My letter to the PSC Re: BP's Community outreach

 Honorable Jaclyn A. Brilling

Secretary, New York State Public Service Commission

Three Empire State Plaza

Albany, New York 12223-1350

This letter is in response to BP wind energy’s initiation of an Article 10 process for their Cape Vincent Wind project.

 Recently, Richard Chandler, BP’s Director of Development for their Cape Vincent Wind project, sent a letter to the Town of Cape Vincent, informing the town that they intend to pursue the development of their project through an Article 10 process. In his letter Mr. Chandler stated that BP Wind Energy has been engaged with our local community for years and such work should not be ignored. Additionally, he wrote that our revamped Zoning Law would effectively prohibit wind generation from being sited within the town, adding that the town has already evaluated potential impacts from the Cape Vincent and St. Lawrence wind farm projects and made favorable findings.

Both BP and Acciona began their projects in Cape Vincent by quietly signing many of our Town Officials and their families to Wind Leases and Good Neighbor Agreements, knowing this would create blatant conflicts of interest. This is a clear violation of the town’s ethics code and NY State law. These conflicted Municipal Officers played a pivotal role in producing the favorable findings that Mr. Chandler described in his letter. As a result of complaints over these conflicts of interests and subsequent actions taken by our Municipal Officers, Then Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, launched an investigation that continues to remain open.  

BP successfully bypassed the community at large by using conflicted Municipal Officers as a conduit to facilitate the development of their project. Through the democratic process we were able to eliminate these conflicted officials, thus removing BP’s influence/control over the approval process. It is my belief that BP is once again attempting to bypass our community, by pursuing their project through an Article 10 process.   
 Mr. Chandlers characterization of the relationship between BP and our community is insulting. Over the years BP has been exclusively cultivating a self-serving relationship with 4% of our community i.e. conflicted Board Members and Wind lease holding residents, leaving the 96% majority of the community completely out of the process. BP has dismissed our community and dismissed our zoning law as overly burdensome. What is overly burdensome is what BP has done to do to our community, tearing apart families, friendships, and ripping the fabric of our community to shreds.

 Respectfully,

Kathryn A. Hludzenski

Cape Vincent, NY
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Link here to make your comment to the PSC

Comments must reach PSC within 30 days from the time BP notified PSC they wish to enter an Article 10 application.

Here is the link:

http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterSeq=40867.