The alternative energy needs of California are clashing with the historical significance of Manzanar Incarceration Camp, reports KPCC.
About 30 people spoke out at a public hearing against the proposed project which would place photovoltaic solar panels mounted on tall metal poles within view of the Manzanar National Historic Site.
The proposal is a project of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
“This is part of my family’s legacy, my family’s history,” Stacey Toda said. “And I’m looking forward to the point where I can take my kids and take my grandchildren and explain to them about the injustice of what happened to them.”
Opponents fear the project would detract from the historic nature of Manzanar and hamper a visitor’s ability to understand the conditions under which Japanese Americans imprisoned at Manzanar lived.
But officials from the LA DWP say Owens Valley is an ideal location with the least amount of environmental impact.
You can read more about this controversy on KPCC.