Clifford Schneider, a biologist and former Lake Ontario unit leader for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, submitted this memo to the New York State siting board outlining the process he followed when informing the State of at least one active bald eagle nest within the proposed Galloo Island Wind project site. Until this letter, neither the State nor Apex, the project proponent, reported eagles in the area. Mr. Schneider raises concerns regarding the response to his report of eagles by the applicant, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Environmental Conservation. An excerpt of his memo is provided below. The full memo can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
Impact on Birds
New York
The WindAction Group (www.windAction.org)
Facts, analysis, exposure to industrial wind energy's real impacts
Seventus LLC and Wharton Wind LLC are seeking to erect an industrial wind energy facility in Wharton County, Texas. A number of county residents organized in an effort to share information regarding the wind energy proposal and to discuss potential harmful impacts once the project is placed in service. Lacricia Ryan, who with her family operate a crop-dusting business in Wharton County, is part of the group looking to educate the community about the project.
This important letter to the Hawaii PUC warns that wind projects operating in the State are impacting endangered species. To address this situation, US FWS askes the PUC to delay approval of any new wind facility contracts until the proponents make the time to meet with the Service. A portion of the letter is provided below. The full letter can be accessed by selecting the documents link(s) on this page.
This important paper examines the highly touted Health Canada study that looked at wind turbine noise and its impact on human health. The authors cite serious limitations of the Health Canada methodology and the failure of Health Canada to honor its original intention of releasing the raw data for other researchers to confirm and test Health Canada's findings. Readers are encouraged to read this paper closely before accepting the reported findings of the Health Canada study.
Dallas County, Iowa adopted this land-use regulation that includes rules governing the siting of industrial wind turbines. Section 45.39 details the requirements. The full ordinance can be accessed at the links on this page. The portion of the ordinance pertaining to setback distances and noise limits is provided below.
The Dekalb County Board adopted a new wind energy ordinance in accordance with the recommendations of the county's Planning and Zoning Committee. The ordinance includes the following key standards: All turbines are to be situated at a distance not less than six (6) times the height of the WECS tower from all property lines, turbine towers are limited to 500-feet, no shadow flicker can extend onto neighboring non-participating properties, and turbines cannot produce sound that causes an exceedance of the preconstruction/operation background sound levels by more than 5 dBa. The resolution adopting the ordinance is provided below. The full ordinance can be accessed by clicking the link(s) on this page.
This important study examines the migration corridor of North American golden eagles. The findings are intended to inform where to site wind energy facilities and other development in order to avoid and minimize impacts on eagles. The conclusion of the report is provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
The US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued this official letter denying Eolus North American's application for a right-of-way to construct and operate a wind energy facility with up to 106 wind turbines spanning approximately 32,000 acres of public lands in southern Nevada. The letter describes in detail the reasons for the denial. The summation of the letter is provided below. The full letter can be downloaded from this page.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld a lower court's decision to deny intervention involving action between the town of Falmouth and the Falmouth zoning board of appeals in which judgment had already entered. The judgment declared that two wind turbines operated by the town were a nuisance and ordered that their operation cease and desist. The proposed interveners claimed that they were entitled to intervention as of right because they had compelling interests that were no longer being adequately represented by the town. The lower court ruled, and the appellate court affirmed that the motion be denied since the interveners could not likely establish standing, and that the motion was untimely. A portion of the 10-page order is provided below. The full order can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission issued this order approving Dominion's proposal to construct a 2-turbine, 12 megawatt wind energy facility 27-miles off the coast of Virginia. The project has a price tag of $300 million. The SCC made clear in its order that it had no choice but to approve the project given current state statutes. However, the approval, according to the SCC's order, was contrary to what it deemed prudent as that term has been applied by this Commission in its long history of public utility regulation. The SCC bowed to the legislative mandate by approving the project. A portion of the order is posted below. The full order can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
This important letter to the Town of Falmouth (Massachusetts) explains how the relocation of the Wind 2 turbine would result in continued noise violations. The author, Robert Rand, an acoustician experienced in turbine noise, warned that the turbine would need to be situated at least 2923 feet from the nearest neighbor in order to remain in compliance with governing noise regulations. The letter is posted below and accessible by clicking the document icon on this page. The supporting evidence is included with the document.
This study examines the impact of operating wind turbines on climate. The authors summarize the highlights of the study as a) Wind power reduces emissions while causing climatic impacts such as warmer temperatures; b) the warming effect of operating turbines is strongest at night when temperatures increase with height; c) the nighttime warming effect was observed at 28 operational US wind farms; and d) wind’s warming can exceed avoided warming from reduced emissions for a century. The summary of the study is provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
Attorney David Ganje of South Dakota submitted a memo to the state's Legislative Research Council (LRC) that responds to the LRC's recent memo on wind energy. In particular, Attorney Ganje challenges the LRC for not emphasizing the importance of project decommissioning. The introductory letter accompanying the memo is provided below. The full memo can be downloaded from this page. The LCR memo can be accessed here.
Texas Public Policy Foundation released Part 2 of its research on wind power in the state of Texas. This paper addresses the human and environmental impacts of wind power development. Part 1 reviews the subsidies supporting wind power and how industry growth remains reliant on public outlays.
Chairman Balderson, Vice Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member O’Brien and members of the Committee; my name is Mike Kerschner and I have been a commissioner in Seneca County, Ohio since January 2015. Wind Farm projects were not even a matter of discussion at that time. They have since become a very key issue for the citizens of my county.