County considers appeal of siting council ruling
By Terry Murry on Thursday, July 27th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer says he expects the board will make a decision on whether to appeal the two-mile setback ruling handed down by the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. It recently denied an appeal by the board that the county rule requiring two miles distance between a home and a wind turbine be established in relation to the Nolin Hills project.
Shafer said that when the council sat down to hear the county’s appeal that it appeared the state council had already made up its mind. He added that while counties can’t make rules less stringent than those set by the state, it is possible that they can set stricter rules.
“If they’re willing to disregard that particular ordinance, what other ordinances are they going to say that they don’t need to abide by,” Shafer questioned. “I’m concerned about the precedent this sets.”
The commissioner believes the board will make a decision on whether to appeal the state ruling to the Oregon Supreme Court at its regular meeting next Wednesday. The Nolin Hills Project is four miles south of Echo and 10 miles west of Pendleton. It will cover more than 48,000 acres.
