Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

[Bill Latchford]

As much as I didn't want to pop back in here I just had to....I spent 5 hours today walking through snow and knocking on doors up in the Portage / Blue Knob area. If my mind weren't already made up it is most certainly solidified now. At every stop of my ride through the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm...There was not one point where I could not hear them. At some times ever so faint and at the worst of times it made me pity the people whom have to suffer with the Wind Turbines. I put around 12-18 miles on my car in just this area. I spoke to several people and did not ask their names. I wanted them to know what I was doing and did not want them to feel I would expose them to the media or the like. I will tell you that in some spots where I did not see the turbines because of the fog, I could hear them even better. Some people will say that you can hear them because you can see their movement, sort of a psychological thing. But guess what I could not see them because of the fog and the noise was there...My last stop was a very interesting and pleasant surprise. I introduced myself and the person said she knew me, because of the posts on here. I should add that before she answered the door, I was just amazed at how these things towered over the mountain in front of their home. Then to hear them was so surreal. It really does sound like a jet plane circling overhead. I thought it was an exaggeration, until I heard it myself. Then the blades start to pitch and turn into the wind again to make the best of the blowing winds and you can hear the metal to metal adjustments and then as the blades pitch and they thump through the air until they are in position. Then after all that you are back to the jet plane effect. Now while I was there I was expressing my pity that they have to put up with that, only to find out this was a calm day in comparison to how it can get. Even though the Turbine slated for Tyrone are decently far away from Tyrone proper, I feel it would be a serious disservice to our Snyder Township neighbors to let this go through. I was everywhere from 2000 feet to 1.2 miles maybe a touch further in some cases and could hear these giants. Though I am one who thinks they look majestic blowing in the wind. I for one will take this as a hindsight is 20/20 test and not put our citizens or Snyder Townships citizens through such an ordeal that these folks up in Portage / Blue knob area are going through. All is fine in our community now, let’s just leave things well alone and learn from other's misfortune. My many many heartfelt thanks to those who shared their day and time, and property with me today. I learned a great deal and will certainly ask all other Council Members here in Tyrone to make another trip to hear these Giants from a distance. I have an open invitation and I certainly hope I can get some of the other Council Members up there. Thanks "InMyBackYard"

[kayaker-one]

As much as I didn't want to pop back in here I just had to....I spent 5 hours today walking through snow and knocking on doors up in the Portage / Blue Knob area. If my mind weren't already made up it is most certainly solidified now. At every stop of my ride through the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm...There was not one point where I could not hear them. At some times ever so faint and at the worst of times it made me pity the people whom have to suffer with the Wind Turbines. I put around 12-18 miles on my car in just this area. I spoke to several people and did not ask their names. I wanted them to know what I was doing and did not want them to feel I would expose them to the media or the like. I will tell you that in some spots where I did not see the turbines because of the fog, I could hear them even better. Some people will say that you can hear them because you can see their movement, sort of a psychological thing. But guess what I could not see them because of the fog and the noise was there.

Bill, I really admire your dedication to the folks of Tyrone. I wish other public officials took the time and effort to research a crucial vote like you have. Your account of today's trip should be made public to other communities who are facing similar decisions. Would you give me permission to share your comments with other folks who are facing the same dilemma in their communities? Most public officials do not take the time like you did today, and it would be very helpful for others to hear about your experience. Would you allow me to quote today's post, so others may know of your experience?

[anne onimous1]

Bill,

Thanks for doing the leg work. I'm sure those that you visited with today wish that their elected officials had. I hope that you can encourage the other council members to do as you did today.

Sincerely,

Anne

[SoccerMom]

Wow Bill, I really admire your dedication and thank you for spending your Saturday talking to these folks. We currently live in Warriors Mark, but would like to move to the borough someday, and wether or not these things go up will certainly weigh on our decision to move. Thanks again for taking the time and caring about our and neighboring communities as much as you do!

[Ice Man]

As much as I didn't want to pop back in here I just had to....I spent 5 hours today walking through snow and knocking on doors up in the Portage / Blue Knob area. If my mind weren't already made up it is most certainly solidified now. At every stop of my ride through the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm...There was not one point where I could not hear them. At some times ever so faint and at the worst of times it made me pity the people whom have to suffer with the Wind Turbines. I put around 12-18 miles on my car in just this area. I spoke to several people and did not ask their names. I wanted them to know what I was doing and did not want them to feel I would expose them to the media or the like. I will tell you that in some spots where I did not see the turbines because of the fog, I could hear them even better. Some people will say that you can hear them because you can see their movement, sort of a psychological thing. But guess what I could not see them because of the fog and the noise was there...My last stop was a very interesting and pleasant surprise. I introduced myself and the person said she knew me, because of the posts on here. I should add that before she answered the door, I was just amazed at how these things towered over the mountain in front of their home. Then to hear them was so surreal. It really does sound like a jet plane circling overhead. I thought it was an exaggeration, until I heard it myself. Then the blades start to pitch and turn into the wind again to make the best of the blowing winds and you can hear the metal to metal adjustments and then as the blades pitch and they thump through the air until they are in position. Then after all that you are back to the jet plane effect. Now while I was there I was expressing my pity that they have to put up with that, only to find out this was a calm day in comparison to how it can get. Even though the Turbine slated for Tyrone are decently far away from Tyrone proper, I feel it would be a serious disservice to our Snyder Township neighbors to let this go through. I was everywhere from 2000 feet to 1.2 miles maybe a touch further in some cases and could hear these giants. Though I am one who thinks they look majestic blowing in the wind. I for one will take this as a hindsight is 20/20 test and not put our citizens or Snyder Townships citizens through such an ordeal that these folks up in Portage / Blue knob area are going through. All is fine in our community now, let’s just leave things well alone and learn from other's misfortune. My many many heartfelt thanks to those who shared their day and time, and property with me today. I learned a great deal and will certainly ask all other Council Members here in Tyrone to make another trip to hear these Giants from a distance. I have an open invitation and I certainly hope I can get some of the other Council Members up there. Thanks "InMyBackYard"

Another Gamesa lie documented!

Perhaps Councilman Latchford could also post The Nature Conservancy's Tamara Gagnolet's response when he gets in contact with her regarding Gamesa's comment that Tamara stated that windfarms don't significantly fragment forests!!

[My2Cents]

WONDERFUL !!! Simply Wonderful Bill !!!
This is above and beyond the call of duty !!! Thank-you.. not just from me, but, from our little town, Ice Mountain, and ALL that is contained within !!!
:flag:

[yertle]

I spent 5 hours today walking through snow and knocking on doors up in the Portage / Blue Knob area. If my mind weren't already made up it is most certainly solidified now. At every stop of my ride through the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm...There was not one point where I could not hear them. At some times ever so faint and at the worst of times it made me pity the people whom have to suffer with the Wind Turbines. I put around 12-18 miles on my car in just this area. I spoke to several people and did not ask their names. I wanted them to know what I was doing and did not want them to feel I would expose them to the media or the like. I will tell you that in some spots where I did not see the turbines because of the fog, I could hear them even better. ...... I feel it would be a serious disservice to our Snyder Township neighbors to let this go through. I was everywhere from 2000 feet to 1.2 miles maybe a touch further in some cases and could hear these giants.

[Woodrat]

Thanks for this report, Bill. I visited the Portage site on a sunny, high-pressure day with low winds, so of course other than the occasional banshee wail they were pretty silent. However, I think the weather up on the Front is more often the way it was on your visit. And there's no substitute for talking to the neighbors, is there? (In this instance or generally.) Thanks for going above and beyond... and for thinking about us Snyder Township residents!

The golden eagles are still migrating through, and depending on whether the wind is out of the east or the west, are either following the Allegheny Front/ Ice Mountain or Bald Eagle/ Brush Mountain. If you've ever wondered what a golden eagle looks like up close, here are some photos from last month taken right above Tyrone on the Brush Mountain side. http://plummershollow.wordpress.com/200 ... den-eagle/
(Click on all the photos for a larger view).

Happy Holidays, y'all.

[sandstone]

It's really a shame that municipal leaders in Juniata and Greenfield Townships (Blair County) weren't as coscientious as Tyrone Borough Councilman Bill Latchford. Had the leaders of those municipalities done the research, they could have spared their residents lots of sorrow.

It's important to keep in mind that many Tyrone residents use Ice Mountain as a recreational site. Many people go there for hiking, hunting, or just hanging out and relaxing. It's relatively close to town and easily accessible. Having a day outdoors spoiled by the noise and aesthetic degradation caused by these turbines would be upsetting to many Tyrone residents, and certainly to those who live or camp on or near Ice Mountain. Natural landscapes are important to people in a world that's becoming ever more fast-paced and often oppressive.

One thing that has not been adequately addressed is the impact of turbine noise on wildlife, particularly species that are averse to human intrusion, such as bobcats, fishers, northern goshawks, etc. Even though the US Fish and Wildlife Service names "the inducement of avoidance behavior in wildlife" as one of the three major effects of industrial windplants on wildlife (the others being forest fragmentation and direct mortality to birds and bats), we need to see more research on this topic. Perhaps Penn State could do such a study at the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm.

An overview of the effects of industrial windplants on Pennsylvania's ridges may be found at http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/mosh ... Kotala.pdf

[Something to say]

WOW...awesome pic Woodrat. We had a pr of them in our pines last week...they only stopped there briefly.....I was sooooooooo in AWE......didn't get a pic, but man, when those birds take off in flight, it's impressive and memorable.

Bill...wow.
:hail:

<---that's me...tickled pink

Thank you for taking the time and effort ...it seems you now have a sound reason.......and for that I am thrilled.

Our debates in here have been quite heated...and often head banging...lol. Promise me you will never leave a thread out of anger or frustration. YOU have contributed to this board......and believe it or not.....your contributions have made me stronger in taking a stand in something I believe in. Gosh, a few days ago I wanted to come look you up ... I wrote and deleted several pms....was gonna call you....lol. I still might.....LOL. At any rate...as a councilman you have gone the distance and back again. THANKS.


GOOOOOOOOOO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :steelers:

[Something to say]

Sandstone... I just read yesterday on the web where Penn State is going to conduct such a study. If I can find the link again I will post it for you.

[sandstone]

If you enjoy using our State Forests, then this article from a recent Sierra Club newsletter ought to alarm you:

DCNR secretary seeks to convert State Forest Land into Industrial Windplants

On June 1, Michael DiBerardinis, secretary of Pennsylvania's DCNR, announced that agency's proposal to convert portions of our state forests into industrial windplants. The secretary in the past has written that 40,000 acres of state forest land would be suitable for industrial windplant development.
This announcement should alarm all users of our state forests. Because of the problems of severe habitat fragmentation, direct mortality to birds and bats, and the inducement of avoidance behavior, industrial windfarms are incompatible with the stewardship and conservation goals of these lands. Since more than 4000 industrial wind turbines would be required to meet just 10% of Pennsylvania's electricity demand, it should be obvious that the severe ecological costs of industrial windfarms on our public lands far outweigh their puny benefits.
The Moshannon Group urges urges its members to visit Gamesa's Allegheny Ridge Windfarm, which consists of 90 industrial-scale turbines covering 13 miles of formerly unfragmented forest between Route 22 and Blue Knob State Park near Altoona. Much of this area had been designated as a Landscape Conservation Area by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy because of its extensive forest and lack of infrastructure. The forest has been replaced with clearcuts and bulldozed areas of 1-3 acres around each turbine, roadcuts ranging from 50-100 feet wide, transmission line corridors 20-50 feet wide, and substations covering 3-5 acres. The forest has been devastated.
The Pennsylvania Biological Survey's Mammal Technical Committee released a statement last fall describing the effects of industrial windplants on Pennsylvania's wildlife as "severe." Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's Director of Conservation Science Dr. Keith Bildstein has called for a moratorium on industrial windplant construction at high risk sites. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has designated many of central Pennsylvania's ridges as a high risk sites for industrial windplant development. Last month, a report by the National Academy of Science stated that industrial windplants pose a significant threat to bats and birds, especially in known migratory raptor flyways. The same National Academy of Science report condemned "the lack of any truly coordinated planning" in the rapid growth of windplants.
While supportive of wind energy in appropriate locations where it will not fragment large forested areas or endanger sensitive wildlife species or habitats, the Moshannon Group asks that sportsmen, hikers, birders, and all other outdoor enthusiasts please contact their local state representatives and senators to voice their alarm over this disturbing scheme to radically alter our State Forests.

[My2Cents]

Thanks for this report, Bill. I visited the Portage site on a sunny, high-pressure day with low winds, so of course other than the occasional banshee wail they were pretty silent. However, I think the weather up on the Front is more often the way it was on your visit. And there's no substitute for talking to the neighbors, is there? (In this instance or generally.) Thanks for going above and beyond... and for thinking about us Snyder Township residents!

The golden eagles are still migrating through, and depending on whether the wind is out of the east or the west, are either following the Allegheny Front/ Ice Mountain or Bald Eagle/ Brush Mountain. If you've ever wondered what a golden eagle looks like up close, here are some photos from last month taken right above Tyrone on the Brush Mountain side. http://plummershollow.wordpress.com/200 ... den-eagle/
(Click on all the photos for a larger view).

Happy Holidays, y'all.

FANTASTIC photos Woodrat... including all the others. I made it to page #50 will finish looking at the rest later today. They are absolutely fantastic !!! Thanks soooo much for sharing !!!

[My2Cents]

Thanks for above post sandstone... WHEW !!! Just looking at those pictures of the devistation that was done to that area should convince anyone that these windmills should never be allowed into our beautiful mountains.

[jokerman]

Bill,
Thanks for all the effort, research, and leg work you did in order to inform yourself on this issue to make a good decision when the time comes to cast your vote...and for sharing your information with us. We, as citizens of Tyrone, are extremely fortunate to have someone in your position that cares enough about our town and residents to put in the time and effort you have. I can only hope the other council members and the mayor have enough concern to do half the work you've put in to educate themselves on this important and community-changing matter...haven't heard much from any of them, though.
From all the posts and information on this thread, both pro and con, the ultimate answer and decision on the windmill issue is a no-brainer...simply put...
NO WAY!