, one of the largest U.S. providers of renewable energy, entered a plea agreement for violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act , the U.S. Justice Department said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMost of those killed were golden eagles, the national symbol of Afghanistan, Mexico, Egypt, Germany and Scotland, although some were bald eagles, the national symbol of the United States, according to court documents.
"ESI further acknowledged that at least 150 bald and golden eagles have died in total since 2012, across 50 of its 154 wind energy facilities," the Justice Department said in a statement. As part of the plea agreement, the company was sentenced on Tuesday in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to pay more than $8 million in fines and restitution. It also agreed to apply for permits allowing "unavoidable take" of eagles at its facilities. And, the company agreed to pay $29,623 each time an eagle is killed or injured in the future.
I'm so ambivalent about this, wind energy is clean and so essential, but wiping out species of birds is too high a price. There has to be a way to operate wind turbines safely for local wildlife.
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