Metinic Island nightmare. Windies poised for major state waters-grab.

Like sea slugs under the dank surface of Maine' Submerged Lands Program, a fell gathering of wind thieves surrounds round a navigation chart of Penobscot Bay centered on Metinic_Island. 40 of what look like skull & crossbones symbols dot the waters around the island, midway between Saint George and Matinicus. A closer look, and one sees they are actually wind energy symbols: the feared "Tower & Crossbones".

The conspirators go down their checklist: "Politicians?" "Check." "NGOs paid off?" Island Institute? check. NRCM? check. CLF? Check." "Sierra Club: two checks, one local chapter, the other Sierra HQ."
"Cool. Fishermen?"
"Sorry sir. The lobster associations aren't buying the no-impact argument."
"Scallopers?"
"Moved 'em out of the area already. Told them it was a conservation closure". (laughter)
"Groundfishermen?"
"Sir, nobody with mobile gear is going to like our platforms and anchor lines closing off all of those square miles of the outer bay. But then, there's not that many left, anyway, sir. We'll marginalize them. "
"Consultants?"
"Yessir. The best biostitutes on the New England coast. They want to know what results you want and how thick a report to prepare."
"A foot thick should be fine. Be sure there are plenty of photographs of fishermen and their boats in it. We'll manufacture the illusion of consent if we must."

One recognizes the ruthless realpolitik: If the DeepCwind plan for Monhegan is an attack on Beauty, the Neptune Wind plan is an assault on the Beasts.

The conspiracy is enormous, if simpleminded. The feds are dangling cash in front of Maine's governor and legislature. All they must do, they are told by Angus King and other sockpuppets for the wannabe energy tycoons of Neptune Wind, First Wind and that whole greedy lot, is surrender Maine's wallet and coastal waters to the fast tracking of subsidized industrial ocean wind development.

If the bill is passed, the windustrialists will seek "wind waivers", exempting them from state environmental law, as well as Community Benefit Agreements that will forcibly require fishermen and others to trade their birthrights for federal gold. The windebeests plan to both figuratively and literally pluck the Bald Eagle, icon of our nation and of our coast.

Metinic. Fair Metinic! Southern anchor of the globally recognized Outer Penobscot Bay Important Bird Area the other two anchors being Matinicus Rock, and Seal Island. For there simply is no other island on earth that fulfils Metinic's role for eagles, terns, eiders, migrating warblers and many other avians winging their ways north and south along the Maine coast.

If Neptune Wind can slaughter and clear Penobscot Bay's Important Bird Area, can keep the surrounding waters blockaded from the scallop, herring and groundfish fisheries, then they and their counterparts can put their wind turbines anywhere in Maine's coastal waters.

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Comment by Whetstone_Willy on March 7, 2010 at 10:39am
Spring is coming. Time to pick the picketing places in public venues. Let's figure out how we prevent the thieving environmental degraders behind big wind from making Earth Day Mirth Day at the expense of the people and wildlife of Maine.
Comment by Karen Bessey Pease on March 7, 2010 at 9:17am
Hi Joanne.

I'm not so sure picketing in front of someone's house would have the desired effect. This is only my opinion, but I believe we need to look at each person individually. What are their motivations behind their actions and words? We can't begin to know a person's personal and private battles, and sometimes even 'peaceful' demonstrations can seem a bit threatening and over-the-top. It's one thing to do such things in a public venue, but there is something sacred about a person's home, and as you know (for this is what we're trying to do right now) we defend our homes with vigor. Again, this is my personal opinion, which might not be worth the plasma it's written on, but I believe a fact-based, sympathetic and personal approach would be more successful. Flies and honey, that kind of thing.

I hope you don't mind my weighing in and giving my two cents' worth... that's probably the sum total of its value!

Have a great day, and keep that passion! We're gonna need it to win these fights.
xx
Comment by Ron Huber on March 7, 2010 at 1:04am
That's right. A reporter made it sound like Maine Lobstermen's Association has pretty much endorsed this bill LD 1810 - without even reading it - It just got released into the legislature & came out at that very meeting. Patrice McCarron the MLA leader has done a disservice tot he greater Maine fishing community. The Maine Lobstermens Association should be called on it. Getting in their face like someone suggests is about the best thing. The other group Downeast Lobstermen's Association is not buying the windies, however. Nor are the scallopers, shrimpers or groundfishermen, tothe best of my scanty knowledge. Its all about workspace: the people's fishing grounds" or the corporations' lease-controlled wind farm operations? Listen to the Windsters at the Maine Fishermens forum March 6th at http://tinyurl.com/fishwind10 Listen to the SILENCE, THE ZERO APPLAUSE FOR EVERY WINDUSTRIALIST SPEAKER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR REMARKS. They are roused, I think: the people of the sea. Its information they need now. How have you landlubbers you people of the uplands been treated by these airheads that are now wading out here to Atlantis?
Comment by Joanne Moore on March 6, 2010 at 8:36pm
This is a complete takeover of our state and our way of life!
Comment by Joanne Moore on March 6, 2010 at 8:30pm
So where does this Patrice live? Seems to me a few signs and a few fishermen willing to picket in front of her house might "de-program" her. Or is that illegal now. Direct action done peacefully can bring attention to this in ways that angry letters to the editor can't. I don't know, I guess I'm grasping at straws here, this is so outrageous it is hard to grasp. Now I know how Europe felt when they were invaded by the Huns and the "Nasties". Stunned.
Comment by Karen Bessey Pease on March 6, 2010 at 6:24pm
Yes, LI, it's all about getting the FACTS to people. Honestly, you would not believe how many people were 100% pro-industrial wind until they had a chance to listen to the facts... and now they are 180 degrees from where they began. Even better...when they were given the tools to learn for themselves, they came to their own conclusions and have jumped in with both feet to join the fight to save our natural resources. Websites such as this are a very, very valuable resource. Keep doin' whatcha doin'!

xx
Comment by Long Islander on March 6, 2010 at 5:59pm
"Maine Lobstermen's Association leader Patrice seems to have bought in to 'it's inevitable".

I'm glad you made this comment because when I read the following in the Bangor Daily News, I thought the same exact thing. It was like "they got to her...she's now one of them". This is a very bad attitude for the person who heads up the organization that represents Maine lobstermen. Sounds like she needs a bit of deprogramming and then some facts until she comes to.

“The way you guys do business will change,” Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, told MLA members at their annual meeting Friday morning. McCarron was telling the fishermen that new marine energy development such as offshore wind is inevitable in Maine.

“You will be sharing the ocean with new uses,” she said.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/138370.html
Comment by Long Islander on March 6, 2010 at 5:53pm
"there is suspicion among them that the recent long term scalloping areas closures DMR imposed six months ago were done in part to eliminate them from areas that the Windies want."

I've often wondered if the windies didn't have at least something to do with the delisting of Bald Eagles.
Comment by Ron Huber on March 6, 2010 at 12:40pm
These are only my impressions I don't speak for the fishermen

* Maine Lobstermen's Association leader Patrice seems to have bought in to 'it's inevitable". I think they have probably been heavily worked over by the windies' two Maine PR outfits. I don't think there's consensus among the members

Downeast Lobstemens Association - One leader said opposed to windmills in state waters over inevitability of fishing ground losses this would cause. Got her a copy of the bill and highlights of it.

Shrimper Completely surprised by the scope of the plan - thought there was only R&D site out by Monhegan. Area cited as probably location for windfarm off Metinic Island in outer Penobscot Bay is heart of his community's shrimping industry's grounds. Would be devastating to their local fishery (including when they switch to scalloping, which would also be barred amid the towers and cables See below)

Scallopers: Wrathful. Excerpts:
"Most disturbing to me" says one, "the section on the Renewable Ocean Energy Trust. Proceeds from offshore leases go into this trust and then are disbursed to The DMR for research and monitoring. "This will be millions of dollars put into an organization that is not trust-worthy, unresponsive to the needs and desires of traditional coastal communities, and a bureaucratic mess largely under the influence of the Federal government and private non-profits. "

"Do you think that a few short months ago, [Department of Marine Resources Commissioner] George Lapointe did not know about this upcoming legislation? The DMR and other organizations such as the University of Maine system, Sea Grant, the Darling Marine Center, and others like to use the term "collaborative". Most certainly there has been alot of collaboration on this bill, and the public will be the last to know the details of the fine print.

"If Mainers are going to endure the invasion of property rights and fishing grounds as this bill provides, why shouldn't we reap enormous benefits, and maybe even free power? I have seen the plans for the extended power grid, and the most prominent feature is the line to Canada. The additional power will simply enter the grid and be sold to the highest bidder. And who gets the profit?"

"I believe that Maine's dismal business record is due to the massive bureaucracies created and sponsored by this form of legislation. Let a wind-power company come in, pony up the money for the infrastructure, apply for the permits, take the risks and earn its profits. If this can't happen, then it shouldn't happen."

"The missing link here is how an energy source with one of the worst output/dollar spent records is going to lower my energy bill. It won't."

End of excerpts.

So in summary they feel bushwhacked land betrayed like usual by the ENGOs like Island Institute and CLF, and by the DMR - there is suspicion among them that the recent long term scalloping areas closures DMR imposed six months ago were done in part to eliminate them from areas that the Windies want. And what the windies want is subsdies to force an inefficient energy source upon the state's nearshore waters.
Comment by Ron Huber on March 6, 2010 at 12:07pm
Short answer The bill LD 1810 "An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force" would very seriously reduce the fishing industry's access to Maine waters.

There will be a public hearing on this bill March 11, 2010, by the legislature's Utility and Energy Committee at 100PM, Room 211 Cross Building, Augusta.

Legislators need to know they should get this bill voted Ought Not To Pass in the committee or at least held over to next year. That way coastal and island towns and fishermen gain time to set rules and ordinances to keep the wind industry out of important grounds wherever necessary. Here are the main points to raise:

The bill is broken into "Parts"
In Part A, Justification for immediately setting up windmills and tide devices in state waters. Why and how to carry out "port-side land acquisition" (i.e. condemn and take private shorefront and other land between shore and "the grid".property)
In Part B, Details on leasing marine submerged lands (20 and 30 year leases!) and requiring fishermen to sign waivers to be allowed to fish their home grounds
In Part C, Offshore windmills cable and related equipment are exempted from property tax.
In Part D Wind industry is exempted by LURC from conservation laws if it qualifies as a "community" utility.
In Part E : Municipalities are stripped of power to regulate windfarms in town waters in any way. Towns to have consultative authority only

There are other points to raise; I will detail them in a blog entry.

 

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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