How was Maine's Expedited Wind Area drawn up?

Comment

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on October 4, 2015 at 12:18pm

how many trees were removed? You forgot to include this environmental impact. Why?

Comment by Monique Aniel Thurston on April 16, 2015 at 10:00am

Actually Gary , we have tried to circulate those documents in many venues , without success and we met with Alex Giffen in July 2009 who  recognized that " It was  a miracle that the task Force had  reached an  unanimous consensus  !   The smell of rot  was very thick for us in the beginning.

I can also relate that after meeting with Karin Tilberg , in the fall of 2009 and rebuffing all the arguments in favor of wind power , methodically and calmly ,  and unable to respond to our arguments ,she became irritated and told me : But , Monique  , the planet is dying !

I understood quickly that wind power had  its illuminated monks ( the environmentalist leaders ) who propagated  the Wind Power sacred texts without critical thinking( and got a little pay for it ) and the Bishops who collected the money ( wind developers )at the time Angus King  was both a preacher and a potential  collector ; and, of course its political servants in both parties whose ambitions were often typical of politicians and whose rewards  or connection with industry still  remain murky except for some specific ones whom we have studied : Angus king , Stacey Fitts , Kurt Adams who played a major role . Jim Casseda ,working now for First Wind ,was instrumental in allowing projects with incomplete financial  capacity to go forward  , indeed there were no solid  criteria for financial capacity so the DEP accepted blindly what the developers told them. 

This was going to be a tough nut to crack.

Comment by Gary Campbell on April 15, 2015 at 12:20pm

Thanks, Monique. I remember now that I got that Giffen email from you.

It's a shame it isn't more widely circulated. It clearly shows that for competitive reasons the wind developers would only meet individually and privately with Giffen to show on a map where they planned to develop. THAT is how the expedited permitting area was drawn up. Contrary to what the developers, Juliet Browne, the MREA and wind contractors say, it was intentionally NOT a transparent and public process.

Comment by alice mckay barnett on April 14, 2015 at 9:01pm

Gideon said there was a map and addition of lands is up to landowners. 

she also said there was an appeal process a resident could use if unhappy.

not true

intervener status or 1 mile standing

The Unorganized Territory needs protection from the Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP is governed by the WIND Law.

The Noise compliant/complaint protocol is handled by a hotline manned by the developer.

Perpetual easements acknowledge harm done.

These easements are sold to neighbors with-in 35 decibals (about 1/2 mile) of a wind turbine.

The appeal process limits standing to with-in one mile of a tower.

in other words...no appeal unless you prove harm done...noise

Comment by Thinklike A. Mountain on April 14, 2015 at 8:45pm

The wind industry and their coterie of swindling shills has accused Governor LePage of meddling by appointing PUC commissioners who have independently sought comments on reopening bidding on long term wind contracts. Yet this same pack of hustlers did not criticize Governor Baldacci when he convened his wind task force to clear all obstacles standing in the way of this worst kind of bunco industrialization.  Put the pedal to the meddle Governor LePage.

Comment by Monique Aniel Thurston on April 14, 2015 at 8:33pm

and this is the letter  John Baldacci sent to The Task Force in December 2007 when things did not move  as fast as he wished;

"

Dear Members of the Wind Power Task Force:

               When this Task Force began its work this past summer you took on three major objectives:

• To make Maine a leader in wind power development;

• To protect Maine’s quality of place and natural resources; and

• To maximize the tangible benefits Maine people receive from wind power development.

I understand that you have been working extremely hard and have met at least 6 times along with having the opportunity to view wind turbines in the field.  Your diligent efforts and dialogue are on the verge of a set of recommendations on these important goals.  I am very grateful for your thoughtful deliberations to date.

You, along with the other members of the Task Force, were selected because of the different perspectives and expertise that each of you bring to this undertaking. These differences can make finding consensus challenging but also can bring about strong, effective solutions. I know firsthand that agreements on issues about which people feel most passionate are hard to reach.  They sometimes require that parties endorse an outcome that is not their top choice but s choice that is nonetheless acceptable.

As your work draws to a close, I urge you to redouble your efforts to forge a consensus among the Task Force.  Consensus recommendations will provide my Administration, policy makers, wind power businesses and local citizens clear guidance and will carry great weight as we move forward in Maine.  I remain confident that you can achieve consensus and I thank you once again for your commitment to this Task Force. 

                                                                                   Sincerely,

                                                                                   John E. Baldacci

                                                                                   Governor

Comment by Gary Campbell on April 14, 2015 at 7:29pm

When the DEP's denial of Bowers was appealed to the BEP, Champlain Wind strongly argued that the process of drawing the borders of the expedited wind permitting area was a transparent process that allowed public input. In researching my response to this obvious lie, I came across the email below. Unfortunately the Bowers record was closed so BEP Chair Foley rightfully would not allow it. Maybe it can be of use to someone else.

It is an email sent by Task Force Chair Alec Giffen to Karin Tilberg who was the Task Force's contact person in Gov. Baldacci's office. It appears to be in response to some concern on the Governor's part that the Task Force would not complete its work in time for the 123rd legislature to vote it in.

Comment by arthur qwenk on April 14, 2015 at 7:22pm

Paid off  wind shills, political self - servers  and paid off enviro-groups like NRCM  made the law, PL-661 (The Expedited Wind Law of 2008).

The damage has festered now and grown for years , both to  legal process and to Maine's environment and citizenry  for next to naught in benefit.

This "lie", called a legislative emergency bill, PL-661, was the take over by wind corporate interests and unctuous self-serving political insiders like Angus King  of more than the environment of Maine .

It was the bastardization of Maine's legal process and the citizens' constitutional rights and local control for an industry that must lie to justify its existence.

It is about time the legislature correct the mistakes.

This battle will never be disengaged by Maine's citizens unless the heinous law , PL-661, is expunged or significantly corrected. 

http://pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-sk...