Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

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Blain
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Re: industrial windplants

Post by Blain »

sandstone wrote:Anyone who'd like to learn more about industrial windplants ought to check

http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/mosh ... Kotala.pdf

http://saveouralleghenyridges.com/

http://www.windaction.org/
By "learn more", you mean "get propaganda from one side of the argument"?
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banksy
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Post by banksy »

If they put the Turbines up there, I encourage them to pain them Orange
sandstone
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Re: industrial windplants

Post by sandstone »

Blain wrote:
sandstone wrote:Anyone who'd like to learn more about industrial windplants ought to check

http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/mosh ... Kotala.pdf

http://saveouralleghenyridges.com/

http://www.windaction.org/
By "learn more", you mean "get propaganda from one side of the argument"?
I suppose that you think it's best to get unbiased information from Gamesa rather than from organizations which have no financial interest in this project.
Blain
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Re: industrial windplants

Post by Blain »

sandstone wrote:
Blain wrote:
sandstone wrote:Anyone who'd like to learn more about industrial windplants ought to check

http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/mosh ... Kotala.pdf

http://saveouralleghenyridges.com/

http://www.windaction.org/
By "learn more", you mean "get propaganda from one side of the argument"?
I suppose that you think it's best to get unbiased information from Gamesa rather than from organizations which have no financial interest in this project.
No, I think it's better to get unbiased information.
Vidalia

Post by Vidalia »

Does anyone know if Gamesa has posted any documents about the proposed site? Surely there's something that we can review.
Break_Like_The_Wind

Post by Break_Like_The_Wind »

I'm pretty sure I saw an artistic rendering of the site.
The engineering and technical symbols are hard to decipher, but you can still get a good idea of what the proposed site will look like.
I'll see if I can find it.
Break_Like_The_Wind

Post by Break_Like_The_Wind »

Found It!










Image
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DonkeyHoagie
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Post by DonkeyHoagie »

Fret not over the windmill's power to maim the wing'd bird; nor, equate its power with a cat's appetite, my friends. Rather, think hard of the foul spirit it engenders in one's very soul.
For when we tap the power of wind do we not attempt to assail the heights of Babel, the very steps of God? What be next? Wind-powered restaurant hands that fashion metal hoagies?
Take heed: trust only your soul's purpose in this world and you won't stray to the demon forces of winds and the sundry effects of breezes.

I am,
Donkey Hoagie

PS. Fine rendering Banksy. It is in art that we come closest to the breath of our creator. The dead bird could use a little help, pardon the criticism.
Jerry, I know myself. And if I'm on the streets, and it starts to go down, I don't back off, until it's finished.
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sandstone
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Re: industrial windplants

Post by sandstone »

Blain wrote:
sandstone wrote:
Blain wrote:
sandstone wrote:Anyone who'd like to learn more about industrial windplants ought to check

http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/mosh ... Kotala.pdf

http://saveouralleghenyridges.com/

http://www.windaction.org/
By "learn more", you mean "get propaganda from one side of the argument"?
I suppose that you think it's best to get unbiased information from Gamesa rather than from organizations which have no financial interest in this project.
No, I think it's better to get unbiased information.
Here's another source for you to review: http://www.eswr.com/latest/307/nrcwind.htm

It's a report by the National Research Council (an arm of the National Academey of Sciences, an independent organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific matters) that was published just a few weeks ago. It's a large report, but here are a few salient points:

1. Wind generation in the mid-Atlantic highlands - elevated regions of Virginia , West Virginia , Maryland and Pennsylvania - is unlikely to reduce emissions of nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide because current and upcoming regulation will limit those emissions in eastern states.

2. In the mid-Atlantic highlands, preliminary studies indicate that more bats are killed than expected based on experience with bats in other regions. There is not enough information to determine whether the number of bats killed will have overall effects on populations. However, there has been a region-wide decline in several species of bats in the eastern states, so the possibility of population effects is significant.

3. Turbines placed on ridges, as many are in the mid-Atlantic highlands, appear to have a higher probability of causing bat fatalities than those at many other sites.

An unbiased assessment of the conservation value of Ice Mountain was done by the Blair County Planning Commission through the Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory about 5 years ago. Ice Mountain and its surrounding area were designated as a Landscape Conservation Area (Allegheny Front #1 LCA) and County Natural Heritage Area of Exceptional Significance. 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 hermit thrush. No major roads or infrastructure disrupt the forest's continuity.

The Executive Summary of the Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory describes Landscape Conservation Areas as “large contiguous areas that are important because of their size, open space, habitats, and/or inclusion of one or more Biological Diversity Areas.” It goes on to say;

“These large regions in relatively natural condition can be viewed as regional assets; they improve quality of life by providing a landscape imbued with a sense of beauty and wilderness, they provide a sustainable economic base, and their high ecological integrity offers unique capacity to support biodiversity and human health. Planning and stewardship efforts can preserve these functions of the landscape by limiting the overall amount of land converted to other uses, thereby minimizing fragmentation of these areas.”

Ice Mountain and its surrounding area were also designated as Greenways in the revision of the Blair County Comprehensive Plan; which was based on public comments received in 2002-2005 . Greenways are areas where the preservation of the natural landscape should be given first priority. The Areawide Comprehensive Plan for Blair County (adopted by the Blair County Commissioners last year) 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 arrays of 450-foot tall towers with 140-foot long whirling blades.

The assessments of the National Academy of Science and the Blair County Planning Commission are factual and contain no bias.
tyroid

Post by tyroid »

Blain wrote:
sandstone wrote: the National Research Council (an arm of the National Academey of Sciences, an independent organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific matters) that was published just a few weeks ago. It's a large report, but here are a few salient points:

While I sat down last night to enjoy an East End hoagie (medium green), I had a chance to review the report you posted. You are quite correct, the points are both salient and lugubrious. It certainly warrants further consideration. Clearly, many East End hoagies will need to be consumed before I make my mind up.
I'm glad to see that you're keeping an open mind. :D
sandstone
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industrial windpants and wildlife

Post by sandstone »

tyroid wrote:
Blain wrote:
sandstone wrote: the National Research Council (an arm of the National Academey of Sciences, an independent organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific matters) that was published just a few weeks ago. It's a large report, but here are a few salient points:

While I sat down last night to enjoy an East End hoagie (medium green), I had a chance to review the report you posted. You are quite correct, the points are both salient and lugubrious. It certainly warrants further consideration. Clearly, many East End hoagies will need to be consumed before I make my mind up.
While you're chowing down the hoagie, you might read this statement by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, an independent association of scientists who give impartial advice to Pennsylvania's conservation agencies:

The Mammal Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey recognizes the need and desire to promote a clean renewable source of energy for the future. Wind energy offers such promise, and is being widely considered within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. However, the development of this industry also has been shown to be extremely hazardous to wildlife, especially bats.

Bats are the major predators of night-flying insect in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. As such, they are keystone species whose impact on the environment is linked strongly to many other plants and animals. These include humans in both biological and economic terms. Its is estimated that the value of the insect control that bats provide in the Us. S. is in the billions of dollars annually. Bats already are declining throughout the U.S.. With their exceptionally low reproductive rates, further declines in bat numbers would be a point of deep concern for all.

After reviewing the growing evidence from locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Tennessee, the Mammal Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey strongly concurs with the position of Bat Conservation International that the impact of wind power facilities on wildlife is severe.
Even by the most conservative estimates, tens of thousands of bats are being killed by wind turbines in these states each year.

The cumulative effect on bats from such sites could be devastating. Further development of wind power facilities cannot be condoned until solutions are found to minimize the effect of these turbines on bats. We fully support the need to develop research and the appropriate monitoring of mortality of bats at existing sites for this purpose. Minimally, the environmental impact on bats should be examined and included as a factor in any site selection being considered for future wind turbine construction. Specifically, we recommend that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania require companies to have adequate pre-construction monitoring of bat activity levels for at least 2-3 years prior to construction, follow-up studies during construction, and monitoring of bat kills for a minimum of 2-3 years after construction. Because of carcass scavenging, these surveys need to be done on a regular basis and are especially critical during the migration season. In addition, the development of a standardized methodology for these surveys would allow for between-site comparison.

With commitment from the wind energy industry to work with the scientific community to find solutions to the bat kill problems associated with wind turbines, the impact of wind farms on wildlife can be minimized. This commitment would only strengthen the development of wind power as a safe, renewable source of energy for the future.
woodpecker
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Where is....

Post by woodpecker »

Where is Ice Mountain?
tyroid

Re: Where is....

Post by tyroid »

woodpecker wrote:Where is Ice Mountain?
Ice Mountain is part of the Allegheny Front, which is also the eastern terminus of the Allegheny Plateau of which the Allegheny mountains are a part. The highest ridges are just west of the Allegheny Front, which has an east-west elevational change of up to 3,000 feet.


Under the Allegheny Mountains are the former Dwarf realms of Moria and the Orc mines in which Bilbo Baggins stumbles across the One Ring. Rivendell was hidden in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains at the western end of the High Pass. Carn Dûm, where the Witch-king of Angmar resided for several centuries in the Third Age, lay between a western spur of the northern extreme of the mountains, known as the Mountains of Angmar. Isengard lay centered around the tower of Orthanc in Nan Cúrunir between the arms of Methedras. Eagles had eyries in the Mountains. The Mountains were also home to the only known Balrog in the Second and Third Ages, until it was destroyed by Gandalf the Grey and Mayor Stoner in T.A 3019.
Last edited by tyroid on Fri May 18, 2007 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sandstone
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Re: Where is....

Post by sandstone »

woodpecker wrote:Where is Ice Mountain?
It's northwest of Tyrone. Ice Mountain is the mountain to your right as you travel west up Route 453. The industrial windfarm will extend from Route 350 in the east, paralleling Route 453, to Route 153 and 53 in the west. It will surround State Game Lands 60 on 3 sides. Gamesa calls this their Sandy Ridge project.
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banksy
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Post by banksy »

Ah, so it probably makes Phillipsbugh looks worse than Tyrone? If that's the case I talked to Vroman and he says its okay to roll with.
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