Time to modify proposed amendments to Chapter 382, Wind Energy Act Standards
Not thrilled with the overwhelming focus on "views' since they are subjective and arguable; but the fire provides an opportunity to make substantial changes to the Standards to include:
o D. Notification of turbine failure. The licensee must notify the Department in writing within two (one) business days of any turbine failure or other incident that the licensee anticipates will result in a turbine being off-line for a period greater than six months (One week). Such notice shall include ancillary damage to local grids such as reductions or termination of service, fires set, debris scattered around site, and damage to habitat and flyways.
E. In the case of turbine fires it is assumed total replacement and probably abandonment is the usual result. Extension for turbine repair or replacement. If one or more turbines are rendered inoperable by unanticipated mechanical or structural failures, or by fire, earthquake, flood, tornado, or other natural disaster; or war, civil strife or other similar violence, and if it will take more than twelve (one) months to repair or replace the inoperable turbine(s), the licensee may request an additional twelve (three) months to accomplish the repair or replacement without triggering the decommissioning requirement. The licensee must request this extension within six (one) months of the event which renders the turbine(s) inoperable. The licensee must submit to the Department, for review and approval, a plan establishing a reasonable assurance that the turbine(s) will be brought back into
**New section. Fires are a danger not only to the turbine assembly and tower, but to surrounding fields and woodlands; especially since remote locations are poorly served by local fire departments; gates are locked and weather a factor.
It is recommended that the operator present an amendment to the permit for the installation of fire suppression equipment on the turbine, and that this be approved by the appropriate local and State Authorities.
Views: 181
Comment
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Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on May 22, 2018 at 1:14pm
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Letter to Dylan Vorhees on his petition to stop the effort to import hydropower from Quebec.
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Dylan:
NRCM has long supported wind farms in Maine, all of which resulted in clear cutting thousands of acres of mature forest and, in turn, violating the Copenhagen recommendation to reforest the earth and convert CO2 into oxygen, water, and stored carbon. Wind Farm transmission line corridors did exactly the opposite, and to add further insult, are sprayed with herbicide annually.
Are you changing your policy regarding wind farm transmission lines as well?
Then you go on to say that importing hydropower will increase emissions….but leave open how this would happen; and in comparison, the need for natural gas fired power plants to replace lost power due to wind fluctuations does add to emissions locally.
Furthermore, you claim that using an existing R.O.W. will negatively affect wildlife, forests and clean water. Is this claim based on the harm the footprints of wind farms have had because of lost forest, a major habitat for birds and small mammals, and the effect losing a tree’s root system has on cleansing and preserving rainwater flowing into an aquifer?
Over 5,000 climate scientists endorsed reforestation, why haven’t you? Perhaps you should learn how some conservation organizations are earning carbon credits for reforesting newly acquired lands or why people are initiating tree plantings in their town or on their lands?
FJHeller, K.E.W. & Ocean Gardens
207 729 6090
From: Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Climate and Clean Energy Project Director
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2018 11:29 AM
To: Frank Heller
Subject: Petition: Oppose CMP's 145-mile transmission line
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Comment by Long Islander on April 3, 2018 at 3:56pm
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Wind turbine fire risk: ten times higher than the industry admits
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/wind-turbine-fire-risk-...
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Comment by Eric A. Tuttle on April 3, 2018 at 2:10pm
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Frank, I am hoping to video record this event. They already know my position, though did request that I video record the potential for Road Hazards from the Red Lights appearing to be stopped traffic ahead on Icey Winter Roads. -- Not sure if they have given it consideration for the future.
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if you've read through this 'trove' and the proposed regulations, what changes do you propose in them?
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Here's a treasure trove of information on wind turbine fires:
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Surprised to see the 2013 OP ED in the BDN warning of the fire danger...and not heeded by DEP; so we have this. It does open a new door into scrutiny of wind farms...road not plowed, so how does emergency responders get in? If not, then you can assume complete destruction, and void that waiting period in the regulations for fire damage....
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If the Owners were employing a sufficient number of people to perform at least a weekly (preferably a daily) check on their equipment there should never be a concern for fires.
With the technology, we have today every part there could be monitored even remotely for oil levels (leakage) abnormal Vibrations, functionality degradation of components and many other things. Even factoring in such things based on past Known events of failures, including such things as door lock failures.
I believe we use to call it preventative maintenance. Even though it may not look bad now, change it anyway based on MTBF factors.
I am not sure if anyone from the company even visited the Bingham Project when I went by yesterday not an access road was plowed. Maybe a visit for a winter picnic lunch via snowmobile was the extent of any work done on that farm.
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Wrong Eric, I mean't Townsend, Erle, DEP . Are you going to comment and which sections?
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Sorry Frank, they are labeled as provided to me.
Ch382_Basis%20Statement_FINAL_draft.pdf
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sorry read the old version. Eric didn't label them: This is the new language is it strong or broad enough:
The applicant must submit evidence demonstrating that reasonable measures will be taken to prevent and respond to a fire at the proposed wind energy development, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Information regarding proposed active or passive fire suppression systems incorporated into the overall design of the turbine and turbine pad, including lightning protection systems, foam and water sprayers, and other ways to mitigate fire damage.
(2) Operational and maintenance measures used to reduce fire risk to not only the turbine site; but to the grid it is connected to.,
(3) Descriptions of how proposed turbines are designed to meet applicable national or international design codes or standards or recommended fire protection practices. It is recommended that these fire and grid interruption measures be demonstration to the satisfaction of DEP oficials.
(4) A fire protection or fire safety plan, addressing potential ignition sources, fire control procedures, anticipated fire hazards, and proposed fire protection equipment or systems must be included in the initial application and both final and annual inspections.
(5) Emergency communications and response protocols with local and state emergency response providers.
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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