Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

[anne onimous1]

I still cannot understand why the windfarm question cannot be put on the November election ballot. That would be a more realistic representation of the voting public. If you are not a registered Dem you could not vote yesterday. Why not represent all of the Tyrone voters. For this council to state that the people have spoken is neither fair or factual. If I were to have voted last evening I would have said no to the question. I am an independent and therefore unable to vote in a democratic primary. I certainly hope that others in my same shoes will speak up. Why allow 1900 people to speak for the entire community?

[salaman]

From emails and such that I have got to posts like the last...I can certainly see where this will go now...Right on que...

Yes, you can see where this is going. But I did not fire the first shot. I really had to wait to calm down before I posted that yesterday. Around lunch time yesterday, on Park Ave, a friend of mine saw a Tyrone council member walking by. She asked their stance on the watershed lease. They said that they were leaning toward a yes vote. She then asked, what about the people of Snyder Township that will have to deal with this travesty. They went on to say that "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF SNYDER TOWNSHIP." I see this as a personal attack on myself and my neighbors. Many people in Snyder Township pay for and drink from that watershed. The boro waterline runs for over a mile up Decker Hollow, and I believe that many people in Northwood also are on the waterline. None of these people got a say in this vote! Bill, you are into doing research, can you find out how many Snyder residents (not houses) drink from the Tyrone reservoirs? I also believe that the people of Snyder Township are owed an apology. Bill, if you are interested in who this council member is, and do not believe me, PM me and I will give you a name........ You can ask for yourself.

[Bill Latchford]

I still cannot understand why the windfarm question cannot be put on the November election ballot. That would be a more realistic representation of the voting public. If you are not a registered Dem you could not vote yesterday. Why not represent all of the Tyrone voters. For this council to state that the people have spoken is neither fair or factual. If I were to have voted last evening I would have said no to the question. I am an independent and therefore unable to vote in a democratic primary. I certainly hope that others in my same shoes will speak up. Why allow 1900 people to speak for the entire community?

- Annie - We contacted Blair County Court House and they said it was not a referendum worthy question (Meaning, I think and don't quote me, that there is no Borough monies being spent on the project). They said we are the Council and we should just make a decision.

[Rick]

If you are not a registered Dem you could not vote yesterday. Why not represent all of the Tyrone voters.

Any registered voter was permitted, Democrat, Republican, and Independents.

By AMANDA GOLDEN
Staff Writer
April 19, 2008
Wind turbines – it’s a topic that just won’t go away. And neither will opponents of the proposed wind farm on Ice Mountain.
With such an important decision before council, it’s not something that should be taken lightly.
Many organizations and residents have been voicing their concerns over the past two years regarding the possible wind farm and Tyrone Borough residents will get one last chance to let their voices be heard at Tuesday’s primary election.
Voters on Tuesday will be given the opportunity to participate in an informal survey regarding the 10 to 15 turbine wind farm on the borough's watershed property on Ice Mountain.
The windmill survey will require voters to simply check “yes” or “no” to the proposed wind farm.
Registered borough voters will have to show his or her voting stub before the survey can be taken. Residents who are registered Independent are not able to vote in the primary, but Mayor Jim Kilmartin said these individuals will not be left out.
“For those who are borough resident independent and don’t get to vote in the primary, but desire to vote on the wind mill survey, please contact me at the borough office,” stated Kilmartin.
Although the results of the survey cannot be binding upon borough council due to Home Rule Charter, with a total of 3,260 registered voters in the borough, it can make a powerful statement to borough council members who feel it is a fair and impartial assessment of the opinion of borough residents on the proposed wind farm project.
Juniata Valley Audubon Society (JVAS) Conservation Chairman Stan Kotala, who is also the spokesman for the Save Ice Mountain group, has been at the forefront of the opposition in Gamesa's proposed wind farm on Ice Mountain.
In a previous Daily Herald article, he said the JVAS is not opposed to wind energy, but asks that wind energy be developed in an ecologically sound manner, avoiding ecologically sensitive areas, such as Ice Mountain.
Little Juniata River Association president Bill Anderson feels similarly.
Reasons for the opposition from such organizations vary from erosion problems, to Ice Mountain being designated as a “unique” Landscape Conservation Area “of exceptional significance” in the Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory.
“An industrial wind farm on Ice Mountain would pose a serious threat to the headwater streams, springs, and seeps that feed the municipal water supply of Tyrone,” said Anderson.
To gain access to the wind farm site, miles of heavy-duty roads and other changes will have to occur. These changes pose a threat to the tributaries of the Little Bald Eagle Creek and the Little Juniata River watershed, putting them at risk of siltation and contamination.
“Because of these risks,” said Anderson, “the Little Juniata River Association asks voters in the Borough of Tyrone to reject the proposal to develop Ice Mountain into an industrial wind farm.”
Kotala also wants to encourage borough residents to stand up against the possible wind farm and vote “no” on Tuesday.
“Voters in the Borough of Tyrone should reject Gamesa's proposal to develop Ice Mountain into an industrial windplant because the risks outweigh the benefits,” said Kotala.
“The greatest of these risks is the risk of contaminating the Borough's water supply. There's no way that miles of heavy-duty roads, turbine clearings, substations, and 400-foot-tall wind turbines filled with hundreds of gallons of coolants and lubricants can be built in the watershed without putting our springs, streams, and seeps at risk.”
He continued, saying, “In addition, Ice Mountain plays an important role as a place for public recreation in the form of hiking, hunting, and other outdoor activities, all of which would be impacted severely by the noise and aesthetic degradation that an industrial windplant would bring. As a County Natural Heritage Area, Ice Mountain should be afforded the highest level of protection. Let Borough Council know that the risks of developing Ice Mountain into an industrial windplant outweigh the benefits by marking ‘no’ on the survey at the polls on Tuesday.”
Many others have voiced their opposition to the wind farm in previous editions of The Daily Herald, including today’s Letters to the Editor section.
Most of the Ice Mountain wind farm opponents do not deny there are positive aspects to wind energy.
One of the main benefits to the borough would be the monetary aspect. The wind turbines would generate annual revenue for the borough for 30 years at $7,500 per turbine.
With a proposed quantity of 10 to 15 turbines, and potential for greater return through royalties, the amount of revenue generated would be substantial.
There is also the possibility of creating new employment opportunities, although this would be minimal - possibly only one to two new jobs here in our area.
Also, as somewhat of a built in protection, the agreement between Gamesa and the borough is bonded to provide protection for the borough in the event Gamesa is sold or if the turbines become obsolete.
On the other side, none of the electricity generated from the wind farm will be provided to the borough. Also, the proposed project location is where the head waters of Sinking Run provide the direct source of water for the borough reservoir.
Although the money side of it sounds right and Gamesa's stance on environmental effects of the wind farm site and its surroundings are addressed by the company by carefully looking into and abiding by the laws, some local organizations feel the Ice Mountain site is not a good place for Gamesa to set up shop for an abundance of environmental concerns.
“While there is little doubt that Gamesa, owned by a foreign corporation, will be held to high standards at first, time will pass,” said Anderson.
However, in the future “will we question whether our public agencies, such as DEP and the Tyrone Borough managers, will have the resources to ensure future compliance, or will we wake up one day to find that one or more turbines have failed - as they have in other places - and dirt roads are eroding and washing out….”
But Anderson said at that point it will be too late because “the damage to our watershed will already be done.”

[Bill Latchford]

From emails and such that I have got to posts like the last...I can certainly see where this will go now...Right on que...

Yes, you can see where this is going. But I did not fire the first shot. I really had to wait to calm down before I posted that yesterday. Around lunch time yesterday, on Park Ave, a friend of mine saw a Tyrone council member walking by. She asked their stance on the watershed lease. They said that they were leaning toward a yes vote. She then asked, what about the people of Snyder Township that will have to deal with this travesty. They went on to say that "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF SNYDER TOWNSHIP." I see this as a personal attack on myself and my neighbors. Many people in Snyder Township pay for and drink from that watershed. The boro waterline runs for over a mile up Decker Hollow, and I believe that many people in Northwood also are on the waterline. None of these people got a say in this vote! Bill, you are into doing research, can you find out how many Snyder residents (not houses) drink from the Tyrone reservoirs? I also believe that the people of Snyder Township are owed an apology. Bill, if you are interested in who this council member is, and do not believe me, PM me and I will give you a name........ You can ask for yourself.

Salaman - I know I have looked into this quite a bit and I have mentioned how I care about our neighbors in Snyder township. I have looked over the sound maps and been up to The Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm I think like 16 times now and I truly believe, in my mind, that there should not be an sound issue up on Decker Hollow Road. Of course that is only me. Now to the issue of water quality, there is no proof either way that there will be any water issues resulting from this project. That is one scare tactic that I had heard from a few of the no voters. I of course could not mention anything since we were not supposed to voice any thoughts before people voted. After the vote was done I did ask where they had heard that their water was going to be effected and they said from a person when they signed the petition. I don't know how many of those things were running around, but that was certainly not what people should have been saying. That is an unfounded thought and nothing says that it will or will not happen. To me that is a scare tactic and should have been avoided. Back to the neighbor thing...You are right that was not a very neighborly thing that was said by the Council Member...But each person has their own opinion and their own mannerisms. I just personally couldn't say something like that. No matter how heated this thing gets...we are all still neighbors. We have to live together. Just like people saying that because I am for the Wind Turbines that the survey had to be fixed...That was a very sad and personal statement for someone to make...I understand the passion in this, but personal attacks will get us no where. I have been a Council Member for 14 years and this is the hardest thing I have had to deal with while serving. The whole Wind Farm topic does really end out boiling down to a personal decision. Each Council member has to do what is in their heart. It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, and this Council has reached out and made sure there were no "Coming in the Back Door" deals. The public has been kept up to date and given a chance to get involved. The voters had an important task and they rose to the occasion. No one should call them ignorant, or uninformed...they had a job and they did it. I truly believe that some were intimidated by how big the voice of the opposition seemed. Like I said this board was a tremendous help to me, but I still can't help but think that every little bit helps. I am not a huge nature fan so I can't change that over night. These hard decisions have to be made and the Council was elected to make them. They received much help from the petitioned and polled public. We will just have to wait for a decision now. I personally hope it is soon now.

[anne onimous1]

I was told that as a registered Independent I was ineligible to vote. Not one word was mentioned about it being possible for me to vote on the wind farm issue. How can you say that anyone could vote, democrat, republican or independent. Did you not read the second paragraph of your own post?

[sandstone]

http://www.psiee.psu.edu/news/calendar/ ... Ad2008.pdf

Anyone serious about our energy future ought to go to this lecture, which features the speakers I've mentioned in several previous posts:

"Strategies for Our Energy Future"
Saturday April 26th at 11:00 a.m. in 100 Thomas Building, University Park

This event is a panel discussion with the six Penn State energy experts that were featured in the 2008 "Running on Empty" edition of the Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science. The panelists include Richard Alley, Jack Brenizer, Matthew Mench, Tom Richard, Harold Schobert, and John Golbeck.

[Bill Latchford]

I was told that as a registered Independent I was ineligible to vote. Not one word was mentioned about it being possible for me to vote on the wind farm issue. How can you say that anyone could vote, democrat, republican or independent. Did you not read the second paragraph of your own post?

From Rick's Post above - "The windmill survey will require voters to simply check “yes” or “no” to the proposed wind farm.
Registered borough voters will have to show his or her voting stub before the survey can be taken. Residents who are registered Independent are not able to vote in the primary, but Mayor Jim Kilmartin said these individuals will not be left out.
“For those who are borough resident independent and don’t get to vote in the primary, but desire to vote on the wind mill survey, please contact me at the borough office,” stated Kilmartin."

[150thBucktailCo.I]

Round up 109 independents!

[Something to say]

By AMANDA GOLDEN
Staff Writer
April 19, 2008
....Although the results of the survey cannot be binding upon borough council due to Home Rule Charter, with a total of 3,260 registered voters in the borough, it can make a powerful statement to borough council members who feel it is a fair and impartial assessment of the opinion of borough residents on the proposed wind farm project.


So....600 voters support the wind farm on Ice Mountain, according to the vote, and that is a powerful statement in council's eyes... one of which is viewed as an impartial assessment of the residents.

I see a table with Tyrone's ( leaders ) sitting around bantering and laughing and welcoming the community.... "we have a survey for you ...check yes or no".

Chorus:
Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do, well then dont be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to.
I think this is how love goes, check yes or no.


1400 signatures on a petition opposed the wind farm on Ice Mountain and that is what? :huh: A childish, immature, partial and Biased assessment of the residents of Tyrone? Tell that to the brave souls that ventured out in the dead of winter to SIGN that petition opposing this windfarm, tell them their opinion means NOTHING to this council.

[Ice Man]

Now to the issue of water quality, there is no proof either way that there will be any water issues resulting from this project. That is one scare tactic that I had heard from a few of the no voters. I of course could not mention anything since we were not supposed to voice any thoughts before people voted. After the vote was done I did ask where they had heard that their water was going to be effected and they said from a person when they signed the petition. I don't know how many of those things were running around, but that was certainly not what people should have been saying. That is an unfounded thought and nothing says that it will or will not happen. To me that is a scare tactic and should have been avoided.

What you wrote above is illogical. You wrote "That is an unfounded thought and nothing says that it will or will not happen" referring to the risk of polluting the streams, springs and seeps that feed our reservoirs. By saying that "nothing says that it will or will not happen" you admit that there is the risk of contamination. No one said that there WILL be contamination. They said that there is a RISK of contamination. Risk = The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger.

By your way of thinking, a physician should not tell his patients not to smoke because the physician cannot be certain that the patient definitely will develop lung cancer as a result. Would you label a doctor's advice to his patient not to smoke because of the risk of developing lung cancer a "scare tactic?"

Just as smoking increases your risk of developing lung cancer, constructing roads or buildings, or substations increases the risk of particulate and chemical contamination of our water supply. In addition, oil and coolant from the turbines increases the risk of chemical pollution of our water supply. Plus, this dramatic increase in roads in the watershed will invite increased travel by ATVs and 4 x 4s, illegal activity, etc.

You never did answer my question as to why ATVs and snowmobiles are prohibited on watershed lands owned by the borough. I think that its probably because they increase the RISK of watershed contamination.

[Ice Man]

Around lunch time yesterday, on Park Ave, a friend of mine saw a Tyrone council member walking by. She asked their stance on the watershed lease. They said that they were leaning toward a yes vote. She then asked, what about the people of Snyder Township that will have to deal with this travesty. They went on to say that "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF SNYDER TOWNSHIP." Bill, if you are interested in who this council member is, and do not believe me, PM me and I will give you a name........ You can ask for yourself.

Salaman;

The borough concil person who said "I don't care" should be made public. I see no reason to withhold his or her name. People need to know!

[banksy]

I don't care bout the people of Bellwood either! Well, unless they are former TAHS grads who now live there for some strange reason, but ultimately I don't care about Bellwood. I think Gamesa should install windmills all over that village.

[Something to say]

Bill Latchford says


"....Now to the issue of water quality, there is no proof either way that there will be any water issues resulting from this project. That is one scare tactic that I had heard from a few of the no voters. I of course could not mention anything since we were not supposed to voice any thoughts before people voted. After the vote was done I did ask where they had heard that their water was going to be effected and they said from a person when they signed the petition. I don't know how many of those things were running around, but that was certainly not what people should have been saying. That is an unfounded thought and nothing says that it will or will not happen. To me that is a scare tactic and should have been avoided. Back to the neighbor thing...You are right that was not a very neighborly thing that was said by the Council Member...But each person has their own opinion and their own mannerisms. "

From Karen Ervin, Meyersdale, PA

07 March 2006

To Interested Parties:

We have experienced more power outages and surges; as well as excessive water run off from the clear cut ridge top- Glade City was flooded with an enormous amount of water run-off from Hurricane Ivan- photographs and video footage clearly define where the water came from, disruption of portable phones within home and television reception, shadow flicker nuisances while driving on the local roadway and reported at a local Rod and Gun Club, a blinding white strobe light that was malfunctioning on one of the large turbines, and during daytime-close adjacent property owners disrupted by strobes.
Remember we must work hand in hand to preserve what God has given us, to be greedy and to want to accomplish the goal of making a quick dollar at the expense of everyone and everything else is selfish. We need to take care of what we have now, not only for our future but also for the future generations that will follow. This industry without stringent regulations can be truly labeled a "Pandora's Box". Be careful for what is opened, and be prepared for the negative impacts that have occurred and continue to occur with this industry. http://www.savewesternny.org/docs/letters.html






Silt run-off during the construction of a wind farm is believed to be the source responsible for the wiping out of valuable vegetation and a colossal decrease in wild Brown Trout fish stocks in one of Tyrone’s hidden beauty spots.

During recent weeks and months, nets dropped in Lough Lee – situated close to Bin Mountain above Killen and Drumquin – under the instruction of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, turned up only a minuscule sample of small puny fish.

One source described the fish caught as “feeble and malnourished” and indicated that the “damage to the rare genetic strain was irreparable.” Lough Lee has long been considered by angling tourists as one of the most unique freshwater fishing sites in Ireland or Britain.

The UH has learned that earlier this year, while the Bin Mountain wind farm was under construction, such was the extent of the silt and clay run-off that the entire loughwas severely polluted resulting in complete discolouration.
http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=8007


Run off is NOT imagined...it's real.

[Something to say]

I don't care bout the people of Bellwood either! Well, unless they are former TAHS grads who now live there for some strange reason, but ultimately I don't care about Bellwood. I think Gamesa should install windmills all over that village.

How surprising!!!