Due to a combination of factors, including uncertainty surrounding federal policies, Gamesa has decided to halt development plans for its proposed Shaffer Mountain Wind Farm in Somerset County," Gamesa Energy U.S.A.
One of the issues slowing down the development , the wind farm's permits were held up last fall after an endangered Indiana bat was found dead beneath a wind turbine about 30 miles away. Shaffer Mountain has an Indiana bat colony and is located on the same migratory path as the turbine where the dead bat was discovered.
Shaffer Mountain landowner Richard Bair said a Fish and Wildlife official told Gamesa it would not receive a "green light" to build, adding that the decision was influenced by threatened legal action from environmental groups.
March 30, 2012 a coalition of conservation groups threatened to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for issuing an opinion allowing a proposed wind turbine facility on ecologically sensitive Shaffer Mountain to mitigate damage it would do to a maternity colony of endangered Indiana bats.
According to the 21-page notice, sent to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the service's biological opinion "inappropriately sidesteps" the preferred option of relocating or significantly modifying the 30-turbine industrial wind farm to avoid killing the bats. The FWS opinion, filed on Sept. 27 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, proposed minimizing and mitigation of bat mortality but not moving the wind turbine facility off of the Mountain.
The 60-day notice of intent to sue, required by the Endangered Species Act when contesting an agency action, cited the opinion of several bat experts who say the project poses "substantial risks" to the survival of the bat colony and even the species.
A Gamesa – sponsored study performed by bat conservation and management, of Carlisle Pa. And Sanders environmental Inc. Of Centre Hall, PA., found juvenile male Indiana bats on the proposed project site.
Coincidentally, in July and August of 2007 Saunders environmental Inc. did a study on the presence of the Indiana bat in the Cape Vincent project area for St. Lawrence wind/British Petroleum. During this study, six mist net sites at the proposed location of the St. Lawrence wind farm captured four Indiana bats; this included one adult male two juvenile males and one adult female, and who was tracked into the same swamp complexes as the two juvenile males. The netting clearly confirmed what was indicated by telemetry, that a maternity colony is present on the border of the project area; in addition mist netting confirmed that adult males are present in the project area.
It remains to be seen how the presence of Indiana Bats at BP’s Cape Vincent wind project site will affect their project.
Portions of the above referenced Indiana Bat report below
Read more about Aubertine's potential contribution to Agricultural losses concerning the wind turbine locations/ bat mortality & his land~ at this link
Sources:
Post Gazette. Com
U.S. bureau may face suit in defense of Indiana bats
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Tribune Democrat
>Gamesa Scraps Windfarm Project
4 comments:
"It remains to be seen how the presence of Indiana Bats at BP’s Cape Vincent wind project site will affect their project."
The only thing more rare than an Indiana Bat in Cape Vincent is a Federal or State biologist taking a stand to protect them.
BP doesn't give a damn about any bats, but they may use that as an excuse for pulling out of a project in Cape Vincent that makes no economic sense for them -- if they must go on without benefit of federal wind tax credits to help offset their big global oil and gas profits. That's the only reason they are here - those tax credits.
Our nation is in an energy crisis. First it's a turtle, now it’s a bat get real. Cape is out of whack.
Love the BP LEAVE CAPE VINCENT bumper sticker/banner. It worked for Acciona, maybe it will work for BP.
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