Saturday, September 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Watertown Daily Times | Now you see them, now you don't, now you see them
Watertown Daily Times |ROUGH DRAFT~ By BOB GORMAN
How many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn't see, The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.
The fact that you can see turbines from 30 miles away is no reason to support or oppose such utilities, or whatever they are being called in Cape Vincent these days.
Instead, it should be a reminder that the issue isn’t one that should be decided by as few people as possible.
The scene from Thompson Park can’t be any clearer: we are all in this together.
How many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn't see, The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.
The fact that you can see turbines from 30 miles away is no reason to support or oppose such utilities, or whatever they are being called in Cape Vincent these days.
Instead, it should be a reminder that the issue isn’t one that should be decided by as few people as possible.
The scene from Thompson Park can’t be any clearer: we are all in this together.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
News 10 Now | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES | Moving forward after police called to Cape Vincent town council meeting
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A Quiet Night With The Turbines
Windmills Blow
This is the latest post from a blog titled ~ WINDMILLS BLOW ~
“An ongoing blog, sometimes irreverent, about a small community that has allowed big business to $weet talk them into becoming an industrial wind farm”
Saturday, July 11, 2009
WOLFE ISLAND, CANADA
It's not yet midnight. The sky is clear, except for a few small clouds moving across the sky. I am standing on my back deck and I am in awe of the ominous, deep rumblings of the closest windmill. It is a kilometre away. This is the sound they told us did not exist.
Just like the ones I saw in Loweville, the turbines sound like a jet--too high to be seen, but close enough to hear. The difference is, the jet passes over, and the silence of the night resumes. In the case of the turbines, the noise continues into the night, and then into the day.
When I went back into the house and went to bed, I could still here the noise coming through my open window. What was it that made the noise particularly thunderous last night? There was a soft breeze , the air was clear, atmospheric conditions, who knows? My hearing isn't always the best, so I know I'm I am not overly sensitive.
Many years ago, I originally came to Wolfe Island to escape the sounds of the city. On my first night sleeping here, I was amazed at the silence. I relished the sounds of nature, frogs, crickets, and the intermittent howl of coyotes. After decades of listening to sirens, drunks, and screaming tires, the peacefulness of Wolfe Island was heavenly.
Residents who opposed the placement of turbines on Wolfe Island were assured that there would be no noise, which to me made not sense, everyone knows that when a stick, a whip, a skipping rope is lashed, there is a distinct whooshing sound. Cap'n Mike laughed at our concerns, telling us that one could stand right under a turbine and not hear a sound. Of course, standing under a windmill is like standing under a gigantic speaker--the noise radiates out, underneath is probably the quietest place to stand. We were even told that quite often, people like to picnic under them! Yes indeed Mr. Jablonicky and we are all idiots!
I do not feel that I should change my way of living in order to block out the sound of the turbines. I do not want to close my windows at night; I do not want to run something that makes white noise to mask the noise; I do not want to move. What I want is an apology, an admission from the corporations that they did in fact lie. I want to launch a class action suit against them. I want everyone who was so eager to put a windmill on their property to go crazy from the noise and the guilt that were it not for their greed to get money from nothing, Wolfe Island would still be a peaceful oasis in a world of noise and confusion.
For a video of what turbines really sound like, go to http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/what-wind-turbines-sound-like/
Labels: noise, wind turbines, windmills, Wolfe Island
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the latest post from a blog titled ~ WINDMILLS BLOW ~
“An ongoing blog, sometimes irreverent, about a small community that has allowed big business to $weet talk them into becoming an industrial wind farm”
Saturday, July 11, 2009
WOLFE ISLAND, CANADA
It's not yet midnight. The sky is clear, except for a few small clouds moving across the sky. I am standing on my back deck and I am in awe of the ominous, deep rumblings of the closest windmill. It is a kilometre away. This is the sound they told us did not exist.
Just like the ones I saw in Loweville, the turbines sound like a jet--too high to be seen, but close enough to hear. The difference is, the jet passes over, and the silence of the night resumes. In the case of the turbines, the noise continues into the night, and then into the day.
When I went back into the house and went to bed, I could still here the noise coming through my open window. What was it that made the noise particularly thunderous last night? There was a soft breeze , the air was clear, atmospheric conditions, who knows? My hearing isn't always the best, so I know I'm I am not overly sensitive.
Many years ago, I originally came to Wolfe Island to escape the sounds of the city. On my first night sleeping here, I was amazed at the silence. I relished the sounds of nature, frogs, crickets, and the intermittent howl of coyotes. After decades of listening to sirens, drunks, and screaming tires, the peacefulness of Wolfe Island was heavenly.
Residents who opposed the placement of turbines on Wolfe Island were assured that there would be no noise, which to me made not sense, everyone knows that when a stick, a whip, a skipping rope is lashed, there is a distinct whooshing sound. Cap'n Mike laughed at our concerns, telling us that one could stand right under a turbine and not hear a sound. Of course, standing under a windmill is like standing under a gigantic speaker--the noise radiates out, underneath is probably the quietest place to stand. We were even told that quite often, people like to picnic under them! Yes indeed Mr. Jablonicky and we are all idiots!
I do not feel that I should change my way of living in order to block out the sound of the turbines. I do not want to close my windows at night; I do not want to run something that makes white noise to mask the noise; I do not want to move. What I want is an apology, an admission from the corporations that they did in fact lie. I want to launch a class action suit against them. I want everyone who was so eager to put a windmill on their property to go crazy from the noise and the guilt that were it not for their greed to get money from nothing, Wolfe Island would still be a peaceful oasis in a world of noise and confusion.
For a video of what turbines really sound like, go to http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/what-wind-turbines-sound-like/
Labels: noise, wind turbines, windmills, Wolfe Island
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Study to determine health effects of turbines - The Globe and Mail
Study to determine health effects of turbines - The Globe and Mail
By now, the residents of Wolfe Island, Ont., are getting used to the whirr and thump of wind turbines overhead. By next year, they'll get a glimpse of whether those whirrs and thumps could be damaging their health.
Researchers at nearby Queen's University have embarked on the first study to probe whether wind turbines built over communities can cause adverse health effects. The study measures residents' health and well-being before the turbines arrived on the island, again when the turbines were built but not yet operational and again after they'd been operating for a few months.
People living close to turbines in other regions have reported nausea, headaches, dizziness, anxiety, sleep deprivation and tinnitus - an incessant ringing in a person's ears.
However, there has yet to be any substantive research linking those ailments to the presence of windmills, says lead study author Neal Michelutti, a research scientist in the Queen's University biology department.
"To our knowledge, this is the first time that people have acquired a snapshot of community health prior to wind turbines," he says. "It gives us [a sense of] community health that we can use in a before-and-after comparison."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
U.S. Congressman overwhelmed by wind turbine noise complaints
U.S. Congressman overwhelmed by wind turbine noise complaints
Transcript of AM 1480 WLEA (Hornell, NY) interview with U. S. Congressman Eric Massa (D, NY) on April 25, 2009, talking about the “virtual flood of constituents,” and even non-constituents, complaining about wind turbine noise.
Brian: Hi, and welcome to Connections with Brian O’Neil, on the phone today with Congressman Eric Massa. Congressman, good morning.
Congressman Massa: Good morning, and thank you for having me with you today.
Brian: Well, it’s always great to be on the line with you Eric.
Congressman Massa: How can I help?
Brian: Well, Congressman, one of the big stories lately on AM 1480 WLEA and, of course, the Corning Leader is what’s been going on in Prattsburgh. On Friday, you met with two Prattsburgh town board members Steve Kula and Chuck Schick. Now, having attended the last few Prattsburgh meetings myself, I’m guessing your meeting had something to do with the controversy over wind energy in Prattsburgh?
Congressman Massa: Well ,yes, and as some listeners may remember and certainly you might remember, for almost three years of my candidacy, and certainly since I have become an incumbent, I have been very focused on the challenges this area faces as foreign-owned industrial wind turbine corporations attempt to build thousands of these 450 foot tall towers on virtually every hill in western New York State, despite the fact that the United States Meteorological Service has stated very clearly we simply don’t have the wind in this area of the world to economically justify this.
Transcript of AM 1480 WLEA (Hornell, NY) interview with U. S. Congressman Eric Massa (D, NY) on April 25, 2009, talking about the “virtual flood of constituents,” and even non-constituents, complaining about wind turbine noise.
Brian: Hi, and welcome to Connections with Brian O’Neil, on the phone today with Congressman Eric Massa. Congressman, good morning.
Congressman Massa: Good morning, and thank you for having me with you today.
Brian: Well, it’s always great to be on the line with you Eric.
Congressman Massa: How can I help?
Brian: Well, Congressman, one of the big stories lately on AM 1480 WLEA and, of course, the Corning Leader is what’s been going on in Prattsburgh. On Friday, you met with two Prattsburgh town board members Steve Kula and Chuck Schick. Now, having attended the last few Prattsburgh meetings myself, I’m guessing your meeting had something to do with the controversy over wind energy in Prattsburgh?
Congressman Massa: Well ,yes, and as some listeners may remember and certainly you might remember, for almost three years of my candidacy, and certainly since I have become an incumbent, I have been very focused on the challenges this area faces as foreign-owned industrial wind turbine corporations attempt to build thousands of these 450 foot tall towers on virtually every hill in western New York State, despite the fact that the United States Meteorological Service has stated very clearly we simply don’t have the wind in this area of the world to economically justify this.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Watertown Daily Times | Public divided on wind study
Watertown Daily Times | Public divided on wind study
By NANCY MADSEN
TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009
CAPE VINCENT — Members of the public were of a divided mind Saturday — calling for more studies and saying the time for studying is over on the St. Lawrence Wind Farm.
About 150 people attended a public hearing at Cape Vincent Recreation Park and 36 made comments on the supplemental environmental impact statement, an update of the draft environmental impact statement the Planning Board required on June 28, 2007. Acciona is looking to build the 53-turbine project in the northern agricultural district of the town.
Twenty-four comments asked for more studies on subjects including wildlife, health effects or noise, or opposed the project entirely. Another 12 people found the supplemental statement to be complete and asked that the project move forward to the next stage.
On wildlife, Gerald A. Smith, a local ornithologist, said the recent statement "failed miserably" to account for the effects of the turbines on songbird and raptor population
"In the 2006-07 winter, I saw dozens of short-eared owls in the project's footprint," he said. "And yet the consultant has never seen one? There is a problem."
He said in both the raptor migration study and the breeding bird study, the developer spent insufficient time. He cited the 63 hours spent on a raptor study and 6 minutes on each of 20 points in 20 square miles for the breeding bird survey.
"You can't draw conclusions on that," Mr. Smith said.
On health, Theresa M. Ciocci, a nurse who works on a medical planning board, asked for more time to consider effects.
"Uncertainty of harm is a good reason not to proceed with the project," she said.
She said the health effects from sleep deprivation and dirt-and-dust inhalation should be considered. Other speakers mentioned low-frequency noise and ties to vibro-acoustic disease, which causes hardening of tissue in the body.
"I suffer from migraine headaches," Cape Vincent resident L. Sam DeLong said. "When I drive down the roadway in Lowville, I get severe vertigo. I feel it inhibits my safety when I drive and the safety of others on the road."
On noise, Clifford P. Schneider, Cape Vincent, said noise consultant Hessler Associates, Haymarket, Va., told Acciona what it wanted to hear. The ambient background noise level in winter is reported at 37 decibels in the statement.
Mr. Schneider, who has done sound studies of his own in the town, said the actual ambient noise is about 25 decibels.
"Having the ambient noise at least 10 decibels too high results in all kinds of negative impacts," he said.
Hessler predicts a projectwide noise level of 42 decibels, plus or minus 5 decibels, during normal operation. If the ambient noise level were 37 decibels, that would comply with a state Department of Environmental Conservation guideline that generated noise not exceed ambient by more than 6 decibels. If the ambient noise level were quieter, the generated noise from turbines would be significantly more than the guideline and be considered "objectionable."
Thomas E. Brown, retired regional director for DEC, said, "The evaluation of alternative project sites was not done properly."
He said the statement should be found unacceptable and sent back for consideration of other sites.
ON THE NET
St.Lawrence wind.com
By NANCY MADSEN
TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009
CAPE VINCENT — Members of the public were of a divided mind Saturday — calling for more studies and saying the time for studying is over on the St. Lawrence Wind Farm.
About 150 people attended a public hearing at Cape Vincent Recreation Park and 36 made comments on the supplemental environmental impact statement, an update of the draft environmental impact statement the Planning Board required on June 28, 2007. Acciona is looking to build the 53-turbine project in the northern agricultural district of the town.
Twenty-four comments asked for more studies on subjects including wildlife, health effects or noise, or opposed the project entirely. Another 12 people found the supplemental statement to be complete and asked that the project move forward to the next stage.
On wildlife, Gerald A. Smith, a local ornithologist, said the recent statement "failed miserably" to account for the effects of the turbines on songbird and raptor population
"In the 2006-07 winter, I saw dozens of short-eared owls in the project's footprint," he said. "And yet the consultant has never seen one? There is a problem."
He said in both the raptor migration study and the breeding bird study, the developer spent insufficient time. He cited the 63 hours spent on a raptor study and 6 minutes on each of 20 points in 20 square miles for the breeding bird survey.
"You can't draw conclusions on that," Mr. Smith said.
On health, Theresa M. Ciocci, a nurse who works on a medical planning board, asked for more time to consider effects.
"Uncertainty of harm is a good reason not to proceed with the project," she said.
She said the health effects from sleep deprivation and dirt-and-dust inhalation should be considered. Other speakers mentioned low-frequency noise and ties to vibro-acoustic disease, which causes hardening of tissue in the body.
"I suffer from migraine headaches," Cape Vincent resident L. Sam DeLong said. "When I drive down the roadway in Lowville, I get severe vertigo. I feel it inhibits my safety when I drive and the safety of others on the road."
On noise, Clifford P. Schneider, Cape Vincent, said noise consultant Hessler Associates, Haymarket, Va., told Acciona what it wanted to hear. The ambient background noise level in winter is reported at 37 decibels in the statement.
Mr. Schneider, who has done sound studies of his own in the town, said the actual ambient noise is about 25 decibels.
"Having the ambient noise at least 10 decibels too high results in all kinds of negative impacts," he said.
Hessler predicts a projectwide noise level of 42 decibels, plus or minus 5 decibels, during normal operation. If the ambient noise level were 37 decibels, that would comply with a state Department of Environmental Conservation guideline that generated noise not exceed ambient by more than 6 decibels. If the ambient noise level were quieter, the generated noise from turbines would be significantly more than the guideline and be considered "objectionable."
Thomas E. Brown, retired regional director for DEC, said, "The evaluation of alternative project sites was not done properly."
He said the statement should be found unacceptable and sent back for consideration of other sites.
ON THE NET
St.Lawrence wind.com
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Republicans push nuclear energy to lower costs - AOL Money & Finance
Republicans push nuclear energy to lower costs - AOL Money & Finance
WASHINGTON -The U.S. should build 100 more nuclear plants rather than spend "billions in subsidies" for renewable energy if it is truly committed to lowering electric bills and having clean air, the Republicans say.
In the party's weekly radio and Internet address, Sen. Lamar Alexander said the United States should follow the example of France, which promoted nuclear power decades ago. Today, nuclear plants provide 80 percent of France's electricity, and the country has one of the lowest electric rates and carbon emissions in Europe, he said.
In contrast, renewable electricity provides roughly 1.5 percent of electricity in the U.S., according to Republicans. Double it or triple it, and "we still don't have much," the Tennessee Republican said.
"There is a potentially a dangerous energy gap between the renewable electricity we want and the reliable electricity we must have," he said.
In contrast to Democrats, Alexander said Republicans:
_Start with conservation and efficiency. "We have so much electricity at night, for example we could electrify half our cars and trucks and plug them in while we sleep without building one new power plant."
_Seek to keep bills down. "Democrats say, put a big new national sales tax on electric bills and gasoline."
_Wish to find more natural gas and oil offshore. "Farmers, homeowners and factories must have the natural gas. And more of the oil we'll still need should be ours, instead of sending billions overseas."
WASHINGTON -The U.S. should build 100 more nuclear plants rather than spend "billions in subsidies" for renewable energy if it is truly committed to lowering electric bills and having clean air, the Republicans say.
In the party's weekly radio and Internet address, Sen. Lamar Alexander said the United States should follow the example of France, which promoted nuclear power decades ago. Today, nuclear plants provide 80 percent of France's electricity, and the country has one of the lowest electric rates and carbon emissions in Europe, he said.
In contrast, renewable electricity provides roughly 1.5 percent of electricity in the U.S., according to Republicans. Double it or triple it, and "we still don't have much," the Tennessee Republican said.
"There is a potentially a dangerous energy gap between the renewable electricity we want and the reliable electricity we must have," he said.
In contrast to Democrats, Alexander said Republicans:
_Start with conservation and efficiency. "We have so much electricity at night, for example we could electrify half our cars and trucks and plug them in while we sleep without building one new power plant."
_Seek to keep bills down. "Democrats say, put a big new national sales tax on electric bills and gasoline."
_Wish to find more natural gas and oil offshore. "Farmers, homeowners and factories must have the natural gas. And more of the oil we'll still need should be ours, instead of sending billions overseas."
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Moratorium on Wind Energy Development in Northern NY Petition
Moratorium on Wind Energy Development in Northern NY Petition
Published by WPEG on Apr 06, 2009
Category: Government
Region: United States of America
Target: Governor Paterson
Web site: http://www.wind-watch.org/alerts/wp-content/upload...
Background (Preamble):
Dear Governor Paterson,
During a visit to Watertown, NY a few months ago you expressed concerns that we must be very careful when it involves the placement of industrial wind complexes near New York State’s environmental treasures. Myself and the people included on this letter share your concerns and are asking you to take immediate action that will preserve these special places, and forever protect them from the rampant Klondike like wind rush that is overtaking our state, and is poisoned with unethical behavior.
It would be terribly unfortunate if the legacy that followed you was one of allowing the uncontrolled industrialization of our most treasure places. Consider this quote from a Draft Environmental Impact Study done by British Petroleum in Cape Vincent at the 1000 Islands.
“The cumulative effect of the adjacent St. Lawrence and Cape Vincent Projects would be very much the same as if either project were essentially doubled in size. On a regional level, the effect of the four wind projects will be to create a continuous swath approximately 25-30 miles east to west, from Evans Mill all the way onto mainland Canada, where wind turbines will be ubiquitous.
”This is the future BP sees for an area that has traditionally been one of NY’s prime environmental and recreational resources. Is this the future you envision for the 1000 Island region or the rest of NY? This amounts to an unacceptable sudden and uncontrolled environmental transformation of an entire region of New York State driven by corporate greed and questionable ethics.
Your idea is for wind energy to play and important role in NY’s energy future. However, it will be increasingly difficult to site wind energy projects when town’s and expanding anti-wind groups see these actions as the prime example of wind company behavior, and the perception becomes that state officials have the inability to control it.
Sadly the decisions being made in Cape Vincent by town officials, who should be the stewards of these sensitive resources, is poisoned with conflicts of interest with two wind developers. Neither developer at this writing has signed onto Attorney General Cuomo’s Wind Energy Ethics Code. Six out of ten officers hold wind energy leases in violation of their own town ethics code. The very people who should be protecting this area have deep financial incentives to do otherwise. There exists a clear blatant trend of actions that show their financial incentives have precluded them from carrying out their sacred oath to protect both citizens and the environment. Cape Vincent is the worst example, but other local town’s suffer from similar symptoms as well.
The entire atmosphere that surrounds wind energy development in Northern NY has become unacceptable and intolerable by any reasonable standard, unless you are a wind developer or a wind lease holder. Your office or the Attorney General can no longer ignore this situation for political expediency.
Petition:
We, the undersigned,
• Request that an immediate moratorium be placed on wind energy development for two years to sort out all the evolving and constantly changing issues surrounding this new technology which carries so many potential negative impacts.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to modify his wind ethics code to mandatory from the current voluntary participation, and be unyielding in its enforcement.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to immediately investigate the Cape Vincent ethics situation to ensure that this beautiful and precious area gets the protection it deserves, and that these officers are held accountable for their actions.
• Request that you be aggressive in the protection of New York’s treasured places by banning this questionable high impact use from such areas and those areas immediate adjacent so they receive the protections they deserve for future generations.
• Many of N.NY citizens have been intimately involved on these issues in their respective towns for some time. We are requesting a meeting with you and your staff with a representative group to discuss these matters and bring clarity to the threats that face our communities and environment.Thank you for your consideration of this extremely urgent matter.
Sign the petition
Published by WPEG on Apr 06, 2009
Category: Government
Region: United States of America
Target: Governor Paterson
Web site: http://www.wind-watch.org/alerts/wp-content/upload...
Background (Preamble):
Dear Governor Paterson,
During a visit to Watertown, NY a few months ago you expressed concerns that we must be very careful when it involves the placement of industrial wind complexes near New York State’s environmental treasures. Myself and the people included on this letter share your concerns and are asking you to take immediate action that will preserve these special places, and forever protect them from the rampant Klondike like wind rush that is overtaking our state, and is poisoned with unethical behavior.
It would be terribly unfortunate if the legacy that followed you was one of allowing the uncontrolled industrialization of our most treasure places. Consider this quote from a Draft Environmental Impact Study done by British Petroleum in Cape Vincent at the 1000 Islands.
“The cumulative effect of the adjacent St. Lawrence and Cape Vincent Projects would be very much the same as if either project were essentially doubled in size. On a regional level, the effect of the four wind projects will be to create a continuous swath approximately 25-30 miles east to west, from Evans Mill all the way onto mainland Canada, where wind turbines will be ubiquitous.
”This is the future BP sees for an area that has traditionally been one of NY’s prime environmental and recreational resources. Is this the future you envision for the 1000 Island region or the rest of NY? This amounts to an unacceptable sudden and uncontrolled environmental transformation of an entire region of New York State driven by corporate greed and questionable ethics.
Your idea is for wind energy to play and important role in NY’s energy future. However, it will be increasingly difficult to site wind energy projects when town’s and expanding anti-wind groups see these actions as the prime example of wind company behavior, and the perception becomes that state officials have the inability to control it.
Sadly the decisions being made in Cape Vincent by town officials, who should be the stewards of these sensitive resources, is poisoned with conflicts of interest with two wind developers. Neither developer at this writing has signed onto Attorney General Cuomo’s Wind Energy Ethics Code. Six out of ten officers hold wind energy leases in violation of their own town ethics code. The very people who should be protecting this area have deep financial incentives to do otherwise. There exists a clear blatant trend of actions that show their financial incentives have precluded them from carrying out their sacred oath to protect both citizens and the environment. Cape Vincent is the worst example, but other local town’s suffer from similar symptoms as well.
The entire atmosphere that surrounds wind energy development in Northern NY has become unacceptable and intolerable by any reasonable standard, unless you are a wind developer or a wind lease holder. Your office or the Attorney General can no longer ignore this situation for political expediency.
Petition:
We, the undersigned,
• Request that an immediate moratorium be placed on wind energy development for two years to sort out all the evolving and constantly changing issues surrounding this new technology which carries so many potential negative impacts.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to modify his wind ethics code to mandatory from the current voluntary participation, and be unyielding in its enforcement.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to immediately investigate the Cape Vincent ethics situation to ensure that this beautiful and precious area gets the protection it deserves, and that these officers are held accountable for their actions.
• Request that you be aggressive in the protection of New York’s treasured places by banning this questionable high impact use from such areas and those areas immediate adjacent so they receive the protections they deserve for future generations.
• Many of N.NY citizens have been intimately involved on these issues in their respective towns for some time. We are requesting a meeting with you and your staff with a representative group to discuss these matters and bring clarity to the threats that face our communities and environment.Thank you for your consideration of this extremely urgent matter.
Sign the petition
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