Wednesday, March 13, 2013

USA, California:

Bottle Rock Power Decision Delayed (Lake County Record-Bee)

Bottle Rock Power, LLC, will have to wait a little longer to find out if it can carry on geothermal activities for the next 30 years after a Cobb nonprofit group appealed the Lake County Planning Commission's approval of the extension.

Friends of Cobb Mountain filed an appeal to the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Thursday, arguing in part that the commission didn't follow state environmental law with its endorsement late last month.

"Our goal is not to hinder or stop or create an issue. We just believe that this extension of a 30-year use permit requires some level of review, not just a blanket approval," Robert Stark, secretary-treasurer for the organization, said Monday.

County planning commissioners voted to extend Bottle Rock Power's use permit until 2043 after a contentious hearing Feb. 28 during which 10 Cobb residents spoke out against the proposal.

Friends of Cobb Mountain listed two reasons for its appeal of that decision, claiming first that the commission failed to meet California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements. The group did not elaborate on what violations it thought took place.

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