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Lake County advisers press for stronger geothermal setbacks, water protections and tribal consultation
Summary
GPAC members and the public urged the county to strengthen geothermal setbacks near Clear Lake, require clearer protections for groundwater and cultural sites, and add enforceable financial assurances before expansion. They also pushed for clearer tribal consultation during permitting.
A Lake County advisory committee on April 3 pressed county staff and PlaceWorks consultants to tighten protections in the draft geothermal resources element of the Lake County 2050 general plan.
At a hybrid meeting of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), Tanya Sunberg, principal with PlaceWorks, summarized the draft element as providing “policy guidance to support the efficient, sustainable and safe use of the county's geothermal resources” through goals on research, planning processes and environmental protection. After the presentation, committee members and dozens of public commenters said the draft did not yet give residents adequate, enforceable safeguards.
Many speakers urged the county to preserve or strengthen the 2008 geothermal buffers that extend from the Clear Lake shoreline to the ridge line. “That setback was put into place to protect the lake,” said Holly Harris during public comment; other GPAC members said language in the current draft that recommends…
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