or reduce its size to prevent the significant environmental and economic harm this project will cause to the Tri-Cities.

The legal issues include many irregularities and errors made by EFSEC during the SEPA process for the HHH Project.

The case will go first to Thurston County Superior Court and then to the Washington State Supreme Court.

We estimate the legal costs to be upwards of $200,000 and that the legal battle could last one to two years.

TCC is currently working closely with our attorney, Rick Aramburu, to communicate with the Yakama Nation and Benton County attorneys.

There is also no absolute guarantee that we can prevail in court.”

  To find out the latest on the HH Hills Windfarm, click here.