The lawsuit was first brought against an unpermitted wind farm over a decade ago.
U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Jennifer Choe-Groves has ordered the removal of all wind turbines from land on the Osage Reservation, ruling that the companies that built the Osage Wind farm trespassed on Native lands when they began construction without a permit in 2013.
The Osage Minerals Council first sued the companies when they found out about the construction plans in 2011. The council then sued the companies for trespassing when construction began in 2013, a lawsuit that the companies have been fighting for over a decade. In the meantime, the energy company completed the construction of its wind turbines despite not receiving the appropriate permissions or permits for the wind farm.
Judge Choe-Groves ruled that “It is undisputed [the companies] physically invaded the Osage Mineral Estate without the permission of the Osage Minerals Council… during the construction of the Osage Wind project.”
Now that the ruling has been made, another trial will be scheduled to weigh the penalty for the companies’ actions.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Judge Choe-Groves as she hears cases in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
- For Osage tribal leaders and members of the minerals council as they seek to steward their reservation.
Sources: AgWeb, JDSupra
