Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Won't you be my good neighbor

 What is a good neighbor agreement?
A device used by wind developers that allows them to take advantage of people that live near industrial wind plants.
Developers buy the rights of people living in close proximity to turbines for a small payment. By signing a good neighbor contract you agree to accept the noise, shadow flicker or any other issue that may degrade the quality of your life.

As part of BP's Cape Vincent Wind Farm they have signed people up to good-neighbor agreements. These agreements put covenants on the land encumbering it for up to 40 years. I have been unable to find even one good neighbor agreement on file with the Jefferson County Clerk. 
Why haven't they been filed? Who's responsibility is it to file these agreements?

If these agreements have not been filed are they legal and binding on the land?

 Link here to read entire BP Good Neighbor agreement







Below is a copy  transcript of a BP Good neighbor recruitment letter
December 11, 2007

  

Regards,
Jim Madden.
Business developer




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you think BP told their "good neighbors" not to file their agreements so they could all remain anonymous, beyond public scrutiny?

If "good neighbors" remained in the shadows do you think BP might have paid some people who were far removed from their nearest turbine?

Do you think "good neighbor" agreements allowed BP to pay out "legitimate graft" to public officials for their quiet help?

Anonymous said...

Of course I do 3:31. But that is my opinion and I point that out because I don't want any turbine cowboys threatening to sue me or take away my vote or kick my ass at a wind open house or come to SLAPP me down in the name of bp. It would not surprise me that some of the locals who did not have turbines were getting neighborly little rewards for taking notes, wearing voter for wind t-shirts and body guarding the bp community organizer and licking stamps at the wind office. Now of course, that is only my opinion in case any turbine cowboys are listening in. Remember that Marion Trieste said in her webinar that part of her job was to identify and engage the locals who did not have wind leases. I am not sure what she did after she identified them and put them in green shirts of support and stuffed them with pizza. Just my opinion and a theory of course so please don't send out the turbine cowboys to hunt me down. Do you think the people who comment in the WDT are good neighbors?

Stay Focused said...

3:31,

You are right on the money (no pun intended).

So called "good neighbor" need not be limited to adjoining landowners. They can be offered to anyone, in any amount the developer is willing to pay, in return for active promotion of the project or simply in return for agreeing to say nothing.

Media people, local officials, merchants and other business owners and any person of prominence, standing and influence in the community are the types of people who have been targeted by wind developers for something that is not technically a bribe but is most certainly a payoff to help or stay out of the way.

Does anyone fail to understand how such business tactics are insidious and toxic to a community? Does anyone not understand the level of poison that has been injected into the blood stream of Cape Vincent?