CORPUS CHRISTI - A portion of a $200 million San Patricio County wind farm expansion could be in jeopardy if it interferes with an approach to the T.P. McCampbell Airport.

San Patricio County Commissioner Jim Price, a private pilot, contends that because 19 of roughly 100 turbines planned by E.ON Climate & Renewables North America Inc. fall within four miles of the T.P. McCampbell Airport, they jeopardize the approach to a runway.

Monday, County Commissioners, led by Price, unanimously passed a resolution asking the Federal Aviation Administration to reject any of the company's proposed turbines that would adversely impact the approach at the airport, which is located near Ingleside.

E.ON currently is finalizing the layout of the turbines and is seeking FAA permits, said development manager Adam Cohen. The process, which includes an FAA review of individual sites in relation to airspace, will take a couple of months, Cohen said.

Price believes the turbines have to be built a little more than six miles from the airport to prevent harm to the approach.

"They can put those windmills wherever else," Price said. "It's a small area within that approach path and they are wanting to put the turbines in the approach path. We want the windmills as long as they are not in the approach path."

Cohen said that E.ON is working with a veteran aviation consultant who has assured the company that the proposed placement of the turbines does not adversely affect the airport approach.

Should the federal permits for the 19 be denied, it would have a severe impact on the expansion project, Cohen said.

"It's 19 turbines in a good wind area and having to move them would certainly impact our project," he said. "It would probably impact the size of our investment. Instead of $200 million we would maybe spend $120 million."