Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

[sandstone]

Sandstone,

In your opinion, is this lawsuit essentially asking for the turbines to be removed? That would be great because they went in there based on the lies of Gamesa. Good luck to the Stull's and all the other neighbors suffering from this fraud.

The Stull family is seeking relief from the harm caused to them by the noise and shadow flicker of the Gamesa industrial wind turbines situated about 2,400 feet from their home. The elimination of the noise is not possible unless the turbine hubs stop moving. The Juniata Township (where the Stulls live) windplant ordinance limits noise to 45deciBells on the A scale [45dB(A)]. The Stulls have readings of 75dB(A) on a noise meter provided by Penn State. So, it is likely that the judge will require that the turbines not exceed the 45dB(A) limit imposed by the township. The question then becomes "who does the measurements?"

The noise that is harming the Stull family (and 60+ other families in the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm area) has 4 components:

1. The "swoosh" made by the blades as they travel through the air

2. The "thump" caused by the blade compressing air between itself and the mast

3. "Grinding" caused by the gears in the nacelle

4. "Screeching" caused by the nacelle rotating longitudinally on its mounts to face the wind.

The Stull family, however, also seeks relief from "shadow flicker" which is the repetitive shadow that passes over their home/property as each turbine blade blocks the sun. For example, if the turbine hub is turning at 15rpm, then a blade shadow will pass over the Stulls 45 times per minute (3 blades per revolution). The judge will have to decide what amount of shadow flicker is acceptable.

In any case, it is certain (as much as anything in a court can be certain) that the Stull family will prevail in this case. The only question is "to what degree will the judge curtail the operation of the turbines near the Stulls' home?"

My take on this is that the judge will order that the 45dB(A) limit be enforced, which will result in slowing the hub speed to a degree that will make the turbines unprofitable. In all likelihood, these turbines will be dismantled and moved. Only about 40 turbines of the proposed 90 in the Allegheny Ridge windplant are currently standing, so Gamesa will just reconstruct them elsewhere.

However, the effects of the harm endured by the Stulls are reverberating through adjacent townships. Logan Township is proposing increasing its setback from a turbine to a property line from 600 feet to 2,500 feet. :thumb:

Tomorrow evening at 7pm, representatives from SAVE ICE MOUNTAIN will be asking the Snyder Twp supervisors for the same setback proposed by Logan Township. Hope to see you all at the Snyder Township board of supervisors meeting tomorrow evening. The township building is on the west side of Old Rt 220 in Vail (between Bald Eagle and Tyrone). :flag:

[My2Cents]

Darn it !! I can't make it out there tonight... Good Luck everybody.... I'll be thinking of you.

[Ice Man]

http://www.tribune-democrat.com:80/loca ... 33655.html

Couple sues wind farm over noise levels

BY KATHY MELLOTT The Tribune-Democrat

HOLLIDAYSBURG Mon, May 05 2008 — A Blue Knob couple is seeking unspecified monetary compensation and is asking a court to intervene to reduce noise and vibration from energy generating turbines in the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm. A Pittsburgh attorney representing Todd and Jill Stull of Pine Springs Lane, Portage, filed a 14-page civil lawsuit in Blair County court naming Gamesa Energy USA, developers of the wind farm in Portage Township, Cambria County, and Juniata and Greenfield townships, Blair County. Also named is Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm LLC., sold by Gamesa in 2007 to Babcock & Brown. The lawsuit alleges that Gamesa and Allegheny Ridge have created a public and private nuisance through the operation of the wind turbines, which the Stulls say create a noise level greater than allowable by ordinances enacted three years ago by the three municipalities. An attorney representing Gamesa did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Babcock & Brown spokesman Matt Dallas said the company has not seen the lawsuit and couldn’t comment.

Attorney Bradley Tupi, representing the Stulls, alleges in the lawsuit that Gamesa misrepresented to local officials the noise levels from the turbines to get approvals for construction of the wind farm. Gamesa, the Spain-based energy company approached local officials in 2005 regarding a three-phased wind farm which eventually will put 90 turbines along the Cambria-Blair county line stretching from Portage to Cresson Township in Cambria County. Constructed two years ago, the first phase has 30 turbines that became operational in 2007. Local ordinances set perimeters for the farms including setbacks from other properties and allowable noise levels. At times these levels are being exceeded, the Stulls and residents from Portage Township have told local officials.

At the urging of residents, the Portage Township supervisors say they will hire a sound expert to determine whether the turbines are being operated in violation of the ordinance. Similar action already has been taken by Juniata Township officials. “They assured the officials in the township in question that the turbines would be quiet. The turbines are quite loud. They wake Dr. Stull up and he must go to the basement to sleep,” Tupi said Thursday. In April, Stull told Portage Township officials the excess noise does not occur all of the time, but is determined by operating speed, wind velocity and direction and other conditions. Juniata, Portage and Greenfield townships were not named as defendants in the lawsuit. “We shouldn’t be named. We’re doing all we can do,” Juniata supervisor Dave Kane said Thursday.

[Something to say]

Any news about the township meeting?

[Ice Man]

The industrial windplant proposed on Ice Mountain near Tyrone is a bad idea for the following reasons:

1. Ice Mountain and its surrounding area are designated as a Landscape Conservation Area and County Natural Heritage Area of Exceptional Significance in the Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory. It was so designated because Ice Mountain represents a large block of unfragmented forest habitat important to forest-interior species, such as the bobcat, the fisher, the black-throated blue warbler, the black-throated green warbler, the scarlet tanager, and the wood thrush. The extensive network of heavy-duty roads, turbine clearings, transmission line corridors, and clearings for substations and accessory buildings would result in extensive fragmentation of this forested area that is described as "unique" in the Inventory because of its lack of such infrastructure.

2. Ice Mountain and its surrounding area are also designated as Greenways in the Blair County Comprehensive Plan. Greenways are areas where the preservation of the natural landscape should be given first priority. The Areawide Comprehensive Plan for Blair County states; "The ridge tops in Blair County are one of its defining characteristics. As one looks in any direction, the mountain ridges dominate the landscape. They demonstrate the power and constancy of the natural forces that shaped them. Development along ridge tops should be discouraged so that their imposing beauty is preserved. Ridge lines that should be conserved are the Allegheny Front and Dunning, Short, Loop, Lock, Brush, Bald Eagle, Canoe, and Tussey Mountains." Were a "wind farm" to be built on Ice Mountain then the "wind farm," not the mountain, would dominate the landscape. It is hard to imagine a more shocking and obtrusive feature on the mountain than dozens of 400-foot tall towers with 140-foot long whirling blades.

3. Ice Mountain also is part of the Allegheny Front Important Bird Area identified by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey's Ornithological Technical Committee. During migration, approximately 2 million birds pass over the Allegheny Front each night. In summer, Ice Mountain is home to about 100 species of breeding birds, most of which are dependent upon large tracts of unbroken forest.

4. The US Fish and Wildlife Service guidance document regarding industrial windplants states that wind energy projects should avoid fragmenting large, contiguous tracts of wildlife habitat such as exists on Ice Mountain.

5. The Ice Mountain site is part of a protective forested buffer around the Tyrone Reservoirs, which supply water to area customers. Each wind turbine contains large amounts of oil in its 60-ton nacelle, the center point of the rotating assembly. Each turbine will be vulnerable to lightning strikes, resulting in a high risk of fire in the forested reservoir watershed. The turbines to be built on Tyrone Borough property would require the construction of many miles of new roads on Ice Mountain, resulting in increased runoff and sedimentation. Each turbine also requires the clearing and grading of several acres surrounding it including large roads for construction and maintenance.

Despite the above-mentioned publicly-accessible scientific evidence and county planning designations, industrial windplant developers have targeted Ice Mountain to site an industrial windplant. Their action either ignores or dismisses this area’s long-standing designations, which corroborate Ice Mountain’s unique status and exceptional conservation value. The developers' effort also disregards the public approval of Ice Mountain as a Greenway - essential for the preservation of our quality of life in Blair County.

Juniata Valley Audubon seeks a balanced approach to energy production. It is not unreasonable to recommend that lands designated to have exceptional conservation value be off-limits to industrial wind energy development.

Terry Wentz, President, Juniata Valley Audubon

[Something to say]

Please allow this page to load before viewing. Music in the background. May take a few seconds.

http://www.freewebs.com/iffytipton/

[My2Cents]

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http://www.freewebs.com/iffytipton/

Ohhh WOW !!!! Once more, you certainly had Something to say... and you said it well !!! That was absolutely fantastic !!! I don't want to speak for everybody, but, I must say...I'm quite sure, Ice Mountain, Mother Nature, and all of those who care, and are in the know of the potential disaster lurking ahead, also THANK'S YOU for sharing your site with us !!! That was OUTSTANDING !!!

[My2Cents]

Did you see the Mirror this morning ?? "Gamesa Wants More Room For Wind Farm." Very interesting article AND that is exactly what will happen around here if they are allowed to go in !!! If nothing is established now, if a lease is signed, that's all they will need and they will then do just as they please. It's a joke to read...."Between 10 and 15 windmills would be on Borough property on Ice Mountain, although design plans are still being finalized." "As part of the lease agreement, Tyrone Borough would receive Gamesa's development plan for review prior to the start of construction." In other words, the plans for the number of turbines, and turbine placement, is not finalized.... however, Tyrone, sign that lease and we will then finalize the construction, we will then tell you Tyrone, how many turbines are going up there and where. You will not have anymore control, and/or, say so Tyrone. It's right there, in their first letter, between the lines,seperated by a few ruffles and flourishes type paragraphs... it's right there, in black and white !!!
If these turbines go up..... there is NO bringing them down !!! Have we not learned yet from other communities ?? They say that wildlife mortality along with the water and the noise and all the other stuff wrong with these things.... all will be monitored AFTER construction, AFTER construction will be too late !!!

[banksy]

Did you see the Mirror this morning ?? "Gamesa Wants More Room For Wind Farm." Very interesting article AND that is exactly what will happen around here if they are allowed to go in !!! If nothing is established now, if a lease is signed, that's all they will need and they will then do just as they please. It's a joke to read...."Between 10 and 15 windmills would be on Borough property on Ice Mountain, although design plans are still being finalized." "As part of the lease agreement, Tyrone Borough would receive Gamesa's development plan for review prior to the start of construction." In other words, the plans for the number of turbines, and turbine placement, is not finalized.... however, Tyrone, sign that lease and we will then finalize the construction, we will then tell you Tyrone, how many turbines are going up there and where. You will not have anymore control, and/or, say so Tyrone. It's right there, in their first letter, between the lines,seperated by a few ruffles and flourishes type paragraphs... it's right there, in black and white !!!
If these turbines go up..... there is NO bringing them down !!! Have we not learned yet from other communities ?? They say that wildlife mortality along with the water and the noise and all the other stuff wrong with these things.... all will be monitored AFTER construction, AFTER construction will be too late !!!

Just another reason to drive the 15 minutes to Altoona to shop there if it means that much to you.

[banksy]

Does anyone know, what happens if you get the parking ticket and simply refuse to pay it? If I come in from out of town and get one, then don't pay it, are they gonna drive all the way to Ohio and look for their money?

[sandstone]

Did you see the Mirror this morning ?? "Gamesa Wants More Room For Wind Farm." Very interesting article AND that is exactly what will happen around here if they are allowed to go in !!! If nothing is established now, if a lease is signed, that's all they will need and they will then do just as they please. It's a joke to read...."Between 10 and 15 windmills would be on Borough property on Ice Mountain, although design plans are still being finalized." "As part of the lease agreement, Tyrone Borough would receive Gamesa's development plan for review prior to the start of construction." In other words, the plans for the number of turbines, and turbine placement, is not finalized.... however, Tyrone, sign that lease and we will then finalize the construction, we will then tell you Tyrone, how many turbines are going up there and where. You will not have anymore control, and/or, say so Tyrone. It's right there, in their first letter, between the lines,seperated by a few ruffles and flourishes type paragraphs... it's right there, in black and white !!!
If these turbines go up..... there is NO bringing them down !!! Have we not learned yet from other communities ?? They say that wildlife mortality along with the water and the noise and all the other stuff wrong with these things.... all will be monitored AFTER construction, AFTER construction will be too late !!!

At yesterday's Logan Township public hearing Jill Stull gave excellent testimony about the harm that her family and about 60 other families in the area of Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm have endured for close to 2 years. She described the noise that prevents her from enjoying her 100-acre farm; vibrations from the turbines transmitted into her home; frequent jet-like whooshing noise that sends her husband, an M.D., to the basement to sleep; as well as stonewalling by both Gamesa and Babcock + Brown that have led to a lawsuit.

Gamesa wants more room for wind farm

By Kay Stephens, kstephens@altoonamirror.com POSTED: May 9, 2008

The company planning to construct wind turbines in Logan Township needs supervisors to enlarge the wind zone and to back away from stricter rules, a representative said Thursday.

“It will not financially work with less than 25 turbines,” Tim Vought of Gamesa Energy USA told supervisors.

He showed them a map with 17 turbines in the township’s wind zone south of Route 36 and an additional eight turbines north of Route 36 outside of the wind zone.

The project also won’t work, Vought said, if supervisors adopt rules to require turbines be at least 2,500 feet from property lines, reduce the maximum noise level and require additional studies.

Supervisors were scheduled to vote on those rules, but they tabled action after a 70-minute public hearing, during which much of the time was devoted to quizzing Vought.

They also asked Vought to come back with information on how Gamesa will address post-construction noise complaints.

“We hope we can come up with a plan that minimizes that problem,” Vought said.

Supervisors said they want remedies addressing turbine noise.

“You guys aren’t going to pick up [the wind turbines] and move them,” Supervisor Ed Frontino said.

Supervisors Chairman Frank Meloy said he visited Todd and Jill Stull in Juniata Township, who deal with noisy turbines in the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm that stretches over Blair and Cambria counties.

He and other township officials toured that farm last week with Gamesa representatives.

“I would not want to live with that noise day in and day out,” Meloy said.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.

[My2Cents]

Does anyone know, what happens if you get the parking ticket and simply refuse to pay it? If I come in from out of town and get one, then don't pay it, are they gonna drive all the way to Ohio and look for their money?

Come on Banksy... this is wind mills here, not parking meters.

[My2Cents]

Oooops !! Sorry sandstone I didn't mean to interupt your post above.

[My2Cents]

Well, tonight, Monday, May 12, 2008, "could" be it... a vote could be taken on the demise of our Ice Mountain....
Right now, I don't know what to think. I certainly hope that all the hard work, all the information presented, all the discussions, all the forums, all the help from people outside our own community, all the absolute proven facts presented by intelligent, educated individuals, along with 1400 plus names on the petition, and those that were cast during the primary votings, are not ignored.
Still, I will keep the faith... after all that has been presented, I cannot imagine our Borough Council approving these wind mills.

[muttonhead]

I heard from my mom that Tyrone is holding out for a 2500 foot setback for the turbines (if they go in at all). I hope that those of you that attend the meetings pass this on - you can hear the turbines from my parents house, which is nearly 1.5 MILES away from the closest turbine. They are an additional 5400 feet away from the turbines and they are still clearly audible even at that distance.