County considers 2-mile setback appeal
By Terry Murry on Friday, June 9th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners is considering what to do next after the state ignored the county’s two-mile setback rule for wind turbines. The ruling would allow less than two miles between homes and 12 wind turbines in the Nolin Hills project.
“The two-mile setback is important, but what is really important is that the state comes in and overrides local ordinances,” Commissioner Cindy Timmons said. “That’s wrong.”
The county has authorized staff to look at its options and determine the cost and time that would be involved in challenging the state’s ignoring the county ordinance. Timmons said if it’s decided they will challenge the state it could end up being heard by the Oregon Supreme Court.
Nolin Hills is a proposed 45,000 acre wind, solar, and battery farm about four miles outside of Echo. When the county appealed the ruling, an administrative law judge denied their appeal. Timmons said the next step will be to ask the state to review the denied appeal.
“We’re waiting to hear,” she said. “The next steps we have to weigh is exactly how much it’s going to cost and why it was denied.”
