Agency's position on wind farm

The headline of a recent article on the Free Press Web site described the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources as "opposed" to the East Haven Wind Farm project now under review by the state Public Service Board (PSB). East Haven Wind Farm has asked the PSB to approve a four-turbine electric-generation project in East Haven. The agency is a party to all electric generation plan proceedings and is charged with reviewing a project to ensure that it "will not have an undue adverse effect" on air and water resources, the natural environment and wildlife resources.

The agency has not opposed the project. The agency has informed the Public Service Board that the agency cannot make the legally required finding of no "undue adverse effect on ...the natural environment," including birds and bats, because there is insufficient evidence to support such a conclusion. The developer has not conducted the wildlife studies requested by the agency for over two years that would provide baseline data on the numbers of birds and bats that migrate over the project site. The developer declined to conduct these baseline studies, claiming that the studies are unnecessary and too expensive.

The agency recognized that the project site presented an opportunity for a demonstration of wind power because of the prior use as radar facility. However, its role is to evaluate the relevant evidence in light of the legal standard and provide testimony to the PSB on the subject. In the case of East Haven Wind Farm's project, because the evidence needed to assess the potential effect of this project was not provided, the agency stated that it was unable to support the project. It will be up to the PSB to ultimately determine the sufficiency of the evidence provided by the developer and whether that evidence meets the legal standards necessary to allow the project to go forward.