AWA Goodhue
http://windenergy.areavoices.com
Just days before the final PUC siting hearing Goodhue Wind AWA posted environmental studies that they conducted. These studies find that American Bald Eagles and Loggerhead Shrikes exist throughout the project area. Their conclusions that their project will not adversely affect these protected avian species are questionable. Their speculation that since Loggerhead Shrikes fly low from tree to tree and turbine rotor blades are 100 hundred feet above the ground turbines will pose no threat to Loggerhead Shrikes is unsupported. All smaller birds fly low from tree to tree, but their flight ability is not limited to only flying low from tree to tree. The claim is also made that setbacks will protect the Loggerhead Shrikes. What setbacks? Project specified setbacks for this project are 1000 feet from participants and 1500 feet from non-participants. The project application does not specify any setbacks from Loggerhead Shrike populations, hunting grounds or nesting areas. Loggerhead Shrike habitat exists throughout the project area. It is logical to assume that Loggerhead Shrikes being predatory will fly from nesting areas to hunting areas by the shortest routes available regardless of the presence of Industrial Wind Turbines. Loggerhead Shrikes will likely encounter turbine blades at the average rates for all small birds. No study is in evidence as to how turbines will affect the natural habitat. The Loggerhead Shrikes may be driven from this area by the presence of turbines or the insects that they prey upon may be affected. The only fair conclusion as to the affect of permitting turbines near protected species like Bald Eagles and Loggerhead Shrikes is that the outcome is unknown at this time. Caution should be exercised.
This matter concerns me greatly because I maintain 30 acres of my 80-acre farm in a natural state. This is partly because my land is highly erode able with wetland and a creek. However, the main reason is that I wish to do so. I chose not to develop my land at the expense of the environment. I ask that the PUC not endanger the environment that I have been protecting all my life.
Rick Conrad 14 Oct 2010
Views: 171
Comment
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Comment by Thinklike A. Mountain on November 13, 2011 at 7:51am
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I'm wasn't familiar with the Loggerhead Shrike so not being a birder, I just looked it up and I see why - Maine does not seem to be part of its typical range. Then I noticed you are from Minnesota, so that explains things. I often think of Minnesota and Maine as having much in common - our wildlife, beautiful forests, canoe waters and wonderful four seasons including those magnificent winters which serve to remind us whose really in charge.
It appears we have other things in common like highly suspect poorly done avian studies that tell us that those turbine blades that spin at sometimes 200 mph are simply no danger to our feathered friends. We have no licensing for the so called bird experts that habitually pronounce every wind project site safe for birds. It seems many of these hired guns do little else these days than lend their seal of approval to the wind projects.
When the wind industry here in Maine is confronted with allegations of bird fatalities, they are quick to point out that we shouldn't be worrying about that because house cats kill more birds. They never point out that compared to the scores of millions of cats, there is but a tiny handful of turbines and that pound for pound, the turbines are murderous to our defenseless feathered friends. I'm assuming that Minnesota may share this same house cat problem with Maine as well.
Unfortunately, the environmental groups here almost never see a wind project they don't like and all seem to have forgotten their original purposes of protecting the environment. They'll take hundreds of thousands of dollars from the wind companies to save some distant tract of land in return for looking the other way on wind projects that kill our raptors, add to the decimation of our bats, disfigure our ridge lines and torment homo sapiens. Greenwashing 101.
Your joining our site tells me also that our two states also have in common concerned citizens and in the end, I believe the groundswell of such citizens across the country, if not the world, will result in the protections that we need.
By the way, the Loggerhead Shrike looks like a most interesting bird.
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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