LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, July 14 unanimously approved to ban utility-scale wind turbines in the unincorporated areas of the county, according to a news release from the office of Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.
Antonovich, who introduced the motion to the board, said wind turbines create visual blight on the desert landscape, generate noise, impact wildlife and contradict the county’s Dark Skies ordinance in the Antelope Valley.
“Our residents have consistently opposed wind turbine development that would create an industrial backdrop similar to what Kern County has allowed in the Tehachapis,” he said.
The motion also directed the Department of Public Health to report back in 60 days on a protocol for requiring soil tests to detect Valley Fever when developing renewable energy projects in the Antelope Valley.
The Rural Outdoor Lighting District (Dark Skies) Ordinance promotes dark skies in selected unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County for the enjoyment and health of humans and wildlife, according to county officials. In particular, the ordinance regulates light emissions to prevent the disruption of animal and bird habitats that are threatened from light trespass.
More information on the Rural Outdoor Lighting District (Dark Skies) is available at LACounty.gov/dataportal.
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