I recently found the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's comments on the Chautauqua Wind Farm Project Proposal dated December 31, 2004 this was an impressive comment letter submitted by the DEC.
In this letter the Dec noted that the wind company was using an avian avoidance- mortality factor inappropriately derived from other studies.
Specifically the DEC mentioned a number of factors in their evaluation of the Chautauqua Avian risk assessment or - ARA, these include geographical and topographical differences species – related differences, weather- related site specific considerations the DEC wrote that the ARA should clearly indicate what criteria were used to select the sites that they chose for their data and discount other existing wind farm projects.
In their letter the Dec notes that the Chautauqua site is part of a bird migration corridor that continues through the Cape Vincent area.
The Eastern southern shore of Lake Ontario and the eastern shore of Lake Erie, these are documented and well recognized migratory bird pathways, which are important within Eastern North America on a regional scale, particularly During spring migration as birds move North this is an important bird area noting that the habitat within a half mile of the shoreline along Lake Ontario held higher numbers and diversity of migrant birds than several miles inland.
This letter is significant in RE: to the St. Lawrence Wind project, it clearly states the significance of selecting the proper sources to derive avian and bat mortality data, for bird and bat mortality studies. This point is of particular significance to Cape Vincent because within 2 miles of the shores of Cape Vincent across the St. Lawrence River is Wolfe Island Canada on this Island is a wind project consisting of 86 turbines of the same size and height of the ones proposed by Acciona Energia for our community. This project on Wolfe Island has been operational since April of 2009 and avian and bat mortality rates have been available since May of 2010. However Acciona chose to use data from Maple Ridge Wind farm some 40 miles away to calculate projected avian and bat mortality rates.
Wolfe Islands report found 600 birds and more than a thousand bats were killed by the windmill blades in a six month period.
Nature Canada called the numbers “shockingly high. The newest mortality figures released, estimates that 549 birds and 450 bats were killed between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2010.
Why Acciona has failed to consider the Avian and bat mortality studies from the Wolfe Island wind project? This would be significant in providing accurate results and data for their FEIS and yet they have failed to look at it. Looking at this data would completely eliminate any questions of site and species compatibility between Maple Ridge and Cape Vincent. This issue needs addressing. The DEC in the Chautauqua analysis also points out that the Cumulative impact of all of these projects would need to be taken into consideration to truly measure “Biological” significance on our bird populations. BP is progressing with their wind project consisting of 87 turbines a reminder that we should be looking at the cumulative impacts as well.
In Clayton, NY, Horse Creek wind farm is proposing to erect 50 turbines and another 77 turbine project is planned for Galoo Island, BP’s Cape Vincent wind project indicates their number consists of 87, turbines slated for the area and St. Lawrence Wind now lists 51turbines. This is a total of 351turbines.
This means that potentially if all these projects come to fruition there would be 351 wind turbines.
I find it disturbing that the DEC has not required that Acciona look at the data from Wolfe Island, nor have they asked why they chose to look at a site some 40 miles away, in a different topographical area etc…especially in view of the potential risk for the Indiana Bat with its numbers rapidly declining due to white nose syndrome. Recently the Fish and Wildlife Service has declared white nose syndrome an unprecedented epidemic stalking American bats.
Acciona recently released a document titled MASTER- Acciona Bird and Bat Protection Plan according to this plan if they were to take a hard look the Wolfe Island Avian and Bat mortality coupled with the criteria in their own plan they would not site the wind project in Cape Vincent.
Link-->here<-- To DEC comments RE: Chatauqua Wind farm Project Link-->here<-- To MASTER- Acciona Bird and Bat Protection Plan Link -->here<-- To Wolfe Island Wind Farm Bird & Bat Post Consruction Monitoring Report ~July ~ December 2009 Link -->here<-- To Wolfe Island Wind Farm Bird & Bat Post Consruction Monitoring Report~January ~ June 2010 Link -->here<-- To Wolfe Island Wind Farm Bird & Bat Post Consruction Monitoring Environmental Canada Comments ~ January/ 10 /2011~ Link --> here <-- To Maple Ridge Wind Farm Bird & Bat Post Construction Monitoring Report ~ May 31 2007
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