Feds approve scaled-down Idaho wind farm near historic Japanese American incarceration site

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The federal government has approved a scaled-down wind farm in Idaho over local opposition, including from groups concerned about its proximity to a historic site where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. The Bureau of Land Management on Friday approved the Lava Ridge Wind Project, northeast of Twin Falls. The final approved project decreases the number of wind turbines to 241 from 400, and imposes a maximum height for turbines. Some groups are concerned the site may impact Minidoka National Historic Site, a former Japanese American incarceration camp where thousands were imprisoned during World War II. The federal government says the closest turbine to the site would be 9 miles away.