Windfarms threaten many bird species with extinction

March 29, 2011 by Mark Duchamp Save The Eagles Foundation

Save the Eagles International (STEI) wishes to warn the international community about the threat that windfarms and their power lines represent for biodiversity. Unlike cars, buildings, and domestic cats, wind turbine blades and high tension lines often kill protected or endangered birds like eagles, cranes, storks, etc. Cumulatively and over the long term, 3.5 million wind turbines to be installed worldwide will cause the extinction of many bird species, some of them emblematic.

STEI's president, Mark Duchamp, objects to the wind industry comparing bird mortality at windfarms to that from other causes related to human activities. These other threats have already reduced bird populations worldwide, he said, and are continuing to do so. "But mortality caused by windfarms and their power lines is new and additional", he adds, "and like the proverbial last drop that spills the glass, its effects will be upsetting. To wit the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle, which has been condemned to extinction by the construction of 7 windfarms in its habitat"

(1)Another important difference, says Duchamp, is that the other threats can't be easily stopped, whereas poorly-sited windfarm projects can. The Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/Birdlife) recommended this month that windfarms no longer be built in natural areas, but in urban and industrial areas instead (2).

One week later, SEO/Birdlife revealed that bird mortality caused by windfarms and power lines was much higher than previously thought. For the Spanish region of Castilla La Mancha, they estimate it to be "1.3 million birds a year, many of them in danger of extinction like the Imperial Eagle, the Bonelli´s Eagle or the Lesser Kestrel". And they added: "(this is) a considerable number which proves that windfarms have a great capacity for killing birds". (3)

"This is what I have been claiming for 9 years", says Duchamp, "but only this month did SEO recognize the danger. During all that time I have been treated as a heretic, and was banned from ornithology forums where my whistle-blowing was causing discomfort in the profession." The French naturalist, who lives in Spain, has been vindicated at last. He praises the American Bird Conservancy, Birdlife Bulgaria, and SEO for their firm stand against improperly sited windfarms, but laments that it will take more years before the most prominent bird societies do likewise. Conflicts of interests are at the root of the problem, he says.

STEI warns that, if we are to save our emblematic bird species from this new threat, it is urgent to impose a moratorium on windfarm construction and to call for a really independent commission to investigate the whole windfarm matter, starting with the effectiveness of this intermittent, unreliable, and ruinous form of energy.

Duchamp founded Save the Eagles International in 2009, to raise awareness and to publish inconvenient bird mortality statistics that most bird societies fail to make available to the public. He has launched today the STEI website where these numbers and their sources can be found:

REFERENCES

(1) - Wind farms: suspicious error by consultant condemns Tasmanian eagle to extinction.

(2) -SEO Birdlife: " Castilla-La Mancha "debe abandonar el viejo modelo de grandes centrales de generación eléctrica situadas en plena naturaleza y alejadas de los puntos de consumo y fomentar la generación eléctrica en suelo urbano e industrial". Translation: "Castilla-La Mancha "must abandon the old model of large power plants located in natural habitats, far away from where the energy is consumed, and promote electrical generation in urban and industrial zones."


(3) - SEO Birdlife: "1,3 millones de aves al año... un número considerable con el que se demuestra que los parques eólicos tienen «una gran capacidad para matar aves»." Translation: "1.3 millon birds a year... a considerable number which proves that windfarms have a great capacity for killing birds "


Web link: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/34953

VOTERS FOR WIND~ GREEN BEGINNINGS $$

Watertown Daily Times Claims by Voters for Wind are exaggerated

Claims by Voters for Wind are exaggerated WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 When is Beth White, spokesperson for Voters for Wind, going to state her true agenda? Or the agenda for the vocal minority of the 3.9 percent of Cape Vincent residents she represents? Which is: the wind company is going to pay her $15,000 per turbine that she has on her property. When is Beth White, spokesperson for Voters for Wind, going to state her true agenda? Last night’s Voters For wind forum coupled with this letter transported me back in time to another wind forum. Thursday September 25, 2008 ~ This forum was held at TI Central link here to Water Town Times story. One of the speakers at this forum was Steven C. Sullivan, managing director of GEOS Global and consultant to BP Alternative Energy; Things are not always what they seem but some times they are ... Beth White spokesperson of voters for wind, the green shirts and how this grassroots citizen’s organization began. I found a testimonial letter written by Dawn Munk the president of the green shirts (Voters for Wind). This letter describes a relationship between their organization and Geos Global. About Geos Global Green Energy outreach services “Geos Global “is ~ a Saratoga Springs – based public relations firm specializing in outreach and communications services to the top–tier companies within the clean energy sector. Geos provides select clients with customized approaches for ensuring successful outcomes based upon decades of experience in environmental organizing and energy communications. Geos builds trust through early education and development of community partnerships. We firmly believe an invested public leads to long–term project success. Steve Sullivan is a Wind facilitator, according to an article in the Watertown times dated Friday, September 26, 2008, written by Nancy Madsen. There was a meeting at TI Central focusing on issues of turbines, the electric grid, setbacks and noise. She reported that one of the guest speakers was Steven C. Sullivan, managing director of Geos Global and consultant to BP Alternative energy. BP Alternative Energy is one of the top-tier companies that Geos Global serves in the clean energy sector. In their mission statement Geos Global states that they build trust through early education and development of community partnerships using customized approaches. These statements that Geos Global builds trust through early education and community partnerships sound good don’t they? However, what does this really mean? What service is BP buying when they hire Steven C. Sullivan and Geos Global? Geos Global states that they work for top -tier companies meaning the largest alternative energy companies. These services must be expensive. What kind of partnerships do they develop? They develop grass roots citizens organizations, whose mission it is to support the development of a wind farm in the towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme. I know this because I have a testimonial letter written by the president of voters for wind that tells me this. This letter says that Marion Trieste, managing director of Geo’s Global, helped their small group develop their mission statement, elect officers develop bylaws, and begin the task of reaching out to others. This letter goes on to say that the staff of Geos Global is with us every step of the way, providing us with information suggestions and technical and moral support. They have assisted us in planning and organizing community events, fund raising events and have assisted us in learning how to utilize the media to spread our message. Staff members from Geos Global attend our monthly meetings. This letter ends: “On a personal level, I am grateful to Maz and all of the staff at GEOS who have encouraged me and introduced me to grassroots organization, where a committed group of diverse individuals really can come together and make a difference. A voter for wind is like a family and GEOS is very definitely part of our family. Sincerely, Dawn M.Munk “ My whole point to all this is, the next time you see those ever present clusters of green shirts, you need to focus on what this represents. You must ask yourself; do these people represent citizens from a grassroots organization in the community? Who are these people? It has been documented that BP uses Geos Global's services and we have the testimonial letter from the president of voters for wind thanking Geos Global for “introducing her to grass roots organization” I think it would be safe to conclude that BP is behind GEOS GLOBALS interest in voters for wind. Back to my point, when a green shirt representative speaks at a legislative meeting is someone from a grassroots organization speaking, or is a wind puppet for BP alternative Energy speaking? When there is a DEIS, or FEIS public hearing, or a JCIDA meeting and a green shirt representative stands to speak is someone from a grassroots organization speaking or is a wind puppet for BP alternative Energy speaking? If the wind committee meets and someone from voters for wind is on this committee, who are they representing? So the next time you attend that grass roots citizens organization‘s pancake fund raiser you might want to ask yourself Is a pancake just a pan cake? Can we really have our cake and eat it too… Below is a copy of Dawn Munk’s testimonial letter and copy of a letter written to Marion Trieste of Geos Global. This letter is from another community where BP Alternative energy wants to develop industrial wind. This is a thank you for Ms. Trieste’s support and BP’s $ 2,000 sponsorship for a community festival. Dawn Munks Testimonial letter written to Geos Global

~ 1996 ~Aubertine Trolls For New Prison~ "If two heads are better than one, let's work together,"

Updates 8:53AM~

Was this idea for a second prison in Cape Vincent initiated by Darrel Aubertine?
Did the Town Board know about it?
Were the taxpayers of Cape Vincent notified about lobbying for a prison as was stipulated in the resolution passed April 12, 1990 by Cape Vincents Town Board ?

Click here to view excerpt from Cape Vincent minutes 4/12/1990

RE: Prison activity

March 29, 1996

CLAYTON/CAPE VINCENT AREA TROLLS FOR NEW STATE PRISON

 story from the Watertown Times Archives

Author: Roger G. Smith Watertown Times Staff Writer
Excerpts

To read full article link~ here

The town and village governments in Clayton and Cape Vincent will join forces to try to lure a maximum-security prison.

Jefferson County Legislator Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, whose District 1 covers the two towns, said Thursday he has written support from the governments and local chambers of commerce to lobby state officials for the prison.

Both towns reap the financial benefits from the Cape Vincent Correctional Facility, so it is agreed that both would gain from another prison and should work together toward that goal, he said.

"If two heads are better than one, let's work together," Mr. Aubertine said. "We're putting together a comprehensive effort."

Sharing the costs of bringing a prison to the area, such as for water and sewer lines, should give District 1 an advantage over other towns, he said.

While the goal is to bring a prison to the county, Mr. Aubertine said, District 1 plans to outwork the other communities.

"We feel the site should stand on its own, no matter where it sits in Jefferson County," Mr. Aubertine said. "We feel we have some top sites."

Officials have experience with the siting process from the existing prison and have three or four sites in mind, he said.

Mr. Aubertine wouldn't name them, saying area leaders haven't determined which sites they will pitch to the state. They also want to hear from people who would offer their land for sale, he said.

The county is backing any local effort to site a prison.

The Legislature's Finance and Rules Committee Tuesday night passed a resolution "supporting the efforts of interested towns" and the full board will vote on it next Tuesday.

link here to view resolution

Mr. Aubertine said people in District 1 have been gathering support for the last six weeks but did not go public

Mr. Aubertine said.

"I think we've done our homework," he said.



April 9, 1996

CHAMBERS DIDN'T BACK PRISON PLAN 

story from the Watertown Times Archives

Author: Tracy Valentine Watertown Times Staff Writer
Excerpts

Yo read full article link ~ here

Dateline: CAPE VINCENT

Some people may have been surprised by an announcement nearly two weeks ago that chambers of commerce in Clayton and Cape Vincent supported plans to lobby the state for a prison in the legislative district encompassing both communities.

But no one was more surprised than the chamber officials themselves.

Although Jefferson County Legislator Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, said he had their written support for a maximum security prison in District 1, chamber officials claim they never endorsed the plan.
"At this point, there's been nothing in writing that says we support it," said Jeff Brooks, vice president of the Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce. "There's nothing on the agenda to discuss the issue."
Mr. Brooks said a March 28 story in the Watertown Daily Times in which Mr. Aubertine announced that the communities were joining forces to lure the prison "caused quite a stir" in Cape Vincent.
"Issues like that are so hot in a community of this size," said Mr. Brooks, who said the controversial issue is one in which the chamber may not want to become embroiled.
"As a chamber, we have to remain neutral," Mr. Brooks said, adding he doesn't have "a vague idea" of which side of the proposal chamber members would support if they were polled.
Mr. Aubertine on Tuesday that there was "apparently a misunderstanding," and he said he does not yet have an endorsement for the prison from the Cape Vincent chamber.
"I thought I had support of the chamber," said Mr. Aubertine, referring to the Clayton organization.
He said Dennis H. Honeywell, director of Clayton's Recreation Park Arena, sent a letter to the state in support of the prison proposal. Mr. Aubertine said he thought Mr. Honeywell was a member of the Clayton chamber, and the letter was the written support he needed.
"I'm still not sure as to what Dennis's role is," said Mr. Aubertine. "I thought he was a member."
Mr. Honeywell, who is on the chamber's 17-member board of directors, said he did not write a letter to the state. Instead, he said, he wrote to chamber President Lori Durand requesting that the issue be brought before the board.
Mr. Honeywell also defended Mr. Aubertine and said he would not intentionally mislead anyone about the prison proposal.
Last week, the Clayton chamber's board voted that a letter to the state regarding the prison proposal was appropriate. But first, chamber officials will meet this week with Mr. Aubertine and town and village officials to gather additional information about the idea.
"We wanted to research it and look into it before we shot off a letter of support," said Kelly M. Kehoe, executive director of the Clayton chamber. "We still have some questions."
She said the chamber expects to draft a letter after the meeting.

Mr. Aubertine said the remaining proposed sites should "stand on their own merit." No matter where the prison is built, he said it will bring in much-needed jobs to the North Country.
"Naturally, I'd like to see it in my district," he said.

Click here to read excerpt from Village of Clayton Minutes supporting second prison

Hell Has No Fury Like An Edsall Scorned

Recently at a cape Vincent Town Board meeting a citizen compared the wind turbine development to another controversy in Cape Vincent the building of the prison in 1989.
But there is another story in Cape Vincent’s History that would be a better comparison than the building of the first prison and that is the proposal of building a second prison in Cape Vincent.
In this case it could even be said that History is repeating its self.
This story relates to the wind development of today because both unwanted developments have the same driving force pushing them.
None other than Richard J. Edsall.
This story begins around the time the first prison was developed, a Community advisory Board or (C.A.B.) was formed as a liaison between the prison and the community. In the beginning Richard Edsall was the vice chairman.
Nov 30, 1989 the C.A.B. unanimously passed a resolution that Cape Vincent be placed on a list of communities to be considered for a second correctional facility. The town and Village Boards follow suit and both pass resolutions in support of this request. A letter was then sent by the C.A.B. to the department of corrections requesting consideration for a second correctional facility. The commissioner of corrections Thomas A. Coughlin wrote back explaining that in order to be considered that they must have approved sites. Property owners must be willing to sell their land to the state. This is not an unattractive proposition considering that the 127.00 acres that the prison now stands on cost the State a hefty 300,000. The advisory board was asking land owners to show their support by offering property.

Reportedly ~ Richard J. Edsall said that “The coffee shop consensus from people is yes go for it,”
And Edsall did in a big way by offering land he had purchased on Stony Point Road in September of 1987, as well as other property he owns on Swamp Road, as did Edsalls in Laws who owned property on Burnt Rock road. Would that be a conflict?

When the community at large became aware of the plan for this second prison they galvanized and fought the Community Advisory Board’s plan and they fought hard.
The Community of Cape Vincent did not want a second prison and a citizens group was formed between summer residents and year round residents.
A letter and survey were sent out to the community addressing three concerns.

1.) Quality of life – The construction of an enlarged or additional facility may forever change the town’s character from that of a resort to one of “Potentially reduced revenue and increased pollution,”

2.) Property Value- current and future homes may experience “reduced value and/ or liquidity because of an eroded tourist image and an increased level of resident anxiety.”

3.) The Unknown- There has been a local “ground swell of uncertainty” within the past few months.

The letter also notes the lack of an environmental impact study and the Chamber of Commerce’s refusal to endorse the proposal as two important issues concerning the proposed prison development.
A lengthy public meeting was held on April 7th of 1990 most of the 400 resident’s attending spent four hours expressing their opposition to the plan to build a new prison and offering suggestions that would boost Cape Vincent’s economy ,they offered their time, talent and even financial support to spur economic growth.
Consequently the village of Cape Vincent rescinded the resolution it passed in support of a second prison. The newly formed Cape Citizens Association asked that the Town Board rescind its resolution the Town Board did not rescind its resolution supporting a second state prison . Instead, it promised no further action on the proposal until the new citizens' group can provide alternative ways to promote economic growth.
The board did pass a resolution promising that "no further action or correspondence" will take place with the state Department of Correctional Services without notifying the tax payers of the town in ample time for any input they may have.

~And they lived happily ever after~

~oops~

Almost a year had passed and the idea of a second prison in Cape Vincent was just a memory until February of 1991 when Richard J. Edsall now Chairman of the Cape Advisory Board decided to resurrect the idea once again.

Richard J. Edsall, board chairman, said nothing has been finalized and at this point it is only under consideration.

"Right now we are just discussing the possibility of recruiting a second prison," he said. "At the present time, we are just discussing it among ourselves."

~~~~~
The wording above is classic Edsall ~ phrases like there is no project are all too familiar ~ Only in this case the state did not peruse the project and Edsall was unable to jam it down the throats of the community.

Unfortunately this time around with Edsall at the helm of this Titanic wind fiasco the state is not in control it is up to the community.
Where are the citizens that rallied to support each other in 1990 when an unwanted development was being pushed on our community?

The developments may have changed but the names have stayed the same. The citizens of Cape Vincent fought hard to prevent a second prison from being developed but if Cape Vincent is developed into an industrial wind zone it will become a prison ,an industrial wasteland and an economic disaster for future generations .

What promise will Cape Vincent hold for economic development? Many of our senior citizens will be economically trapped, forced to endure an eternity of grinding noisy turbines and flashing red lights this truly will be a life sentence…

Wolfe Island ~ Industrial Wasteland

This letter was published in the Kingston Whig-Standard,

Letters to the Editor

dated July 15, 2009,

written by David R. MacDonald,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a classic summer morning in Kingston -- the typical summer morning with clear blue skies, brilliant sunshine and a tantalizing sparkle off the water in the harbour. As I pen this missive I'm watching the eastern sun reflect off the Wolfe Island wind turbines. Sadly, the island, in appearance, seems more of an industrial wasteland rather than one of nature's more tranquil settings. The presence of these overwhelming techno-energy giants brings to mind asciencefiction novel by H. G. Wells. Seeing the wind turbines conjures up images of invading space creatures from his work War of the Worlds, with the turbines reaching like tentacles upward to the sky.They certainly tower above the natural treeline. It's hard to see anything else. When I look towards the water, I don't see the natural beauty of Kingston's harbour anymore.

I don't see Garden Island, Simcoe Island or even Wolfe Island, as my vision is drawn to these massive propellers waiting in rest or whirling away, depending on the breeze. If the daytime view isn't bad enough, the blinking red warning lights on the towers at night light up the sky like a runway at Pearson International Airport. What got me thinking of our harbour's beauty was not only the view from my window but also two photographs that appeared in the Whig Standard.

Both were of boats plying the waters of Kingston Harbour. The first was our beloved tall ship, St. Lawrence II, and the other was a wee Optimist sailing dinghy.

What struck me was that my eye was not drawn to the beauty of the vessel in each photo but rather to the towering wind turbines in the background. I just found it sad. I am of mixed emotions as to whether these turbines are a source of pride for the local communities. Fair enough that this was a decision for the residents of Wolfe Island, as they own the property where these towering giants sit, but their decision has also affected the lives of those in Kingston and our neighbours to the south in northern New York State.
I've yet to encounter anyone who finds the wind turbines an attractive addition to the already beautiful landscape. In fact, most simply whisper about the project, as saying anything negative is tantamount to heresy. Dissenting opinions are shouted down as anti-progress, anti-change or anti-environment. For the most part, this isn't the case. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, and what I'm finding is that for better or worse, the folks I speak with on this side of the harbour don't think the turbines are attractive.
I don't know why the islanders voted to have the wind farm developed on their lands. That was their decision alone.

Perhaps it was visceral in nature -- a longing to facilitate change in the world and reduce our carbine footprint through the development of alternative energy sources. The sacrifice of lands
and natural beauty today could be well worth the protection of future generations.

Alternatively, it's also possible the rise of these massive turbines was the result of a cash grab by those suffering from our flagging economy and seeing a sure bet for income.

Who knows for certain?
I just can't seem to get excited by the wind farm and its whirling turbines.
It's not that I'm against reducing our carbon footprint or searching for alternatives to fossil fuels.

Rather, my concern is that the largest of the islands in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River, one of creation's most beautiful vistas, has effectively been turned into a 30,000-acre money-producing platform.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the only reasons the company that built the wind turbines came to Wolfe Island were the consistent winds and the desire for profits.

The equations are quite simple: For the landowners, the more turbines on their property, the more money in their pockets; and for the corporation driving the project, megawatts equal megadollars.
I've heard the term NIMBY (Not in my backyard) used all too often to describe
those folks who oppose this and other wind projects.

Shamefully, even our premier and local MPP have resorted to using this acronym for those whose opinions are differing from their own. I suppose our premier really doesn't need to be concerned, since if you live in Toronto you can't see the view in Kingston. Likewise for Canadian Hydro Developers Inc.'s corporate officers in Calgary.

Hopefully, when all the Wolfe Island whirlygigs are finally spinning freely they will be a welcome addition to the natural beauty for which the eastern end of
Lake Ontario has always been known.

At the moment however, I have my doubts. David R. MacDonald Kingston
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally I have posted the following anonymous comment letter that came in to the Whig Standard in RE: to the Wolfe Island wind development~

~~~~~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I might add that Wolfe Island residents never "voted" for these turbines. The wind project was negotiated in secret by the Mayor, Jim Vanden Hoek and facilitated by a council of five: two had land lease options receiving thousands of dollars from the company throughout the process. They re-zoned the island to accept intensive industrial development before any environmental assessment was presented to residents: in direct contradiction to the promises they made when
elected and in fear that the company would sue the municipality under the OMB if the proposal was rejected. The By-law to industrialize Wolfe Island passed in 2006 with two votes (Howe Island councillors only voted and the Mayor abstained!).

The development you see wasn't the choice of Wolfe Island residents but was made by a lame duck council with money from the company in the majority of their pockets. All with the blessing and assistance of MPP John Gerretsen. With no environmental assessment and no site plans made public (though the council and landowners knew months before any disclosure), islanders were shocked in March 2007 to discover that the small-scale, community-based development proposed and promoted was in fact an 88 tower (two monitoring towers were added) monstrosity. Landowners signed up with the company were well aware of the number and intensity -- but that was kept secret from the public until March 2007. By then, all the contracts were signed and sealed. Wolfe Islanders never voted for this development. Many, myself among them, promoted a community-based, small scale and environmentally sustainable wind project.

What you see now, is a project that was sought out by a council with personal financial dealings with the company and supported by landowners who signed away their own rights (and I would suggest personal responsibility) to alert their neighbours, some of whom have lost their ability to sever and build on their own land because their neighbour's turbines are too close. Many of the landowners, on the company's behalf if not behest, participated in a quiet yet menacing campaign of intimidation, including letters sent to community members accusing anyone in opposition to the development as being "hypocrites" and "against farmers." Men stood at public meetings in formation, arms crossed, faces red with barely contained rage, en masse by the busload -- paid for by the company -- whenever a controversy was suspected that might be cause for delay or even public reflection.
Now with their bags of 30 silver pieces, they are quick to defend themselves with the tiresome accusations of NIMBYism and the oft heard dismissal: "the pros outweigh the cons." It would be more accurate for them to say; "the pros for me measured in dollars, outweigh the cons for you measured in your health, rights and quality of life". The island's familial and social networks have been re-written by profiteering Calgary carpetbaggers. Sadly too many were taken in. And to respond to those who would suggest that the only alternative to this massive industrial development in the most important bird migration and habitat internationally and globally is a carbon smoke stack -- not one environmental group supporting wind energy development (Sierra Club, Suzuki Foundation, Audubon Society, Nature Canada to name a few) has defended or promoted the imposition of large-scale development on Wolfe Island.

Their silence is deafening! This project is already a posterchild for how not to develop wind energy

Anonymous

~~~~~

Soaking up green - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com

Soaking up green - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com
EDITORIAL
Posted: Mar. 10, 2011 2:02 a.m.
So-called "green" energy is all the rage in Washington. But as the federal government spends billions of dollars a year to encourage the development of solar, wind or other politically correct power sources, not all observers whistle and applaud.

"Forcing green energy on the market (is) much, much more expensive" than allowing private power companies to simply buy the cheapest sources available, writes Kenneth P. Green, an environmental scientist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, in his new article, "The Myth of Green Energy Jobs: The European Experience."
"Using Spain as a model, when you do the math, you realize that creating 3 million new green jobs could cost $2.25 trillion" -- nearly a million tax dollars apiece for jobs that are likely to go away as soon as the government subsidies end.

"Green programs in Spain destroyed 2.2 jobs for every green job created, while the capital needed for one green job in Italy could create almost five jobs in the general economy," Mr. Green writes. "Countries are cutting these programs because they realize they aren't sustainable and they are obscenely expensive."

More...

A Citizen Submits a letter To the Cape Vincent Planning Board

Update~ 9:09 AM
3/09/2011

I apologize that Mr. Metzgers letter was missing from this post. I have been having issues with Internet explorer , whole posts have been disappearing ETC..
With any luck this will be the last of the Internet gremlins.



The letter that Mr. Metzger submitted tonight was the same letter that was tossed aside by planning Board Chairman Edsall in August and put in the non-response file and deemed unacceptable by Planning Board Chairman Edsall because he said that is was submitted outside of St. Lawrence winds designated comment period for their FEIS.
Mr. Metzger said that this was a bogus statement because his letter was merely a courtesy and no action was required in regard to his letter .
This was a letter that Mr. Metzger had given to the Cape Vincent Town Board and Mr. Metzger was simply attempting to give the Planning board a courtesy copy, and Mr. Edsall in his infinite wisdom decided that it was a comment letter so he just tossed it aside.
Edsalls actions demonstrated an arrogant and callous disregard toward citizens attempting to communicate with the Planning board.

~~~

Below is Mr. Metzger's letter and a video 9/8/ 2010 ~ of Mr. Edsall reviewing mail sent to the planning board in RE: to ST. Lawrence Wind's FEIS this video is interesting it is a display of MR. Edsall's blatant disrespect for the citizens of Cape Vincent.

Letter From AG's Office Shows Callous Disregard For Cape Vincent

I wrote a letter to the Attorney General’s office, this is not the identical letter that I wrote but it is very close to what I wrote.

The town of Cape Vincent is facing an issue of a magnitude never seen before in the history of this tiny community. Two industrial power giants have approached the towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme proposing to erect approximately 137 turbines over, 400’’ feet tall each, amongst our homes. Cape Vincent does not currently have zoning laws in place to protect its citizens and the turbines have been cleverly designated as utilities to avoid any future zoning restrictions.
The wind companies have concluded that there aren’t any health issues with low frequency noise (LFN) and their proposed turbine locations. Unfortunately their conclusions are based on inadequate research methods. The problem with that is LFN is not just an auditory problem; it is a non-audible phenomenon, meaning it is harmful on two levels, auditory and systemic. It affects every organ in the human body. This is why the wind company noise studies are flawed. They do not fully address LFN; they see it as a one dimensional issue. Scientific research clearly demonstrates that wind turbines in the proximity of residential areas produce acoustical environments that can lead to the development of Vibroacoustic Disease (vad) manifested from exposure to low frequency noise. Research, ongoing since 1980, first targeted only occupational environments. Now with the placing of turbines in residential areas research has expanded to include homes in close proximity to wind turbines (less than 2 km). Some of the symptoms of vad include thickening of cardiac structures, headache, immunological changes, balance disorders, and a decrease in cognitive skills.

Unfortunately in Cape Vincent deals were made, contracts signed and plans set before the general public was informed. Town officials having signed contracts with wind developers creating conflicts of interests, proposed zoning regulations framed to benefit the wind companies and stakeholders, not the general public. There has been talk of officials holding secret meetings. Our town government has been conducting business as though they have their own secret society. Is our town government a fraternal organization or a privately held corporation?

My letter to the AG went into more detail about what has been happening in Cape Vincent and our struggles to date, so you can only imagine my excitement when I received a letter in the mail from the attorney general’s office…

When I opened the letter from the AG and I read the contents I became severely aware of the disconnect between our government and our community.

After what I had written and the details that were provided, the response that I received was disappointing and insulting to be addressed like this, either they did not read my letter or they did not want to deal with the content or they did not understand the issue, either way they are not fit for public service because this is not public service.
I am not alone I am representative of a Community in distress a community under siege and we are being ignored when our attorney general allows himself to be come so insulated to what is happening this is absolutely unacceptable. He cannot pick and choose what issues he wants to deal with in this state and ignore everything else …

Below is a copy of ERIC T. SCHNEIDERMAN’s totally unrelated form letter that was sent to me by his dysfunctional office and after that is a video of the former Reinbeckian Town Board making the determination that the Attorney General is useless
Perhaps a profound statement borne of ignorance ….

DEC ~ Policy & ST. Lawrence Wind ~ Versus Chautauqua ~ a Disparity ?

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

Director Laura Israel brings Windfall to the Clayton Opera House ~ NPR audio Interview ~

link here to North country public radio
(03/03/11) The North Country has the largest industrial wind farm East of the Mississippi, on the Tug Hill Plateau. There are also several in various stages of planning from Cape Vincent to Plattsburgh.

Many have been held up for years by battles over the pros- and cons- of wind power.

A new documentary sets out to warn about the potential negatives - aggressive power corporations, conflicts of interest for lawmakers, the noise, height, and setbacks of the turbines, and more.

Windfall tells the story of the little town of Meredith, near Oneonta, and how wind power divided the place. It's shown at the Toronto Film Festival and several other major festivals around the country.

Director Laura Israel brings Windfall to the Clayton Opera House this Saturday. She told David Sommerstein she bumped into the issue when she moved into a cabin in Meredith.







Watch Windfall trailer


Come One Come All to see
The Movie ~ Wind Fall~
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2011
CLAYTON OPERA HOUSE
405 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
TWO FREE SHOWINGS: 12:30 PM AND 4:00 PM

windfallinfo@yahoo.com

Live at Five Pod cast with Cindy Grant ~ about the Movie Windfall~

It's another 'Wind Show' with Glenn and guests. Today though was a lot different than past wind shows. Cindy Grant from Clayton stopped by to talk about a documentary about a small NY State town struggling with the wind issue. The producer of the film was a call in guest too. Good stuff about the film and how it caters to both sides of the story, not just one





Come One Come All to see
The Movie ~ Wind Fall~
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2011
CLAYTON OPERA HOUSE
405 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
TWO FREE SHOWINGS: 12:30 PM AND 4:00 PM

windfallinfo@yahoo.com

Opposition to development of wind farms in Lake Ontario. All opposed one holdout ~ Orleans County ~ WHAT WILL NYPA DO?

Town of Huron Lake Ontario Winter Scene - without Wind Turbines

This from the Town of Huron Website

Wind Energy - Lake OntarioIn case you have not been keeping up with the developments regarding this issue, we can report that with the exception of Orleans County, every county along the southern shoreline of Lake Ontario has officially declared opposition to the development of wind farms in Lake Ontario. According to recent news reports, our neighbors to the north, Ontario, Canada, have suspended action on plans for development off their shores, citing as one issue, the need for more thorough research, investigation and review of the affects on humans and the environment.



While these developments are positive, the question as to what the NYS power authority will do, remains.