| It’s a smaller project, but those solar panels (the blue squares above) are proposed to be located concerningly close to fragile habitat. |
| Friendly Reminder: We still need you to write a letter! Email template here! What we know about the proposed revised solar panel project. The majority of the solar panels would remain adjacent to some of the Los Cerritos Wetlands’ most biologically sensitive areas, likely affecting the fragile and threatened species that rely on the wetlands to survive. The project would now produce 1.2 megawatts, consist of two separate solar arrays with about 2,000 solar panels, and an undetermined number of solar tables….all to power oil and gas operations. Here is our most recent letter to the City of Seal Beach outlining our concerns. You can use points in our letter to write your own letter to the City. We remain concerned about the impacts on nearby wildlife. In fact, we are so concerned that we asked respected biological experts at All Hands Biological Consulting to review the project. You can find their review here. Very concerningly, there is insufficient review of the potential for solar panel glare to confuse birds and other wildlife, despite the promised anti-glare coating. And if the project kills birds, how many is acceptable, and what number might trigger additional mitigation? The applicant can self-report, and beyond that, neither the applicant nor the Planning Commission is required to take any specific action to reduce bird deaths. Before (or if) this project moves forward, we need answers to those questions, and more. Keep voicing your concerns to the Seal Beach City Council regarding the potential impacts on the wetlands and neighboring communities. Ask for a full analysis of the project. Send a note to Shaun Temple, Planning Manager for the City of Seal Beach. Tell him that an Environmental Impact Report is the appropriate level of review for a project that could have significant impacts on the wetland wildlife that reside in this rare habitat. Ask him to share your views with the City Council. Attend the Seal Beach City Council meeting on Feb 23 at 7:00 PM. Tell them that if these solar panels are installed, they will likely remain for many years. In an era of rising seas and extreme weather, it is just wrong to add more stressors on the fragile and threatened species that rely on the remaining few acres of Los Cerritos Wetlands. At a minimum, there should be a full environmental review to better understand the impacts, how they will affect local wildlife, and the available alternatives. With appreciation, Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust P.S. The accompanying materials for the proposed solar panel agenda item were just posted on the City of Seal Beach website. You can find them here. |
