WINTER 2001/2002

THREATS TO THE MEDICINE LAKE HIGHLANDS ESCALATE

The first rig…

As we write, a drill rig bores 6000 feet into the ground at Fourmile Hill, deepening a temperature gradient hole (TGH) begun in the early 90's. The Stay Order that was granted in response to our BLM appeal last summer was lifted for exploratory drilling (but still holds for the development project). Deepening the TGH is the first step in Calpine Corporation's exploratory drilling, and is an attempt to determine whether temperatures are sufficiently hot to indicate the presence of a viable geothermal resource. Because winter starts early in the Highlands, Calpine plans to wait until snows melt in early summer 2002 before drilling new exploration wells. We unsuccessfully appealed this decision.

Bush Administration takes its toll

Industrial geothermal threats to the Medicine Lake Highlands have greatly escalated in recent months under the influence of the current Administration. Calpine publicly stated its intentions to develop as much as 1000 megawatts of power in the area-twenty times the output of the current Fourmile Hill proposal which calls for 49.9 megawatts). Plans include future intrusions into the Mount Hoffman Roadless Area and other sensitive places in the Highlands. It's evident that Calpine is taking advantage of the so-called "energy crisis" to push for more power plants and obtain more subsidies. Our ace researcher, Peggy Risch, discovered these plans in testimony delivered in May of this year before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals.

Five-Year Moratorium lifted

The 5-year moratorium on future geothermal development-a condition of approval of the Fourmile Hill Project-was annihilated this spring by Interior Secretary Gale Norton in response to pressures from the industry. The May 2000 compromise decision approved the Fourmile Hill project, denied CalEnergy's Telephone Flat Project, and issued the moratorium, which was to allow time to gauge the impacts of one power plant on this highly sensitive landscape. Without the moratorium, future development on the 65,000 acres leased in the Highlands is up for grabs.

CEC Subsidizes Out-of-State Energy

This summer the California Energy Commission awarded $1.1 million to Calpine for exploratory drilling in the Medicine Lake Highlands that admittedly would not help California's energy supply. Calpine has contracted to sell the power to Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which serves Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, a fact that Calpine continues to deny publicly.

Appeals pending, Stay Order Holds

We've been scrambling to keep up with these major challenges, and unfortunately were not able to hold our ground against the exploratory drilling, the lifting of the 5-Year Moratorium, nor the award of the CEC subsidy.

Our readers may recall that in July 2000, together with the Pit River Tribe and Native Coalition for Medicine Lake Highlands Defense, the Ecology Center appealed Forest Service and BLM approvals of Calpine's Fourmile Hill Geothermal Project. The BLM appeal process goes through the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) and comprises several stages, on which our attorneys, Deborah Sivas of Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and Thomas Kuhnle of the McCutchen Doyle lawfirm, have been working with us.

As of this writing the IBLA appeal has still not been ruled on, and the Stay Order remains in force, placing a hold on the development project until appeals are decided. A coalition of environmental groups also appealed, including the California Wilderness Coalition, Medicine Lake Citizens for Quality Environment, Klamath Forest Alliance, Shasta Group of the Sierra Club, Fall River Wild Trout Foundation, and Shasta Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. We're considering all appropriate legal options if the IBLA appeal is denied, and another trip with Native Americans to Washington DC may be needed to gain support for protection of the Highlands.

Your help is needed!

The Medicine Lake Highlands geothermal issue continues to stretch our resources beyond their limit. Please contribute.