OpEd by Jeff Zimmerman, Neenach
This Neenach Solar site is the direct opposite of the Los Angeles County Town and Country Plan to keep Neenach a rural community in the Western Antelope Valley.
We had guarantees from former County Supervisor Michael Antonovich that the solar panels would not come west of 170th Street West. This project breaks that promise.
As a resident of Neenach, I am not in favor of the proposed solar farm at 265 Street West and Ave A-8.
Why is Los Angeles County so hell-bent on covering every inch of the Antelope Valley with solar panels and removing all the natural habitat and natural ground cover? If you wish to have solar for home use, put them on individual roofs.
We are being told that 32,000 acres of solar panels will cause no negative consequences to the environment. Really? Have you ever sat near a solar farm on a hot summer day? The utility scale panel arrays cause extreme temperature increases.
The solar farms and transmission lines in the Antelope Valley are unsightly. The newest plant being proposed is right in the best poppy area. My three-story home looks directly down onto this area. My picture windows, dining and bedrooms would have blinding glare as well as more horrible dust from the solar farms.
The downtown Los Angeles planners tell us no dust is emitted from tearing up the ground and paving our valley with these facilities.
Really? Look at our dust storms coming off the 170th Street plant.
These plants denude the vegetation for over 20 years, destroying habitat for the kit fox, burrowing owls, coyotes, and birds of prey.
The area is sensitive to wildlife and is in the direct viewshed of Tejon Ranch.
The county does not enforce the need to landscape the solar farms, nor require the companies to maintain roads or replant native vegetation.
This project is selling right into the Southern California Edison grid. There is no benefit to the people of the Western Antelope Valley. Not one resident spoke in support of this project.
Three Points and Fairmont Town Councils spoke against it. Contact Regional Planning at acurzi@planning.lacounty.gov to lodge your comments.
This is part of the October 6, 2017 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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