Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

[150thBucktailCo.I]

Welcome to The Dark Side, Bill!

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Good job and good investigation. THAT'S the type of work that I expect out of our elected officials. And I fully respect you for taking the time to do that.

An elected official who only listens, believes, and/or gives impartial weight to the information that a lobbyist or representative of a certain company or entity supplies for their own benefit is not doing his/her civic duty to the public.

You did not do that, and are to be commended for it.

[Ice Man]

Here's a summary of Tuesday evening's Gamesa forum from Save Our Allegheny Ridges (SOAR) saveouralleghenyridges.com:


Hi folks,

The weather was frightful and so were Gamesa reps who spoke to anti-wind citizens at Tyrone’s meeting on Dec. 5. Only one person was for Gamesa’s project on Ice Mountain. Some were undecided, including 4 Tyrone council members. One other council member, Bill Latchford, was quite vocal at the meeting and asked good questions. The Gamesa representatives consisted of Ellen Lutz, Tim Vought (proposed Shaffer Mountain project), Josh Framel (proposed Sandy Ridge project on Ice Mountain), and Michael Barton (forester for Portage who claims he doesn’t work for Gamesa).

Protesters with signs did a good job outside the Senior Center before the meeting, but it was dark, cold, and snowy, so that affected turnout. Channel 6 interviewed Stan Kotala before the meeting and channel 10 interviewed him at the end of the meeting. Kudos to Kotala for presenting the FACTS and not the spin on wind that Gamesa promotes.

The first hour of the meeting was full of one-on-one conversation as the audience milled around the posters, talked to Gamesa representatives, and generally sat around and socialized. One of the posters said that Gamesa’s turbines don’t produce the low frequency vibrations. When I asked Ellen about it, she filled my ears with her explanation of the noise problem at the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm. She said that residents were hearing a whistling sound caused by a small tear on the edge of one of the blades. There would be acoustic experts on site in the near future to determine which turbine was causing the noise, and the problem could then be fixed in two days. She made it sound so simple!

Ellen also made a point to let me know that the photos of the wind project on the SOAR billboards were misleading, since the image was not of a Gamesa project and Gamesa does not build their projects like the billboards depict. She requested that we remove those images as soon as possible. I told her I would pass that information along to the billboard project group.

After an hour of chit-chat, Ellen called the crowd together and we all sat down to hear about 75 minutes of Q and A. Questions from the audience were pointed, caustic, and accusatory. Ellen, Tim, and Josh rhapsodized about all the clean air that Tyrone could breathe from wind, spinning their versions of half-truths and slanted information. Ellen downright misrepresented The Nature Conservancy in a set of remarks about forest fragmentation, stating that TNC feels that “a wind farm has a minute impact compared to a highway”. One of the council members asked her for contact info, and Ellen referred to Tamara. Tamara was contacted the next day and she was dumbfounded that Ellen would misinform us and misrepresent TNC.

Tyrone residents made it clear to Gamesa and the council that they were against wind development on Ice Mountain. Concerns about the watershed were raised (Ellen said they can guarantee that nothing Gamesa does will harm the water quality). Ellen said that Gamesa’s #1 priority is watershed protection. She also said she was “befuddled” as to why people feel wind farms impact water quality. People explained about vibrations from the turbines, digging into pyritic rock, oil leaking from turbines, etc. Ellen said that there will be no blasting, and the turbine pads are only 8 feet deep. Tim Vought pointed out that the US has had wind turbines for 25 years and there has never been a problem with groundwater.

The ineffectiveness of the wind turbines was pointed out, and Latchford said that a new coal plant is being built in Carthage, so how can wind really make any indifference in air quality?

The consensus of the audience was to leave the mountain alone – don’t mess with something that works. Tyrone residents have great drinking water and they want to keep it that way.

Ellen stressed that the Somerset Daily American asked young people to write letters about wind energy and all 10 letters supported wind and said it was good for Somerset County. Does anyone know more about this?

The meeting ended and I talked a little bit more to one of the female council members who told me that a lot of Tyrone residents support the project and she was really disappointed that they didn’t come out to the meeting. I pointed out that they probably didn’t really care about what was going to happen and that she should listen to the people who really do care – the ones who came to the meeting.

There is a council meeting on Monday night, Dec.10, and the council could vote on the project. However, it is also likely that they will vote in January, when new council members come on board. If anyone has an update on the vote date, please let me know.

Once again, Gamesa is trying to develop an area that is a valuable ecological resource for a community. There are a lot of parallels between the Sandy Ridge project and the Shaffer Mountain project. The key difference is that no lease has been signed yet in Tyrone.

[kayaker-one]

kayaker-1

I would love to see the video also. You tube would be a great place to post it. Much more exposure.

I appreciate all the requests to post the video of the Dec. 5 meeting, but I don't want to provide misinformation such as was presented by Gamesa at the meeting. Their answers to many of the questions posed that night are incomplete or erroneous. So I would not feel comfortable posting the video for all to see - why spread incorrect information? The purpose of the video was to document Gamesa's statements. If anyone has a specific concern with what was said that night, then we can verify it with the tape.

[My2Cents]

kayaker-1

I would love to see the video also. You tube would be a great place to post it. Much more exposure.

I appreciate all the requests to post the video of the Dec. 5 meeting, but I don't want to provide misinformation such as was presented by Gamesa at the meeting. Their answers to many of the questions posed that night are incomplete or erroneous. So I would not feel comfortable posting the video for all to see - why spread incorrect information? The purpose of the video was to document Gamesa's statements. If anyone has a specific concern with what was said that night, then we can verify it with the tape.

I'd love to see it too, but, you're right !!! Good thinking kayaker-one !!! :thumb:

[salaman]

Councilman Latchford I am so pleased and impressed that you took the time to talk to the residents in the vicinity of the Allegheny Ridge Windfarm. Those poor people. As a resident of Snyder Township that lives in the Mountain Orchard area I would like to thank you for my neighbors and myself. The impact on the people that live here would be severe. Noise, shadow flicker, loss of viewshed and property values would all be unbearable. Some people may develop sleep disorders or Vibro Acoustic Disease. Back in October I visited three windfarms in one day. Two in Pennsylvania, and one in West Virginia (the infamous Mountaineer site). The noise and sight of them was horrible. Now if you can only convince the rest of Council to at least speak with some of the Blue Knob residents. Thanks again Bill for thinking about your neighbors in Snyder Township!

Also remember that Gamesa can not reference any study that proves that they actually reduce CO2 emissions.

[twinsmom]

Thanks. Bill, for the time you took to go to Portage! I wish every council member would take your pro-active attitude!

[cruiser1]

Kudos to Bill! Thank you SOAR. Keep spreading the message everyone. The townspeople are getting educated and that is not good for Gamesa. We can end this nightmare with a smile on our face.

[My2Cents]

Very good council meeting tonight, was a first for me. Everything as far as windmills are concerned remains status quo... nothing was decided on tonight. "Twinsmom" spoke and suggested that perhaps council consider placing a voting area (for or against) on the next ballot in May.

[150thBucktailCo.I]

Good job going to the meeting, 2cents!

I try to get to my township meeting as regularly as I can.

[twinsmom]

I received a call this morning from the Director of Elections in Blair County. She informed me that it would not be legal to place the Gamesa question on the May ballot. This question would need to be voted on by the Tyrone council. If you are against the turbines coming into our area, let your voice be heard at the next January meeting.

Why does this feel like David vs. Goliath?

[anne onimous1]

I cannot believe that a referendum cannot be added to the ballot. Why should the council have all of the voting rights on this issue. It's like allowing the politicians to give themselves a raise. ( yes, I know they already have ) Why should they have that power? If the people voted on wheter or not they (the politicians) should have one ,they certainly would not get one, if not warranted. Let the people decide these things. Politicians, stop forgetting who you work for. Power to the PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!

[Bill Latchford]

I cannot believe that a referendum cannot be added to the ballot. Why should the council have all of the voting rights on this issue. It's like allowing the politicians to give themselves a raise. They certainly would not get one because it is very unpopular with the masses as are the wind turbines.

That is the object of a Borough Council, the public votes them in to be their voice or because they feel that these persons will do what is in the town's best interest. Question in point about the raises...You don't vote them in again like the latest rounds of political races when so many politicians did not get voted back in because they had voted themselves a raise. Some won a stay of being voted out by giving the raise back. I think I got most of that right

[anne onimous1]

So, I guess the real question is have their voices been heard. Sounds like the majority is opposed to the project. This is a huge issue. Bigger than any you have ever dealt with...that is my opinion. A referendum is in order. You spent a huge wad of money on a park that noone is allowed to enjoy. Waste. Waste. Waste!!!!!!!!

[anne onimous1]

As far as the politcal raises. I can't give myself a raise just because I feel that I deserve one. I can work hard for my employer so that he feels that I deserve one.

[My2Cents]

Thanks Bucktail... I was very impressed with it all !!! As I said, it was a first for me and I honestly did not know what to expect. I left there with a sense of pride and actually seeing and listening to our Mayor and our council and decisions they have to make concerning our hometown and it's well being. Now that I have experienced this personally... I must say that the people of Tyrone,PA should be very, very proud of every single person that we have working for, and representing, our little hometown... including the one's that have been newly elected and will assume their duty in January. These folks really care about our hometown... it's a thankless job, they get their share of ridicule which is truly not deserved.
Keep the faith folks, keep the faith !!!
"twinsmom," it was very nice meeting you at the council meeting... I don't mean to speak for others, but, I can almost assure you that all of us who are so very much animate about keeping these windmills out of our area appreciate your addressing the council. Your suggestion of putting this issue on the May ballot was a VERY GOOD idea . At least we know now, it can't be done. This in itself should make people be more aware of the fact that we cannot for one minute let our guard down. It's going to be up to our community to decide.... people are still unaware out there of the potential impact these will have on us. People still need to be informed and not mislead by inuendos. We are most definately going to be stuck with a mess if these people are believed and a lease is signed.
Thanks once again "twinsmom."
I still say.... once all is said and done and these windmills are out of our life forever..... the whole town should celebrate !!!
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