Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

[sammie]

Allegheny Plateau Audubon Society Special Meeting on May 5

John Droz will present a program on Wind Energy
7 pm – 9 pm
Engineering and Science Building at Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

The link below is a radio interview featuring John Droz:

http://www.canisteovalleynews.com/index ... -Droz.html

[Fightin' Irish]

There will be a special announcement at the next Snyder Township supervisors meeting, Monday MAY 4, 7pm:

Name: Ann Dillon***
Title: Secretary/Treasurer
Email: snydrtwp@nb.net
Voice: 814-684-1048
Fax: 814-684-2913

***EDITED BY RICK ON 2009/04/29 to reflect that this post is referencing Ann Dilion's contact information, and the user does not represent Ann Dillon.


Snyder Twp supervisors meetings are held the First Monday of each month at 7pm at RD #3, Box 119, Tyrone, PA,
along Old Business Route 220 in Vail

http://blair.pacounties.org/snyder/site/default.asp

[Rick]

I just wanted to clarify the above edit/notation.

I was contacted to simply point out that posts in our forum were citing contact information for the township, and were not "signatures" or references to the township employees being represented on the forums. ie. Fightin' Irish is not Ann Dillon.

No problems at all, just a clarification.

[Ice Man]

Sent to the Snyder Township supervisors (Ann Dillon, to whom the letter is addressed, is the Snyder Twp secretary) from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History:

From: Trish Miller <tricia.a.miller@gmail.com>
To: snydrtwp@nb.net
Cc: Andrew Mack <mack.andrew.l@gmail.com>; "Brandes, David" <brandesd@lafayette.edu>; Charles Maisonneuve <Charles.Maisonneuve@mrnf.gouv.qc.ca>; Dan Ombalski <ombalski@juno.com>; Michael Lanzone <mlanzone@gmail.com>; Todd Katzner <todd.katzner@aviary.org>
Sent: Friday, May 1, 2009 2:51:06 PM
Subject: Sandy Ridge Wind Facility

Dear Ms. Dillon,

I am writing you concerning the Sandy Ridge Wind Facility proposed by Gamesa. I am a PhD student at Penn State studying Golden Eagle migration in the Appalachians. Recent data from our telemetry units and other data have shown that area in and around the proposed Sandy Ridge Wind Facility and other portions of the Allegheny Front are important for Golden Eagles during spring and fall migration. Furthermore, the 3 mile around the proposed turbines was used by more of our eagles than any other proposed or existing wind facility in the Commonwealth.

I have attached a map of our telemetry locations and a short paper on the importance of Ice Mountain to Golden Eagles for your review. Please take these into consideration as our research group strongly feels that Sandy Ridge and similar areas of high importance for migrating raptors should not be developed for wind energy. Could you please forward this information to your township board members prior to your next meeting?

Thank you for your attention.

Trish Miller
GIS Lab Manager
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Powdermill Nature Reserve
1847 Route 381
Rector, PA 15677
724.593.4856
millert@CarnegieMNH.org
tricia.a.miller@gmail.com
www.powdermill.org

PhD Candidate
Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology
Cooperative Wetlands Center
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA
tam30@psu.edu
tricia.a.miller@gmail.com
724.216.3770

Pretty straightforward condemnation of the proposed Sandy Ridge windplant.

[Something to say]

[My2Cents]

WOW !!! There ya go "Something to say." Your picture says it all. :thumb:

[sammie]

Great picture, Something to say! They look mad (and they should be).

Their future is now in the hands of the supervisors. Hope to see a crowd on Monday night.

[One lone voice]

I am continually amazed at the number of well-meaning people out there that accept the propaganda coming from the wind companies that imply that the only way to "save the planet" and reduce CO2 emissions is to agree to deforest the tops of our ridges and erect huge towers to produce sporatic electricity (at best). I have heard people say that they need to do something for their children and grandchildren. I agree. However, there are less destructive, more practical, and cheaper ways to accomplish this. If people truly want to reduce carbon emissions and close down coal-fired plants, I would suggest putting up photovoltaic panels on their roofs, or in any open sunny areas on their property. Just a few panels to take a refridgerator, a hot water tank, or a well pump or any other electrical appliance "off the grid", will reduce the need for electricity, cut down on your electric bills, and if enough people did this, would reduce the need for coal-fired plants, resulting in their shutdown. (Another benefit would be to eliminate the power companies excuse for the rate hikes, since they wouldn't be able to claim that they had to raise the rates because of the mandate to use alternative energy (i.e. wind power)).
For those who are concerned about "global warming", why not take a page from mother nature's playbook. Plant trees. It's a fact that trees take in atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis, and release oxygen into the air. A simple idea, and an effective one. But there are no trees with lobbyists spreading lots of money around, and no one stands to make fortunes off the idea, like the wind people with their huge "farms". Trees do not have access to unlimited advertising budgets to spread their propaganda. But trees DO shade the ground in the heat of summer, drop their leaves in the fall, providing mulch, and when the leaves break down feed those same trees. If managed properly, a woodlot would provide timber as a steady income. Tree roots hold the soil in place much better than grasses because of their deeper root systems, resulting in much less subsidence and runoff. It is also a fact that it is cheaper to run a water filtration plant that has a forested watershed. With the forest doing most of the filtering, there is much less sedimentation ending up in the reservoir. With no windmills, any petrochemical runoff from asphalt roads thru the watershed during heavy rains would be eliminated, thereby reducing costs for cleanup by the filtration plant.
These are just some simple things we can do to improve the environment for future generations without taking away their right to live in a peaceful place with beautiful views to enjoy.

[Something to say]

AMEN!

[Ice Man]

There will be a special announcement at the next Snyder Township supervisors meeting, Monday MAY 4, 7pm:

Name: Ann Dillon***
Title: Secretary/Treasurer
Email: snydrtwp@nb.net
Voice: 814-684-1048
Fax: 814-684-2913

***EDITED BY RICK ON 2009/04/29 to reflect that this post is referencing Ann Dilion's contact information, and the user does not represent Ann Dillon.


Snyder Twp supervisors meetings are held the First Monday of each month at 7pm at RD #3, Box 119, Tyrone, PA,
along Old Business Route 220 in Vail

http://blair.pacounties.org/snyder/site/default.asp

See you tomorrow evening at the Snyder Township board of supervisors meeting! :guns:

[My2Cents]

Well, have you read the latest ?? In this morning's Altoona Mirror, sectionA, page#3, this company "changes plan for Logan wind farm !!"
Now they plan to make them taller.... . These people are not going away, no matter what ordinance is in place.... no matter what the proven facts are
concerning undesired consequences .... no matter what !!!! They will hold off, change strategy, and somehow worm their way into the back door.
The only thing that would "surprise" me at any meeting would be that it is announced that Ice Mountain has been saved and wind turbines are out of this area completely, and, forever. Something tells me, no matter what, that isn't going to happen !!! Come on, surprise us !!! Our community and township NEEDS a nice surprise so that we can all get back to routine, living our lives peacefully once more, without this crap lingering over our heads.

[sammie]

I wonder if visitors will be able to see 428 foot tall turbines from the Horseshoe Curve?

Not surprising that they said "no substantive difference" when asked about noise from larger turbines.

[One lone voice]

Here's the article from the Altoona Mirror My2Cents mentions:

Gamesa changes plan for Logan wind farm
By Kay Stephens, kstephens@altoonamirror.com POSTED: May 4, 2009

The company that pursued building wind turbines in Logan Township has a new plan with taller versions that are confined to the township's wind zone.

Representatives for Gamesa Energy recently submitted revised plans for a wind farm of 19 turbines in the Chestnut Flats area zoned for that type of land use. The company previously proposed building 25 wind turbines, with 17 inside the zone and eight outside.

"We hope this is a little more palatable to the township," Gamesa Energy representative Jon Baker said.

Township Manager Bonnie Lewis said Friday that plans and a request for the Chestnut Flats LLC Wind Farm will probably be on the supervisors' May 14 meeting agenda.

They're asking for the township to revise its ordinance to permit taller turbines, so that will go before the supervisors, Lewis said.

Currently, the township ordinance restricts wind turbines to 270 feet, as measured from the ground to the height of the tower. Gamesa's latest proposal shows towers measuring up to 328 feet high.

In addition to the tower, wind turbine blades typically measure 120 feet.

If supervisors approve the request, Logan Township could have wind turbines measuring up to 428 feet from the ground to the tip of the blade. That's the height of a 40-plus story building, based on one story averaging 10 to 11 feet.

Supervisors in January seemed ready to turn down the previous plans which Gamesa representatives withdrew. Supervisors told Project Manager Tim Vought they preferred keeping wind turbines inside the township wind zone. As designated, the zone makes up 10 square miles, about 20 percent of township's land.

The Blair County Planning Commission met Thursday night and reviewed Gamesa's latest plan. After seeing that it keeps the turbines inside the township wind zone, the commission agreed that the project is consistent with land use plans adopted by the township and, thus, by the county.

"Our comprehensive plan doesn't address windmills but defers to Logan Township ... and this area is in their wind zone," Assistant Planning Director Craig Soyster said.

As for the height, 58 feet taller than permitted by township ordinance, Soyster said that's an issue for the township.

Planning commission member Bob Gutshall asked if the taller wind turbines would affect wind currents. Baker said they wouldn't because the turbines are capturing only a small portion of the wind flow.

The commission also asked about noise and flicker, and Baker said there's "no substantive difference" linked to the taller wind turbines.



They're at it again, aren't they? Wonder what they plan to do next? Give them an inch and they will be back for more... just repackaged. Instead of 17 towers in the zone, they plan on upping it to 19. Hmmm.... wonder what they have in store for Ice Mountain after their current proposal is agreed to? Am I misremembering or was their original proposal for 10 to 15 towers... that somewhere along the way increased to 16 as Josh said at the last Township meeting. Anyone want to start a pool on how soon and what else they want? Because they WILL be back for more.

[My2Cents]

Thanks for putting the above article on here lone voice... You mentioned the differences in turbine numbers.... if you go way back, yes, the total turbine amount had a tendency to change, depending on the article, and the wording of the article at the time. One thing that caught my eye way back, they were stating 10-15 on Ice Mountain ( that's a BIG difference when you think of that area and the size of the turbines) and the rest of the farm (including the 10 or 15) would make a total of 25. Way back, about 3 years ago, when you looked at their picture of the turbine placement, which included their depiction of sound decibles throughout that area, they were saying 25 turbines.... however, if you counted them in the picture, there was a total of 30 turbines drawn into that diagram. That diagram and those decible amounts have been taken out of their web site. Their website has changed over time. The number of turbines has been thrown around, nothing has been stated for sure. What is happening at Logan Ridge now, is a preview of coming attractions as to what is in store for us.

[Ice Man]

SAVE ICE MOUNTAIN thanks Snyder Township Supervisor James Burket for the respect he has shown for Blair County's natural heritage and for the people of the township. As supervisor Burket noted at yesterday evening's meeting, the vast majority of the people in the township are opposed to the windplant. Supervisor Burket stated the he received many calls and emails from Snyder Township residents opposed to the windplant, but only one from a person in favor of the windplant. Throughout yesterday evening's meeting, on this and on other issues, Snyder Township supervisor James Burket showed the utmost respect for his consituents. SAVE ICE MOUNTAIN salutes Snyder Township supervisor James Burket! :flag:

Unfortunately, he was outvoted by sups Nelson and Diehl. Anyone present at the meeting (and at previous meetings) knows that sup Diehl is arrogant and heavy-handed. He insulted Dr. Stan Kotala after Dr. Kotala's statement by shouting that Dr. Kotala doesn't know where Ice Mountain is. He threatened to "clear the room" after other residents presented independent data showing that Ice Mt is not an appropriate site for an industrial windplant, and he insulted independent scientists by claiming that he knows Ice Mountain better than anyone. He totally dismissed the Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory which lists Ice Mt as the ONLY site in western Blair County that earned the distinction of "COUNTY NATURAL HERITAGE AREA OF EXCEPTIONAL CONSERVATION VALUE."

Sup Charles Diehl is a disgrace to his office. His shameful behavior at township meetings speaks for itself.

Sup Robert Nelson, who was elected on a platform of opposing the windplant, changed his mind, saying that he did it "for the children." He gave no further explanation.