May 25: Recurrent Energy has made arrangements to initiate a “demonstration project” just south of the proposed Yakima project. The announcement came at the Mojave Chamber of Commerce meeting on May 22, despite assurances from Kern County that the project was in “deep freeze”. According to Recurrent’s Seth Israel the demonstration project will be much smaller than the Yakima project, only 22 acres, and located at Purdy and Holt in southwest Mojave. The demonstration project will only mow the vegetation instead of grade it, and will include fencing around the area to block the wind and reduce fugitive dust. The project will also be monitored by a contractor hired by Recurrent to measure air quality and particulate matter at a time of year with mild wind. The results of this data will be used in future months to persuade the Board of Supervisors to issue the zoning changes and conditional use permit that will allow Recurrent to break ground on its much larger 262 acre Yakima solar project.
The Mojave Foundation is an avid supporter of Solar Energy but we are opposed to the location of the Yakima solar project, which poses a health and safety risk to our residents. The proposed Yakima project is only 1,400 feet upwind of a densely populated area (Mojave Gardens), as well as a trailer park, the Sheriff’s Office, CHP, Hotels, and millions of dollars of investment on the Mojave Air & Space Port. We also reject the scientific method which is being used, since the measurements will be taken at a time of year that is far less-windy than the time when construction would begin on Yakima, and we do not consider the experiment to be objective since it was designed and conducted by Recurrent’s own contractor, Environ. This project poses too grave a health risk to the children and elderly directly downwind, as evidenced these pictures taken throughout the month of April of Recurrent’s Columbia-I and II projects, despite the acre foot of water spent daily (2 million gallons per week) to control dust. We urge residents and interested parties to write letters to the Kern County Planning Department to voice their concerns at georgej@co.kern.ca.us or 2700 M Street, Suite 100, Bakersfield, CA 93301-2323.
The Mojave Foundation 
My complaint is with the water trucks running from Tehachapi-Willowsprings Rd to Backus to Silverqueen Road. These drivers are not playing with a full deck, I have seen them on the wrong side of the road, spraying water while driving on Backus, spraying each other with there side sprayers as they pass each other. As everyone is aware in the Antelope Valley we are suffering under drought conditions, and these solar plants and stupid drivers are wasting water resources that should be used for human consumption.
Debbie is right. We’re in the mist of the most sever drought in our recorded history and this corrupt, with crony capitalism, corporation is pumping and taking water from our underground aquifer. This water can not be replenished. They are running water trucks 7 days a week, from the crack of dawn till very late in the evening. There are so many water trucks running on the route Debbie described, it’s like watching a trail of ants. They are causing, what is called, “overdraft” of our aquifer, (taking more out than what is being replenished). Every resident living near the Cactus Queen and Gold Queen are in fear of loosing our water and/or having to spend a tremendous amount of money, some residents don’t even have, to have our wells drilled and dropped deeper. This corruption must be stopped. The Kern County Planning Commission is in bed with these mega corrupt energy corporations. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Some people believe they are getting paid off to push these projects through.
Debbie is right. We are in the mist of the most sever drought in our recorded history and this corrupt, with crony capitalism, corporation is pumping and taking water from our underground aquifer. This water can not be replenished. They are pumping ground water and running water trucks 7 days a week, from the crack of dawn till very late in the evening. There are so many water trucks running on the route Debbie described, it’s like watching a trail of ants. They are causing, what is called, “overdraft” of our aquifer, (taking more out than what is being replenished). Every resident living near the Cactus Queen and Gold Queen are in fear of loosing our water and/or having to spend a tremendous amount of money, some residents don’t even have, to have our wells drilled and dropped deeper. This corruption must be stopped. It’s been said that the Kern County Planning Commission is in bed with these mega corrupt energy corporations. Is this true? Some people have told me they are getting paid off to push these projects through and and expense and loss to the local residents.