GEORGIA - More than 100 people attended a two-hour Vermont Public Service Board hearing regarding the Georgia Mountain Wind Project Tuesday night at Georgia Elementary School.

The purpose of the hearing was to garner public input on the proposed project, which would place three to five wind turbines atop Georgia Mountain on the Milton-Georgia town line.

The Harrison family, which owns Harrison Concrete, is the owner of Georgia Mountain Wind.

Proponents spoke of the need for Vermont to begin producing more of its own energy and the benefits of renewable energy.

Local businessman Dan Luneau discussed the threat to businesses from potential increases in energy costs as the result of changes to the Hydro-Quebec contract under which Vermont receives one-third of its power, or the loss of Vermont Yankee (the nuclear plant that supplies another third of Vermont's power), and the need businesses have for affordable electricity.

Georgia businessman Gary Wright concurred suggesting the state needs to have competitive energy prices in order for Vermont businesses to maintain and grow its business base.

Opponents came primarily from the area immediately surrounding the proposed windmill site and spoke of potential health hazards and loss of property values. Georgia Mountain resident Reginald Johnson listed the bird species living on the mountain as well as other wildlife. "Those who say there are no wildlife on Georgia Mountain to worry about need to take a closer look," Johnson said.

R.J. Potter, of Milton, questioned how much power the windmills will actually create, saying there is a vast difference between the capacity of wind farms and the electricity produced. Two wind farms in Clinton County, N.Y. only produced at 13 percent of capacity in the second and third quarters of last year, Potter said.

At a local hearing in April, estimates had the turbines standing about 443 feet tall including the rotors, and producing electricity to power 3,500 households.

Windmills, according to Potter, could have a negative impact on tourism, Vermont's leading industry.

Darlene Ross, of Milton, raised the prospect of "Wind Turbine Syndrome." The term was coined by Dr. Nina Pierpont of Malone, N.Y., who has published a book, which she sells from her Web site, in which she argues windmills cause health problems such as insomnia and headaches in people who live near them.

While Pierpont lists other physicians and scientists who examined her manuscript, she has not published any studies in peer-reviewed scientific journals documenting wind turbine syndrome.

"This is a huge quality of life issue for the surrounding community," Ross told the board.

Another opponent, Heidi Fitzgerald, said scientific reports filed by the Harrisons as part of their application and that concluded the negative impact on wildlife, tourism and property values would be minimal are "based on speculation."

She added, "Common sense tells us there will be negative impacts."

The aesthetic assessment provided by Georgia Mountain Wind fails to mention Milton zoning regulations, which do not permit any structures on the mountain that would be visible above the ridgeline, Fitzgerald said.

Erica Burl, a resident of Georgia Mountain, told the board the area is zoned for outdoor recreational use in the town of Georgia. Buildings are to be of a limited height and lots must be large, according to Burl. "I say not in my backyard, not in anybody's backyard," Burl said.

Electrician Alan Richard, of Georgia, said he has worked on power plants all over North America, including coal, gas and nuclear plants. Those plants, Richard said, are a hazard to the health of their workers and surrounding communities. This project, Richard said, won't contribute to further environmental degradation, and take millions to decommission or leave waste it will take centuries to recycle. "After seeing alternatives... please put it in my front yard," Richard said.

Marcus Bounty, of Westford, said he has worked on hazardous waste cleanup at coal, oil and nuclear plants, but never wind. Tourists, Bounty said, are unlikely to be bothered by the windmills since wind turbines are far more common in other parts of the country.

Opponents of the project didn't disagree with the need for renewable energy, but challenged the efficacy of this project and argued wind is not the only option.

"We as residents and business owners have more to lose than the project could offer in benefits," said George Wimble II, whose family has been farming on Georgia Mountain for five generations.

All of the potential buyers of farmland his father and uncle had for sale asked whether the wind farm was going in, Wimble said. Upon investigation, the family found a more than 25 percent decrease in land values where windmills have gone up, Wimble added.

"We're five generations of Wimbles working the land to make a living, not five generations of Wimbles defacing the land to make a profit," Wimble said.

Several opponents cited unused hydro dams within the state as alternatives to wind power.

Ed Ballantine pointed out that the visual impact of the wind turbines is "in the eye of the beholder."

"I can really groove on the idea of alternative energy," said Katherine Norris, of Milton, who lives across the lake from the proposed site and said the sight of the windmills will not bother her. It is better, Norris argued, to put the mills in a populated area, than a pristine, unpopulated gore.

"People don't come to Chittenden County to see the pristine mountains of Chittenden County," Norris said.

Fairfax resident Gary Ryan said he visited a wind project on Prince Edward Island, Canada to get a sense of the potential impact. "The wind turbines are beautiful," Ryan said, adding it was possible to hold a conversation while standing directly under the windmill.

Andy Thompson, who said the towers would be right over his house, said the power produced would be only a 0.4 percent of Vermont's electricity needs. He said he would rather pay more for power from Hydro-Quebec.

Dave Stanley, of Fairfax, pointed out that the Hydro-Quebec project covered an area the size of three states with water and flooded the entire Cree nation in Quebec.

"We benefit from somebody else having a detriment to their environment," said environmental science teacher Jeff Rouleau, who is supporting the project.

Opponents of the project pointed out that many of its supporters do not live near the project. "Can you see the proposed wind turbines from your home?" asked Georgia Mountain resident Kevin Wimble.

"People say, ‘We need renewable energy so you have to provide it for us,'" said Jim Waters, who lives at the base of Georgia Mountain.

Suzanna Brown, of Georgia, spoke in favor of the project citing the fact that global climate change is already changing the patterns of flora and fauna in Vermont. She also disagreed with project critics, saying, "If the wind were truly limited and unreliable the project would not be able to obtain funding."

"Any money staying in our local communities is a plus," Brown said, noting that this project is being funded locally.

Georgia Mountain resident Kevin Cook, who cares for handicapped individuals in his home, said he is concerned about flicker, the reflection of light off the mills as they turn, and its possible impact on the people he cares for and visitors with seizure disorders.

Other opponents expressed concern about the noise created by the turbines, particularly low frequency noise.

Tina Fitzgerald characterized the Harrisons as "money-hungry goons" and said they should not be allowed to force homeowners to need to dig new wells.

Fitzgerald offered evidence that blasting can cause disruptions to underground water supplies and wells. "This area is too populated for that kind of project," she said.