Monday, May 16, 2011

Cape Vincent Wind HX ~ January 27, 2007 to July 21, 2007

Cape Vincent Wind
At the end of this post are links to my complete Wind History
from 2005 to January 26, 2007 ~

January 26, 2007:
WDT reports, “The town Planning Board received a draft environmental impact statement from AES Acciona Wind Power New York for the St. Lawrence Wind Power project Jan. 10, but it will not be made available to the public until Feb. 1,
Another move that is in violation of state Freedom of Information Law, according to the state Committee on Open Government.” This is another questionable decision by the PB and PBC Edsall. AES-Acciona also states in their DEIS they will comply with PB guidelines. In addition Edsall is quoted in the paper as allowing the DEIS to be taken home by the PB members to study, 2 others of which have family conflicts. This opens the door to the possibility of select members of their families or other lease holders viewing a document that has not been released to the public.

February 13, 2007

Ethics Group, DEC decry acceptance of unfinished report
by Kelly Vadney in Watertown Daily Times
Link to article here
The Wind Power Ethics Group and the state Department of Environmental Conservation say the town Planning Board should not have accepted a draft environmental impact statement for the St. Lawrence Wind Farm.
Judy Drabicki, a Dexter attorney representing the ethics group, a citizens' organization that has opposed wind farm development, said the developer has not sufficiently identified impacts because studies listed as part of the review have not been completed, including those for wetlands.
A DEIS is a document that is part of the State Environmental Quality Review process. Its purpose is to identify and study any adverse effects a development may have on the environment. A project can be turned down if adverse effects cannot be mitigated.
Todd R. Hopper a developer from AES Acciona Wind Power NY, which proposed the St. Lawrence Wind Farm, said the goal is to complete the studies by 2008.

Date: 02/23/2007

Lyme wants Brakes on Wind farm Project
By Kelly Vadney
Watertown Daily Times
Date: 02/23/2007
Link to article hereBased on comments at a Thursday wind power meeting, Lyme residents are keeping an open mind about a proposed wind farm, but they would like to slow the process down and have their own say.

“My perspective is, things are moving too fast and we need to slow down,” Councilman Warren A. Johnson said. “I think my fellow councilmen agree with that.”

03/14/2007
Lyme May Want Own Study of Wind farm

by Kelly Vadney
Watertown Daily Times

Link to article here
The immediate future of BP Alternative Energy’s proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm may hinge on what transpires at the Lyme Town Council’s meeting today.

The issue is whether Cape Vincent will supervise the entire environmental review for the proposed 210-megawatt wind farm project, which crosses town lines, or if the Lyme Town Council will opt for a separate environmental review for the portion in Lyme. That could slow development of the wind farm.

The Cape Vincent Planning Board declared itself lead agency for the State Environmental Quality Review for the entire project in January. Since then, some members of the Lyme Town Council have said Lyme should be lead agency for the Lyme portion.

31 March 2007

Cape Vincent NY ~ WPEG~ files suit ~ Wind Turbines as Utilities
Watertown Daily Times

Link to Article hereCAPE VINCENT — A citizens group opposed to a proposed wind farm here has mounted a legal challenge to the town’s determination that the project qualifies as a utility under zoning law.

Wind Power Ethics Group filed an Article 78 petition Wednesday in state Supreme Court against the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals and St. Lawrence Windpower LLC, the developer of the proposed 97-turbine project.
The ZBA determined Feb. 28 that the project was a utility within the meaning of the town’s zoning law and is therefore a permitted site plan use in the town’s agricultural/residential zoning district.

04/01/2007

Wind farm meeting Moved Due to Croud
By Kelly Vadney
Publication: Watertown Daily Times
(Watertown, NY)

Link to article hereThe town of Lyme’s debate on a wind power moratorium Saturday drew enough residents to be moved, physically.

When the crowd formed a line outside the municipal building’s meeting room, the Town Council relocated the session less than a mile down the road, to the fire hall. There, about 80 people listened to arguments for and against a moratorium on wind farm development. A moratorium would put development on hold while the council adopts zoning for turbines.

04/07/2007

WPEG ~ Wind Lawsuit Claims zoning law change required for utilities designation of wind turbines
By Kelly Vadney
Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, NY

Link to article hereThe town of Cape Vincent sees proposed wind turbines just like a water treatment plant or electrical substation, utilities allowed under its existing zoning laws. But an opposition group contends that dozens of 400-foot-high turbines spread over hundreds of acres aren’t utilities, and has filed a lawsuit to force the town to create new zoning controls.

A judge will decide who’s right, and that ruling may send the town back to square one in the planning process for turbine development. If the ruling is made in favor of the town, the planning process will continue with the possibility of turbines being placed in the municipality’s river and lakefront districts, on waterfront property near Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

Apr. 11, 2007

Cape Vincent Local Development Corp. sends out survey asking about wind farm.
Byline: Kelly Vadney
Article from:Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, NY) Article date:
Link to Article hereLDC Sends out Survey

It's easy to ruffle feathers in Cape Vincent.

Just follow the Cape Vincent Local Development Corp.'s footsteps and send out 2,000 surveys that ask questions about wind turbines.

L. Sam DeLong, chairwoman of the LDC, said the surveys were designed to solicit information for the drafting of a downtown master plan.

"It was decided the Local Development Corp. would send out a survey to get the pulse of the community as to what they wanted," she said. "When you're developing a master plan, you need to know your limits."

04/27/2007

Antitrust complaint against the wind industry.

Watertown Daily Times

Link to Article here

T. Urling and Mabel Walker of Watertown and Cape Vincent are among 20 north country residents named in a 94-person antitrust complaint against the wind industry.

The complaint — submitted Wednesday via e-mail to the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division — alleges that a number of foreign and domestic companies “have conspired to eliminate competition in the newly emerging wind energy industry.” It claims that, through alliances and cross-ownership, the alleged “international cartel” is avoiding competition for potential wind farm sites, reducing benefits to landowners and municipalities, and that “virtually all of the earnings are funneled abroad to the foreign owners and investors.”


June 13, 2007

The NY Dept. of Public Service’s sends a very pointed letter to the PB and Edsall about the inadequacy of St. Lawrence Wind Power’s DEIS. Comments include the fact the PB as lead agency basically ignored the requests of the NYDPS to do an adequate job on numerous areas of concern provided previously by the NYDPS. They tell the PB they should start the process over, and get qualified help to do these studies correctly. They indicate this study should never have been accepted by Edsall and the planning board. It is proof by a major involved NY agency of the rushed nature of the town and its planning board. As with the NYDEC the DPS had no way of knowing of the conflicts of interest of three PB members now acting as lead agency because there were still no official conflict disclosures by conflicted town officers.

06/19/2007

Save The River ,TILT Call For A Chomprehensive Wind Farm Review

By Kelly Vadney
Publication: Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, NY)
Link to Article hereTwo nonprofit environmental organizations have teamed up to call for a comprehensive review of proposed wind farms in Jefferson County.
Save the River and the Thousand Islands Land Trust submitted identical comments concerning the proposed St. Lawrence Wind Farm, Cape Vincent, and the Horse Creek Wind Farm, Clayton.
“The impacts and benefits of wind-energy installations are not constrained by political boundaries,” the organizations wrote. “The Jefferson County Legislature and Jefferson County Planning Department should be involved in coordinating these projects on a countywide basis.”

06/24/2007

CAPE RESIDENTS SAY WIND FARM PLAN DOESN"T HONOR SETBACKS
By Kelly Vadney
Watertown Daily Times

Link to Article here
CAPE VINCENT — St. Lawrence Wind Farm has proposed turbine locations short of a 1,000-foot setback the company pledged to honor, mapping some industrial windmills closer to properties that are not participating in its project.

Former town Councilman Clifford P. Schneider wrote the town Planning Board about the locations, saying he found 30 proposed turbine sites that are closer than 1,000 feet to nonparticipating parcels.

6/27 /2007

Towns Seeking Wind Zoning Advice

By Kelly Vadney
Watertown Daily Times

Link to Article here
With industrial wind farm developments on the horizon in the north county, town supervisors are reaching out to Jefferson County government for help.

The Jefferson County Town Supervisors Association has asked the county planning office to present examples of zoning laws for turbines at an upcoming meeting, said County Planning Director Donald R. Canfield. While the county cannot implement zoning for municipalities, it can offer advice if called upon.


June 27, 2007:
At a meeting of the Planning Board, Planning Board Chairman Edsall calls AES- Acciona officials to step forward and states, “Even though you are not legally required to abide by our guidelines, you will won’t you? They both responded, “yes.” They just agreed to 5dba and turbines are not utilities! This would kill the wind project! Edsall then requires them to address a number of issues that were deficient in the initial DEIS submitted by AES- Acciona

06/28/2007.

Cape Vincent Lists its Requirements For Wind Turbines

By Kelly Vadney
Publication: Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, NY)

Link to Article hereCAPE VINCENT — The Town Planning Board on Wednesday gave the St. Lawrence Wind Farm several hoops to jump through before completing the environmental review for its proposed project.
The wind farm, proposed by AES Acciona Wind Power NY, would bring up to 96 turbines to the town. A second project, Cape Vincent Wind Farm, proposed by BP Alternative Energy, would bring 60 to 80 turbines to the interior of Cape Vincent and 30 to 60 to the neighboring town of Lyme. BP’s project is not yet in the environmental review stage.
Planning Board Chairman Richard J. Edsall said he drafted the requirements he handed down to St. Lawrence Wind Farm Developers Todd R. Hopper and Shawn A. Briggs.

21 July 2007
St. Lawrence Wind Farm~needs approval from the PSC in the form of a certificate of necessity
By Kelly Vadney
Watertown Daily Times

Link to Article hereCAPE VINCENT — If the St. Lawrence Wind Farm wants to satisfy the state Public Service Commission, it should rewind six months and start its environ­mental review over.
For the wind farm to build its 96 proposed turbines, it needs approval from the PSC in the form of a certificate of necessity, spokeswoman Anne P. Dalton said.
The commission’s comments on the review say the town Plan­ning Board accepted a draft en­vironmental impact statement that is incomplete and “does not address any topic in sufficient detail.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~1~ Wind HX~ Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave
Time covered [August 2005 to Spring of 2006 Aubertine]
2~ Wind HX~ Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave
Time covered [June 15, 2006 to Feb 2008 Aubertine]
~~~~~~
3~ Wind HX~ Cape Vincent's Planning Board Chairman Edsall Works Tirelessly To Ensure His Green Future.
Time covered [2002 to April,7 2006]

3~A~ Supplimental Wind HX~ You Don't Need to be a Weatherman to Know Which Way the Wind Blows
Time Covered [August 4, 2005 to August 29, 2005 Rienbeck caucus circus]

4~ Wind HX~ Cape Vincent Wind saga ~ Continues Soring Of 2006
Time covered [April 21, 2006 to May 14, 2006]

5~ Wind HX~ Cape Vincent~ Wind History Continues~ Zoning Twilight Zone.
Time Covered [April,2006 to June 14, 2006]
5A~ Supplimental Wind HX~If You Hang Out With Pigs You Might Begin to Smell Like One
Time Covered [June 14, 2006 to February 28, 2007]

6~ Wind HX~ Pelo Road a Waterline to Nowhere
or a Waterline to Acciona's cement Batch-Plant?
Time Covered [September 24, 2003 to July 16 2006]

7~ Wind HX~ Cape Vincent Wind HX ~ Musical Recusal
Time covered [ December 13 2006 ~ PB & Lead agency vote]

8 Wind HX ~ SLW & BP Escrow Account Details
Time covered [December 19 2006 to June 4, 2010]January 26, 2007:

9 Wind HX ~ Cape Vincent Wind History Leader of the Pack
Time Covered [December 13, 2006 to January 26,2007]

No comments: