| Location of proposed solar panel projects. Zedler Marsh is on the left above the cooling channel and the Southern Area (currently being restored) is along the bottom. |
Solar panels are proposed for adjacent to some of the Los Cerritos Wetlands’ most biologically sensitive areas. These panels would very likely impact the fragile and threatened species that rely on Los Cerritos Wetlands to survive. The proposed project would include three separate solar arrays totaling 56 solar tables and 3,100 solar panels. We think the full environmental impacts must be considered before deciding where (or if) to place intrusive infrastructure. In this case, the harm could outweigh the benefits. The placement of these solar panels (with all their disruptive noise, lights, glint, and glare) adjacent to sensitive, soon-to-be-restored wetlands concerns us. The proposal was heard before the City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality and Planning Commission(s), and, with a narrow margin, the project was approved. However, there is limited information about the project’s impacts available for review and feedback. As a result, we sent a letter to the City of Seal Beach requesting a comprehensive review of the project through an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). We have appealed the project to the City of Seal Beach, thereby scheduling a hearing for Monday, December 8th. We hope the Seal Beach City Council hears us and votes for a full environmental review of the project before it moves to the next step, a review by the Coastal Commission. I urge you to….. #1) Write to project manager, Shaun Temple, to tell the Seal Beach City Council that the proposed solar project needs a thorough review because it is proposed next to a sensitive ecological area. Click here to write your message (and then please send me a copy!). If you are a resident of Seal Beach, please be sure to include that information in your message. If you aren’t a resident of Seal Beach, please send an email. The wetlands, after all, are important to the entire region, not just to those who live in Seal Beach. #2) Attend the Monday, December 8th, Seal Beach City Council meeting and share your thoughts. It is a fact that the vast majority of Southern California’s wetlands have been lost forever to development and infrastructure. It is essential that we not only protect but also improve our remaining wetlands. Requiring a full EIR so we can understand the project’s impacts is the least the City Council can do, don’t you agree? The Seal Beach City Council meeting will be at 7:00 PM on Monday, December 8th, at: Seal Beach City Hall 211 Eighth Street Seal Beach, CA 90740 Thank you for supporting our local wetlands. Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust |