Jack's Mountain Windmill Farm Proposal

[Danny Brotto]

Posted on the rec.aviation.soaring group is a heads-up for a proposal to build a windmill farm atop the Jack's Mountain ridge.

Information here: http://mifflin.ridgesewing.com/Jacks.htm

While the notice is aimed at the sailplane community, take a look at the google earth image rendering of the proposal. That's our HG launch in the lower right! If this happens, forget about PG or HG at Jacks.

Please have a look and participate in the letter writing campaign.

Danny Brotto

PS: There is other information of a sailplane nature at the site. Of interest to this group is the material about the windmill farm.

[mcgowantk]

Hoiy Cow! You are not kidding. They would be building right on launch. I will write to both towns. Let's hope for the best. They are not making 40 mile long ridges anymore!

Thanks for posting this Danny.

Tom

[thermalup]

The townships in my county (I am currently in NW Michigan) were engaged in a similar industrial wind turbine proposal two years ago. Duke Energy (the company leading the proposal) was secretly negotiating with landowners on leasing agreements for several hundred 500’ tall turbines. At that time, most of the townships had minimal or no zoning restrictions on industrial wind turbines. Our area is a mixture of residential neighborhoods and small farms and the wind energy proposal became a battle between the farmers wanting leasing income and the residents wanting to preserve the scenic beauty of the sensitive dune/lakeshore environment that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The first protective step forward was for township commissioners to put a 6 month temporary restriction/hold on all energy related zoning applications so that the zoning laws could be reviewed and revised. Letter writing campaigns were encouraged during this time as well as education to the public of the Duke Energy proposal.

The result was that Duke Energy went elsewhere to search for new leasing agreements with residents in townships that don’t react quickly. At first glance it would appear that what we do (soaring pilots) and a wind energy development should agree with each other. But, there are some places where an industrial development on such a massive scale is not in the best interest of the surrounding communities and also creates hazardous airspace for pilots.

One thing I plan to mention in my letter to preserve Mifflin Ridge is that research has shown that large wind turbines kill birds of prey. The ridges of Pennsylvania are well-known to be major migratory routes for almost all species of soaring birds, some of which are protected.

Thank you for the ‘head’s up’ on this issue.
(side note: the Google Earth rendition with the turbine platforms looks like each turbine would provide a personal launch pad many foot-launched pilots!)
..::JG

[Dan T]

I wrote to the two supervisors and simply suggested that they make sure that they understand the magnitude of the effort and the size of the wind turbines. It takes a considerable amount of construction effort to put in the infrastructure to support the turbines not to mention the towers and blades themselves.

As an aside I'm not aware of any facts supporting the assertion that the turbines are killing raptors or other migrating birds.

Dan T

[XCanytime]

Uh the tip of the blade of one of those contraptions is moving at a very high velocity. If any bird comes into contact with it they get sliced up pretty quickly. Bacil

[Dunegoon]

Most birds killed by wind turbines are song birds. It would not be a good idea to have any of these close to major migratory flyways. They could be shut down during migratory periods, but ironically this might be during peak power conditions.

"The estimated cumulative impact of collisions with wind turbines is several orders of magnitude lower than the estimated impacts from the leading anthropogenic causes of songbird mortality."

In other words, they are killed more often by "other" people oriented activity. But of course all of these factors add up.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/b ... _sheet.pdf

Charley

[thermalup]

Just a couple of links with reference to raptors being killed by large wind turbines:

http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/wind/bi ... unted.html
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24069 ... es-5-years

Bats are killed as well:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -kill-bats

I believe much of the eagle research/counting is performed in areas where there are resident birds that may adjust somewhat to the presence of wind turbines in their territory. Migrating birds don't have much time to adapt.
..::JG

[mcelrah]

Apparently, the birds don't actually have to be struck by the blade itself to be killed or badly injured - the shock wave gets them.
- Hugh

[deveil]

Guilty plea in bird deaths at wind farms a first

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... story.html

[Ward Odenwald]

Another article about the dark-side of wind energy. Ward

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/201 ... ution.html