Feds approve $2B energy project on Yakama Nation sacred site

Federal energy regulators approved a roughly $2 billion renewable energy project on a Yakama Nation sacred site overlooking the Columbia River in Klickitat County, according to Washington State Standard. The 40-year federal license allows the Goldendale Energy Storage Project to move forward, though legal challenges remain and construction must begin within two years, said Erik Steimle, who is leading the project for Rye Development.

The site is used for ceremonies as well as treaty-reserved fishing and root gathering and has been a village location for the Yakama Nation since time immemorial, said Elaine Harvey, a conservation scientist and member of the Yakama’s Kamíłpa Band, according to Washington State Standard. Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis criticized the approval in a press release, calling it harmful to sites with religious and cultural significance. Project opponents, including the Yakama Nation and other tribal governments, have 30 days to challenge the license, according to Columbia Riverkeeper.