The Elmore County Commissioners have scheduled a public hearing in our county courthouse at 1:30 p.m. On Friday, December 14, 2018. The purpose of the hearing is to gather testimony regarding two possible amendment issues involving the development agreement between the county and Cat Creek Energy, LLC.
The complexity and unknowns involving this possible Cat Creek Energy mega-project continue to grow. And now the county commissioners and the Gooding, Idaho based corporation want to discuss amending a portion of an agreement they signed on February 9, 2018.
NOTE: Public testimony will be accepted at this hearing. We hope opponents of the Cat Creek Energy project will attend this meeting or provide written testimony prior to the hearing.
Public testimony will be accepted at a 1:30 p.m. hearing on Friday, October 5, 2018, in the Elmore County Courthouse regarding the Cat Creek Energy project. This public meeting was made necessary when the county commissioners refused to approve Cat Creek Energy’s previous draft amendment during a September 7, 2018 hearing pertaining to a development agreement between the fledgling energy company and the county. For more info see http://catcreek-energy.com/commissioners-select-oct-5-for-a-new-cat-creek-energy-public-hearing/
On Friday, September 7, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. in the Elmore County Courthouse, the commissioners will hold two meeting regarding the Cat Creek Energy project and we want you to be there to stand silently in opposition to this mega-construction plan.
The first meeting will deal with 26 different issues Elmore County has concerns that they might not have given proper consideration to in many of the previous meetings held during the past 2.5 years. Some of those issues deal with the location and size of the 39 wind towers they wish to put up on Camas Prairie and electrical transmissions lines that could run helter-skelter through our backcounty. Plus we believe the threatened “Sage Grouse” certainly wouldn’t do well around those transmission lines or wind turbines.
Do we want wind turbines spread out from the Pine-Featherville Road and in the future possibly right down Highway 20 to the Teapot Dome area?
The subject of the second meeting is about a development agreement Cat Creek Energy wants to amend regarding the planned reservoir on Little Camas Prairie. There are a host of problems associated with this reservoir John Faulkner want to build. The worst issue is the very real possibility of a toxic blue-green algae cross-contamination bloom spreading into Anderson Ranch Reservoir.
“Who wants blue-green algae to close down recreation on Elmore County’s fishing and boating mecca?”
Two Cat Creek Energy meetings on Aug. 24, 2018, at 2 p.m.
On Aug. 24, 2018, starting at 2:30 p.m. the Elmore County Commissioners will hold a two separate public hearings/meetings regarding the very complex Cat Creek Energy project. Both events will take place in the basement of the Elmore County Courthouse building at 150 South 4th East St, Mountain Home, ID 83647.
#1. 2:30 p.m. on Friday, August 24: “The First Amendment Relative to the Cat Creek Energy, LLC Conditional Use Permits” hearing pertains only to the official “Water Diversion and Delivery” issue from the proposed construction of the Cat Creek Reservoir on Little Camas Prairie. Please remember, this proposed reservoir will be interconnected with Anderson Ranch Reservoir and Little Camas Reservoir where toxic blue-green algae bloom health advisories are in effect for that body of water. This is a big deal, as toxic cross-contamination from Little Camas Reservoir to the fishery in Anderson Ranch Reservoir is a possibility.
Public testimony will be accepted during this hearing. If you cannot attend this meeting, you can provide written testimony to the Elmore County Commissioners prior to the public hearing.
#2 Friday, August 24 after 2:30 p.m: Immediately following Hearing #1, the Elmore County Commissioners will hold deliberations regarding the July 26, 2018, Cat Creek Energy rehearing.
Normally, no further public testimony is accepted after a public hearing but there may still be a small window of opportunity to provide feedback to County Commissioner Wes Wootan and County Commissioner Bud Corbus.
As of Aug. 13, 2018, we are working on getting an email address for the commissioners.
Other Contact Info: Elmore County Commissioner ATTN: Commissioner Wootan and Corbus 150 South 4th East Street Mountain Home, ID 83647
There will be more information to come about this meeting very soon.
At press time, we know the meeting will be held at the War Memorial Hall (American Legion building) at 515 E 2nd S St, Mountain Home, ID 83647 on Thursday, July 26, 2018, at 6:00 pm.
Please attend the May 11, 2018, Reconsideration of the Cat Creek Energy, LLC Conditional Use Permit(s) Hearing. This meeting will be held in the basement of the Elmore County Courthouse in Mountain Home, Idaho, at 1:30 p.m.
This photo is from a CUP hearing Feb. 2017 in the Elmore County Courthouse. Please stand in opposition to the CCE, LLC project.
The reasons for asking for a reconsideration hearing were stated succinctly and clearly in the “conclusion” portion of the paperwork submitted to Elmore County, Idaho on March 22, 2018:
VI. Conclusion.
The Findings of Fact/Order was not a final order, as it was conditioned upon the entry of the parties into a development agreement, which did not occur until February 9, 2018, and therefore the time to request reconsideration did not begin to toll until February 9, 2018. All of the five (5) CUPs are dependent upon each other and cannot exist separately. Because the issues of the water (Water Storage and Delivery) has not been addressed in the Development Agreement, the CUPs must be denied in accordance with the Findings of Fact/Order. The Development Agreement (i) does not comply with the Findings of Fact/Order; (ii) materially modifies the Findings of Fact/Order; (iii) does not meet the requirements of the Idaho Local Land Use Planning Act; or the Elmore County Code; and (iv) fails to address the outstanding water (Water Storage and Delivery) issues which is the main focus of the project. The aforementioned all impact the requesting party and its procedural and substantive due process rights, as well as the rights of other affected parties, including but not limited to regulatory agencies that the record does not reflect to have been afforded the opportunity to address these changing circumstances.
Due to the myriad of errors and irregularities, this matter needs to be remanded back to the Director to begin the process anew to correctly address the requirements of the Elmore County Code and the Idaho Local Land Use Planning Act. To do otherwise would deprive all interested parties of their rights under Idaho law, the US Constitution, and the county’s adopted process.
