PORTLAND, Maine — A nonprofit organization filed a federal lawsuit Monday in a last-ditch effort to prevent the planned expansion of the Kibby Mountain wind farm in northwestern Maine.
The Friends of the Boundary Mountains filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Portland against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, claiming the federal agency neglected several federal laws in late September when it provided a permit to TransCanada Maine Wind Development Inc. allowing the company to expand its Kibby Mountain wind farm onto nearby Sisk Mountain in northern Franklin County.
The lawsuit named as defendants Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, and Jay Clement, the Army Corps’ senior project manager in the New England District.
The Friends of the Boundary Mountains, which was founded in 1995 and is based in Farmington, claims the expansion of the wind farm will violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act, according to court documents. In addition, the group alleges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to comply with the Clean Water Act when it issued the permit to TransCanada.
Before TransCanada had completed its original 44-turbine Kibby Mountain project in 2010, it already had proposed an expansion onto nearby Sisk Mountain. After TransCanada scaled back its expansion plans from 15 to 11 turbines, Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission approved the project in January 2011. The Friends of the Boundary Mountains opposed TransCanada’s original Kibby Mountain wind farm, as well as the Sisk Mountain expansion.
Bob Wiengarten, the nonprofit’s president, said this lawsuit is the group’s last chance to stop TransCanada from building the Sisk Mountain expansion.
“We’ve been fighting this a long time,” Wiengarten said. “We’re a minority trying to protect these species from the onslaught from wind power.”
The group’s lawsuit is related to a permit TransCanada needed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is the keeper of the inland waterways under the Clean Water Act, to temporarily and permanently fill in some wetland areas to build the wind farm expansion. As part of its compliance with the Clean Water Act, the Army Corps also is required to judge the resulting effect on wildlife.
The lawsuit argues that while the Corps had a responsibility to investigate the wind farm’s effect on the golden eagle and the Bicknell’s thrush, it failed to adequately do so. Wiengarten claims both species, which have habitat on or around Sisk Mountain, would be at risk if TransCanada is allowed to expand its wind farm.
Tim Dugan, a spokesman for the Army Corps in New England, declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing internal policy.
The complaint argues that the golden eagle species is “falling between the cracks” as neither LURC nor the federal government has exercised “the necessary due diligence in evaluating the true risks and threats to the species,” the complaint claims. Maine considers the golden eagle an endangered species, though the federal government does not. It is protected, however, under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Act.
The lawsuit cites a May 2011 letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to TransCanada: “Proper siting of wind turbines continues to be the [service]’s most critical concern related to wind energy development to avoid and minimize wildlife mortality and habitat fragmentation. New information about migration and movements of golden eagles suggest this species may be the raptor most vulnerable to wind power in the eastern U.S.”
Wiengarten said the Army Corps put conditions into the permit that it claims will protect the golden eagle, but the conditions are inadequate. One such condition is that TransCanada needs to develop an eagle conservation plan, but the company can build the wind farm before submitting it, Wiengarten said.
“We don’t think that’s a very logical way of proceeding,” Wiengarten said. “We know in the real world that these conditions don’t mean anything. Once TransCanada builds it, it’s too late.”
This could be the first lawsuit in Maine that cites the Eagle Act as a reason to prevent the construction of a wind farm, according to Todd Griset, an attorney at Preti Flaherty who specializes in the energy sector.
“I have seen other lawsuits alleging violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, although I am not aware of any such claims made in Maine,” he wrote in an email.
The Bicknell’s thrush is a migratory bird that spends its winters in the Caribbean and its summers in the subalpine habitat found on Sisk Mountain. The species is rare and fickle about choosing its breeding habitat, Wiengarten said. The federal government is currently reviewing a request to identify it as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, a process Wiengarten points out could take at least a year.
“Our argument is they should pay attention to it right now,” he said. “Sisk is just not a good place to put a wind turbine because there’s this rare habitat that this bird, which may be endangered — it’s probably endangered now, but it needs the listing to be official — it needs that breeding habitat. It’s just too risky. It’s crazy to do this.”
When asked why he thinks the Army Corps did not pursue the effects of TransCanada’s wind farm on the Bicknell’s thrush and the golden eagle, Wiengarten said he believes federal agencies are under political pressure to support the wind power industry.
Wiengarten said he’s not against alternative energy, just not the siting of a wind farm on Kibby and Sisk mountains.
The Friends of the Boundary Mountains is asking the court to void the permit the Army Corps granted and prevent the issuance of a new permit until the violations are addressed. It’s also asking for monetary compensation for “their costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees,” according to the complaint.
No wind power..No nukes..No Hydro..No natural gas..No propane tanks..no to Poland Springs..No to everything it seems…So what is acceptable ?? Besides little “hobby businesses” that folks who have already made their money elsewhere retire here and start..Seriously , what are you No to anything folks in favor of ?? Because if we don’t stem the tide of kids fleeing this state it is doomed..About 60% of the people in Maine now get welfare or work for one level of government or another or work for some state funded non profit as it is..To use one of your favorite words it is “unsustainable”..There will be nobody left pulling the wagon and nobody left to change your Depends and wipe the drool of your chin in your old age…No , I’m not a Big Wind fan but wonder what is acceptable to the NO folks…
Well stated.
Having worked in the professional technical sector for 25 years, a common philosophy in these businesses is this: if you find fault with, or criticize, some element of your work, workspace, product, etc. you must present a cogent, well thought out alternative solution or work around. Otherwise, keep your negative thoughts to yourself.
For decades now the State has been bombarded with a NO campaign on nearly every new proposal, idea, or forward looking plan that would improve some element of living/doing business here. Time and again our policies and plans are influenced by this short sighted, immature approach. Now look where we are; an ever increasing receiver state (of federal support dollars), an ever increasing gray state (out migration of young people/no in migration of young people), and ever increasing cost of living.
Insist that your local legislative representation demand well thought out alternatives (demonstrating an equal amount of thought an energy as the cause they are rallying for) from vocal special interest groups before any consideration is given for policy making. One facet of the public sector that should be adopted from the private sector: cost benefit analysis. Viewing policy adoption or changes through this critical lens will not only reduce the amount hare brained schemes we seem to always fall for, but will likely yield the best compromise for all parties.
Yes indeed, good points. Please don’t assume that opponents to the wind projects in rural Maine have not done their homework. This issue is not only happening in Maine, but all over the US. Vermont is currently considering a three year moratorium on these projects. The state of NY was so appalled at the behavior of wind companies in dealing with rural communities that they voted in an ethics law for the wind industry. If you have ‘on-line’ Netflix, you can watch a documentary about the environmental/social justice issues for free. The movie is called Windfall. In Maine there is a growing community of people who are waking up to the ‘who’d have thunk’ consequences of the Wind Energy Act…and this group spans the widest political, social and economic spectrum you can imagine. In 2011, 14 laws were proposed by Maine citizens to improve the Act, but all were squelched in the Energy Utilities and Technology Committee. I respect your point of view, yet I think you would be surprised at how much people have thought about this issue.
You never know when a blind eagle might fly into those blades turning slow enough for a slug to get out of the way.
The solution to that phony* point is to paint them so they appear to be giant eyes to the birds.
* Bird conservation – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_conservation
.. birddeath is due to glass windows, which kill 100-900 million birds a year
Where is all the outrage about that ???
The difference is that windows serve a purpose.
So do wind turbines. The difference is that you disagree with the purpose of wind turbines, and not with windows. While wind turbines do kill birds, the number killed is completely negligible compared to the birds killed by windows, house cats, hunters, and even non-windpower communication towers. If you want to argue against wind power, you need to pick a different reason.
That is like saying a spoon is the cause of someone’s obesity. Come up with a better rebuttal. Here, I will help–the high cost of building wind turbines in comparison with their output of electricity is far from ideal and add in that its heavily subsidized by the taxpayer makes it a further undesirable source of energy in Maine.
those turning blades are going about 180 miles an hour at the tip
“The results were clear: it turns out wind farms kill ten times fewer birds than fossil fuel power plants. Specifically, wind farms and nuclear power plants kill only 0.3 to 0.4 birds per GWh of electricity generated, while oil, gas, and coal power plants kill 5.4 birds per GWh of electricity generated. [2]
If we simply count up the birds based on the amount of electricity generated by each source, it means Wind Farms kill about 7,000 birds per year, Nuclear power plants kill about 327,000 birds per year, and coal and natural gas plants combined kill about 14,500,000 birds per year.” Carbonlighthouse.com
Most wind turbines would self-destruct at that speed.
Didn’t take physics in high school eh?
Took it in college…Aced it! how about you?
Then you should be able to easily calculate the tip speed on these things. Some approach 200 mph.
Some may approach 200 MPH, Professor, but it is not a factor since they are turning under 15 RPM. That’s 1 revolution in 4 seconds. By the way, that 200 MPH is self-destruct speed. They don’t run close to that.
Let me see if I can help you understand some basic math concepts that you apparently missed in your college physics course. A quick google search shows that a new Siemens 3MW turbine comes with a 113-meter blade diameter. That translates to about 371 feet, using another handy online conversion tool. The distance the tip of the blade travels is what we call the circumference – that’s the length around the outside of the circle, in case you slept through that part of your class. The formula for the circumference of a circle is 3.14159 times the diameter (that number is commonly referred to by the Greek letter “pi”). In this case, 3.14159 X 371 yields approximately 1165 feet. That’s a little less than a quarter of a mile. At 15 RPM, the distance traveled by a blade tip in one minute would be 1165 X 15 = 17,475 feet, or a little less than three and a third miles. Now if there are sixty minutes in an hour (there are, I checked), that means that in an hour the blade tip travels 60 X 3.3 = 197.5 miles, which is pretty close to 200 miles per hour.
I’d love to hear your explanation of what you mean by “it’s not a factor since they are turning under 15 RPM”. That statement makes no sense at all.
Have a nice day.
O.K. Genious, here we go! Using your figures of 371 ft. dia. and assuming the rotor is turning at maximum speed of 15 RPM, we come up with the swept distance of one blade of .8 ft/sec.at the tip, the fastest point. An eagle has a flight speed of 36 to 44 MPH. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, the eagle ( a fairly slow moving bird)travels at 52.8 ft/second. Assuming the bird has a length of 3 ft.,that would put him in harms way for about.056 seconds. During that time, the rotor travels .8 ft. Maybe you were assuming the bird would hover there and wait to be hit? It is a well know fact that more birds are killed every year by coal generating plants and nukes/ kwh than by turbines.
I was not discussing the risk to birds. You stated: “By the way, that 200 MPH is self-destruct speed. They don’t run close to that.” I did a little simple math to show you that in fact, they DO run that fast. And you might want to check your figures again – tip speed in feet per second comes out to 291 f/s, not 0.8. I will accept without checking that an eagle CAN travel at 52.8 f/s, no problem. I can’t recall reading anywhere that eagles are somehow constrained to ONLY travel at that speed, or that they must always travel perpendicular to the plane of rotation of any nearby wind turbine. I’ve seen eagles soaring on thermal updrafts many times, with barely any forward motion at all. Your claim that they would only be in harm’s way for a fraction of a second is not very well founded.
By the way, if you look around at some of my other posts, you might notice that I agree that wind turbines are not particularly effective at killing large numbers of birds. What I have a problem with is people who make baseless claims, and who can’t do simple math.
High school and college. You aced it? How come you weren’t aware that the tips of the blades of a wind turbine can be moving at speeds of over 200 mph?
Well, one thing that none of the NIMBYs that I’ve spoken with is against increasing dependence on Federal and State governments for tax breaks and handouts to supplement their current incomes, so I guess you’d have to say that that’s acceptable. I think that you’ve pretty well nailed one of the causes of career welfare.
Does that include those conservative TEA NIMBY’s that are the tools of big oil, too ?
For an unpopulated state, We have enough of those things already. Most of the power in Maine is exported anyway. There are only 250,000 +/- kids in Maine to begin with.
So the Friends’ argument is: Since we feel these birds should be treated as endangered because someday they might be (even though they haven’t yet been declared to be endangered) the Corps made a mistake in approving the permit.
That makes little sense. Pure and unadulterated NIMBY.
This never ceases to amaze me how people have to stand in the way of progress.. The first thing they complain about is our high energy prices here in Maine.. When the government tries to do something about it, they go to the courts and sue to abolish the idea.. All this does is stall progress, and then the money spent fighting this has to be recuperated, so they have to raise the prices to do that. Then they say i thought this was supposed to drop the prices? Well it might of if they didn’t have to go to court and waste time and millions of dollars fighting this.. The real underlying cause for all this hatred to wind farms here in Maine is because some politician is making money off it.. I wonder how many people tried to sue Al Gore when he was working on putting up the internet here in the states. Why should people care if someone makes money with an idea that could better us here in Maine? I know the wind farms are ugly and it takes away from our beautiful landscape, but if it betters us financially we have to compromise..
how does it benefit financially?
“I know the wind farms are ugly and it takes away from our beautiful landscape, but if it betters us financially we have to compromise.”
In other words, Maine is for sell. We’re liquidating the assets and no offer will be refused. Sad.
Golden eagles are nearly extinct in the northeast U.S. They were hit extremely hard by DDT because they primarily feed on birds which were themselves poisoned by DDT, such as great blue heron. Putting wind turbines anywhere near known sites of golden eagles is not smart; it’s just greedy. When we have 50 documented roosting sites for golden eagles that are stable and safe and producing healthy broods of baby eagles each year, then fine, but not until.
They are NOT extinct, are they? All you are selling is fear. The bottom line is you don’t want any sort of energy production, at all, any where. You would object on the dark side of the moon.
Would it be better for extinction to occur before taking action to protect a species? What sort of lopsided logic is suggested here?
I have seen Golden Eagles near Jackman. I also see those terrible waste of Government money windmills from Jackman.
I wish them luck in stopping the windmills, but it won’t happen because the American people (and illegals) spoke and voted in our dear leader Obama.
Stick to reality, please. Faux News talking points are not in that category.
Can’t built a tank in Searsport, but you can put a money losing windmill on every hill top in the state of Maine. I guess the money people on the coast don’t want to lose their view. But it’s ok to trash the poorer parts of the state.
Read about Germany. Go to Europe and see wind power and solar power units going up as fast as they can build them. I saw a farmer in Holland who had a huge wind generator in his back yard. I’m talking huge. I would assume that he’s selling what he doesn’t use himself to the grid and is probably getting a good return on his investment.
As someone below says, you can’t say no to everything. If you don’t like coal and you don’t like paying for oil and you don’t like the acidification of the oceans and you don’t like blocking the streams and rivers what do you like?
Like it or not, we read that in one day Germany generated 30% of its power needs by sustainable energy alone. And Maine has friendlier skies for the solar panel than does Germany. Saudi Arabia plans to be 100 percent solar powered before the present boss dies and he’s 67. They plan to sell all of their oil at the highest price possible to the last sucker standing. Guess who that will be.
I’m getting credit for what I don’t use from my pv panels, too. And my solar hot water heaters are saving me even more money. Saving me money is what it’s all about.
The times they are a changing. Solar technology is here and its getting cheaper to install. Are you going to get aboard and start saving money yourself or are you just going to growl every time you have to reach for your wallet?
The humble Farmer
i have lived off the grid for 12 years…on site solar……..give me 2 million dollars worth of solar and see how many homes are energized in maine.
http://www.cltv.com/videogallery/72262863/News/Dutch-ban-construction-of-future-wind-turbines
Dutch ban wind turbines.
http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2012/09/north-holland-looks.html
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-09-06/news/33656314_1_wind-turbines-wind-energy-wind-power
(interesting how the headlines and leading paragraphs in these stories claim the ban in already in effect, but the text further down indicated it is only being considered)
The Dutch are seeking to possibly ban new turbines in one province – North Holland – out of twelve provinces that make up the Netherlands. The reason is primarily that they have lots of them already, and the Dutch feel they are encroaching unreasonably on the landscape’s scenic characteristics, as well as noise complaints. I have no idea how close the Dutch turbines are to residences and businesses. But nothing is mentioned about hazards to birds in their reasoning. If you want to ban wind turbines, railing on about the danger to birds is not the way to go.
Ontario, Canada
Ministry of the Environment
Ministry of the Environment
“the Ministry of the Environment admitted it does not have the capacity to measure turbine noise and that it was working on protocols. Now, people calling the MoE line are being told there is “nothing” their regional office can do.”
“the Ministry of the Environment admitted it does not have the capacity to measure turbine noise and that it was working on protocols. Now, people calling the MoE line are being told there is “nothing” their regional office can do.”
http://www.windyleaks.com/2012/06/27/noise-complaints-go-unanswered/
I’m not sure what this (and the one from New Zealand below) has to do with the way Maine does things. Maine has noise regulations, limits, and measurement protocols. Look at Maine projects to give examples of how Maine’s regulations don’t work. Look at projects that are regulated under current laws, not projects like Fox Island and Mars Hill that were built under laws and rules that have been changed in response to the problems encountered there.
New Zealand
Enviromental Court
“Te Rere Hau Wind Farm has been operated in such a way that the noise effects at local residential locations are considerably greater than those predicted in the application.”.
Enviromental Court
“Te Rere Hau Wind Farm has been operated in such a way that the noise effects at local residential locations are considerably greater than those predicted in the application.”.
http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/05/after-many-noise-complaints-environment-court-rules-against-wind-farm/
Wind nor Solar are the ‘complete answer’ to solving our energy needs,
but rather a combination of alternatives. Those two will never deliver
reliability or any substantial cost saving to the over all masses.
It
is bad enough that here in Maine we are already destroying our heritage
of being the ‘Pine Tree State’ by burning our trees for heat. Maine
now is saddled with the alternative energy pimps who are dotting the
landscape with these monstrosities a.k.a. wind turbines.
If we
are to be serious and conscious of the hype, and b.s. being sold to the
public, if it sounds to good to be true it usually means that. Because
as previously mention and right here on this very thread, no other
debate on any topic has such a wide rage of people from all walks of
life who oppose this latest alternative energy fraud.
That means
Liberals, Conservatives and everything in between and even more to the
left or right are in unison. From the office jockey to the burger
flipper, the college professor to the ditch digger.
Even
President Obama realizes who’s really behind the push and the real
reasons behind it. It will in time become the first and perhaps the
greatest scam of the 21st century. P.T. Barnum could never have even
imagine a scam on this scale.
And now here is the best and most realistic form of alternative energy that serves the greatest number of people.
***********
Hydroelectric
***********
Disadvantages:
____________
The dams are very expensive to build.
However, many dams are also used for flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared.
Building a large dam will flood a very large area upstream, causing problems for animals that used to live there.
Finding a suitable site can be difficult – the impact on residents and the environment may be unacceptable.
Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an impact on plant life.
//////////
Advantages:
__________
Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free.
No waste or pollution produced.
Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power.
Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand.
Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly, unlike other power stations.
Electricity can be generated constantly.
/////////
The first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity was Cragside House, in Northumberland England in 1878.
Why don’t you talk a little about how successful the Spaniards are with their green energy programs?
You are right about solar electrical generation, Humble. It also lends itself to locally produced and distributed individual and community power projects which are anathema to the big energy dogs. So, of course, it is barely hanging on to the rearmost nipple of the sow when to comes to attention and encouragement from public officialdom where the bigger the grid the better.
This is not progress..and goes beyond the valid argument of birds..
“If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles (and in the case of wind turbines destruction) of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.” Lyndon Johnson 1964 on signing the Wilderness Act.
I have spoken personally to humans who cannot sleep and had BDN tell me these people are just sensitive..all the people mocking them should try it themselves.
My understanding is that wind power is expensive, intermittent and environmentally a disaster..wind is neither free nor renewable, Not everyone is happy with it in Europe either…it is a political ploy from what I have been informed.
How hypocritical that we dismiss the idea of solving southern New England’s energy problems by purchasing clean, green and CHEAP hydro from Canada, yet we wilingly give TransCanada permission (and taxpayer susbidies!) to blast our mountains, violate federal laws by killing and displacing our endangered species, and industrialize one of Maine’s most scenic areas of the state in order to transport a trickle of wind power into Canada. Where are all the environmentalists? Where are the bird lovers? Where is Audubon???? What is happening to us, have we all been so brainwashed by the wind lobby that we allow this to happen to our state?
Those same brainwashed nitwits just voted Angus King into the Senate. If you’ll recall he sweet-talked Maine into wind power, then made millions from it. He was under investigation at one point for ethics violation but managed to wriggle out of it. Way to go, Maine.
I didn’t know it was possible to be friends with a mountain…
You can do anything, IF you have MONEY!
Just shutdown all power… We’ll see who starts crying…
off yhe grid for 12 years and counting
How do we win? Attempts are made for renewable energy, and every time the same people crying for clean energy then cry NIMBY because of environmental concerns. Well which one do you want? I do not think wind, solar, or even tidal energy are the answers in Maine because it has a very poor return on investment. It will not provide a significant amount of power to the majority of the residents in the state. We can continue to build wind turbines, tinker with tidal energy, and waste millions on wind and solar projects that might provide enough power for 100 homes…or we could really invest in hydroelectric energy that could get this entire state from using fossil fuels. Times have changed in the last 100 years. We now have the technology and ability to build large scale dams and allow fish to move freely. Still, it will never happen since a small but loud group of NIMBYS prefer trout and frogs over a real solution to clean energy, but that is the only logical answer in Maine.
If wind is such a great idea and so efficient why can nobody built windmills without huge money from taxpayers!!! It is funny how those who support “clean energy” Will rip out all the clean hydro plants Maine had but support the filling in of wetlands to built taxpayer funded windmills?
I say we burn large quantities of tires in a pile and stand around smoking enough dope to consider joining our gay brothers and sisters in a giant naked pig-pile.
That’ll keep us warm and satiated in all aspects of a progressive, liberal lifestyle.
Won’t it be a surprise when our mountains and wet lands are gone, the seasonal homes go up for sale with no buyers and we still won’t be able to keep our youth in Maine. The “new generation” seems to be to busy with there computers, iphones and friends to want anything to do with manual labor. Bring on the techy jobs or small business and we might be able to create jobs.
NIMBY’S VS WINDY’S, next round in the courts. KUDO’s to the Friends of the Mountains, whichever mountain it is. I believe the point being made here is that the Federal and State Governments are not going by their own rules. How are you to show this to the public, other then take it to the courts. Maybe the courts will go by the rule of laws and point out the errors that have been made because no one else seems to be monitoring to see that the projects are meeting the regulations that are in place. People, this is not about for or against wind, it is about wind industry gouging into why people come to Maine. All the small seasonal cottages along the ponds, lakes and sides of mountains are there for the experience of nature, wildlife, peace to troubled souls and not to here wind turbines from over a mile away. The turning of a giant wind turbine is a giant distraction, it turns and turns and turns, even if it is not making electricity. You see they have to keep the advertising going even if they are not making any money. Do you know how to tell if a wind turbine is working or not? Many people have said that they don’t make noise. Of course they don’t when they are just turning for looks. I know that they make a great deal of noise and it carrys over a mile. Please educate yourselves, don’t divide the people by labeling NIMBY OR WINDY, remember this is our Maine and we want what is best. Don’t lower ourselves in vulnerability and take anything that comes our way to Maine. Evaluate, calculate, and follow the progressive plan forward not backwards.
“All the small seasonal cottages along the ponds, lakes and sides of mountains are there for the experience of nature, wildlife, peace to troubled souls and not to here wind turbines from over a mile away.”
The peace and quiet that I built my camp for has long ago been destroyed, and not by wind power. I guarantee they could put a dozen of them on the mountian behind me and I wouldn’t hear a thing over the ATV’s, PWC’s, water ski boats, snowmobiles, lawnmowers, generators, and chain saws. At least the wind power projects have a public review process and an opportunity for people to voice their concerns. I had no recourse at all about what happened on my lake. I’m sure my parents are resting easy in peace and quiet beneath the waters after we scattered their ashes there.
The truth is that people WILL develop undeveloped land. The only way you can stop it is to buy the land yourself.
Earthling 3 says here that wind turbines serve a purpose. Ha! What purpose do wind turbines serve? Surely not generating electricity, as the year to date capacity factor of this Kibby project (FERC) is just 22%. It’s purpose is to rake in taxpayers money. This project received $88.54 million in ARRA Section 1603 funds. (DOE) These data and data for other Maine wind projects are here: http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/year-to-date-2012-maine-wind-power-output-is-poor and here: http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/wind-thieves-rake-in-arra-funds
why are we continuing to let these rich companies get richer by giving them a tif from the communities they are putting these turbines in and giving them federal monies to finance these projects……the rich get richer and the poor get poorer in this country.. no common sense in the minds of the criminals who run this country. If you didn’t how to screw the system they’ll make laws to help themselves screw it legally. What a pathetic way to run a country. Let’s ruin the rest of maine by letting big business get away with lies and under handed practices…..just what we need more of
I hope these people stop this from happening