Wind turbines' effects on Appalachians' ecology worries scientists
Roanoke Times|June 18, 2006
Preliminary research shows wind turbines kill thousands of bats and birds in the Appalachian Mountains, which are a major migratory flyway, scientists say.....Dan Boone, a Maryland-based botanist and wildlife scientist, said laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act aren't enough to protect against bird and bat kills, deforestation and other damage done by wind turbines.
Preliminary research shows wind turbines kill thousands of bats and birds in the Appalachian Mountains, which are a major migratory flyway, scientists say.....Dan Boone, a Maryland-based botanist and wildlife scientist, said laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act aren't enough to protect against bird and bat kills, deforestation and other damage done by wind turbines.
Mary Wells, a spokeswoman for Florida Power and Light, said it was unknown whether the bat and bird deaths at the company's wind energy centers in Tucker County, W.Va., and Somerset County, Pa., were significant compared with their total populations.
Wells said the company was cooperating with further research, including looking at acoustical deterrents, but that the turbines should keep spinning until solutions are found.
State and federal scientists say the deaths are alarming because bats and birds are crucial to the ecosystem's natural balance, including keeping insect populations in check.
The National Academies-National Research Council's Committee on Environmental Effects of Wind Projects is expected to issue stricter …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Mary Wells, a spokeswoman for Florida Power and Light, said it was unknown whether the bat and bird deaths at the company's wind energy centers in Tucker County, W.Va., and Somerset County, Pa., were significant compared with their total populations.
Wells said the company was cooperating with further research, including looking at acoustical deterrents, but that the turbines should keep spinning until solutions are found.
State and federal scientists say the deaths are alarming because bats and birds are crucial to the ecosystem's natural balance, including keeping insect populations in check.
The National Academies-National Research Council's Committee on Environmental Effects of Wind Projects is expected to issue stricter recommendations in December, but they are nonbinding.
Dan Boone, a Maryland-based botanist and wildlife scientist, said laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act aren't enough to protect against bird and bat kills, deforestation and other damage done by wind turbines.