Federal Court Declines to Block Solar Project affecting CRIT Sacred Sites

Here are the materials in Colorado River Indian Tribes v. Dept. of Interior (C.D. Cal.):

37-1 CRIT Motion for PI

59 Nextera Opposition

68 Interior Opposition

74 Reply

150 DCT Order

We posted the complaint here.

Colorado River Indian Tribes Sue Interior over Modified Blythe Solar Power Project

Here is the complaint in Colorado River Indian Tribes v. Dept. of Interior (C.D. Cal.):

1 Complaint

An excerpt:

This complaint challenges the actions of Defendants U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and their officials (collectively, “BLM” or “Defendants”) in approving the Modified Blythe Solar Power Project (“Blythe II” or “Project”), a  utility-scale solar energy generation facility slated for development on federal land northwest of Blythe, California. As set forth below, this Court has jurisdiction over this action because it presents questions of federal law, involves federal defendants, and involves a federally recognized Indian tribe as plaintiff in a suit against federal defendants. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1361, 1362.

The Project site is located within the ancestral homelands of the members of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT” or “Tribes”), whose reservation begins just a few miles northeast of the site. The religion and culture of CRIT’s members are strongly connected to the physical environment of the area, including the ancient trails, petroglyphs, grindstones, hammerstones, and other cultural resources known to exist there. The removal or  destruction of these artifacts and the development of the Project as planned will cause CRIT, its government, and its members irreparable harm.