Say no to wind turbines
Gary Verkleeren of Iberdrola Renewables is pressuring the Fayette County commissioners to allow wind development without the need for a special exception, since companies would still have to comply with all county, state, and federal regulations. There are no state or federal regulations for wind development. In Pennsylvania, control is left to local municipalities.
Likewise, at the federal level, there are no regulations that protect U.S. citizens from the noise and shadow flicker associated with wind development.
The guidelines that have been developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service urge that wind developers should avoid forested ridges – exactly where Verkleeren’s project is proposed in Fayette County.
Local zoning restrictions are the only protection that citizens have.
If the Fayette County Commissioners do not protect their citizens from the negative impacts of industrial development, then no state or federal mandates will prevail.
Another argument is that wind projects create jobs and promote tourism.
This argument simply does not stand up to scrutiny.
A recent analysis of Spain’s green job industry, considered a leading example by many U.S. politicians, concludes that the Spanish/EU-style “green jobs” agenda destroys jobs and hinders Spain’s way out of the current economic crisis.
The report can be read at: http://www.juandemariana.org/pdf/090327-employment-public-aid-renewable.pdf
.
Industrial wind projects do bring some people, but they are like rubbernecking at a horrible accident that you hope will never, ever happen to your community.
Wind developers like to take clients to see wind projects. Guests are invited to stand directly under a turbine (where there is very little noise), instead of walking completely around a turbine.
It is hard to understand how Verkleeren maintains his position on the Fayette County Planning Commission while simultaneously planning the degradation of beautiful Chestnut Ridge.
Laura Jackson
Evertt, Pa