St. Joseph Wind Energy Project (File: 5353.00)

A Proposal for the St. Joseph Wind Energy Project has been filed by St. Joseph Wind Farm Inc. for the construction and operation of a 300 megawatt (MW of net electrical generation capacity) commercial wind energy facility. BowArk Energy Ltd. is acting on behalf of St. Joseph Wind Farm Inc. as the primary developer for the Project. The Project area overlaps the Rural Municipalities of Rhineland and Montcalm in the vicinity of the town of St. Joseph approximately 85 km south of Winnipeg. Up to 200 wind turbine generators are proposed to be installed over an area of approximately 215 sq. km of land. An Environmental Impact Study Report has been filed in support of the Environment Act Proposal. Construction is tentatively targeted to begin in 2009, with operation anticipated to commence in 2011.

Anyone likely to be affected by the above operation and who wishes to make a representation either for or against the proposal should contact the Department, in writing or by e-mail (bryan.blunt@gov.mb.ca), not later than September 12, 2008. Further information is available from the Public Registries located at 123 Main St. (Union Station) Main Floor, Winnipeg; the Millennium Public Library, 4th Floor, 251 Donal St., Winnipeg; the Manitoba Eco-Network, 3rd Floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg; and the South Central Regional Library, 514 Stephen St., Morden; or by contacting Bryan Blunt, Environment Officer at [204] 945-7085.

Information submitted in response to this proposal is considered public information and will be made available to the proponent and placed on the public registry established in accordance with Section 17 of the Environment Act.

Environmental Assessment and Licensing Branch
Manitoba Conservation
123 Main Street, Suite 160
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1A5
Toll Free: 1-900-282-8069, ext. 7085
Fax: (204) 945-5229
www.gov.mg.ca/conservation/eal

[Natural Resources Secretary belies Electrical Authority claims and confirms charges made by the Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco]

[Scroll down for English translation.]

Guayanilla — En expresiones vertidas a la prensa por el Secretario del DRNA Javier Vélez Arocho donde justifica el “acuerdo” entre Windmar y su agencia por el que le condonan las serias violaciones ambientales en Punta Ventanas, Cerro Toro y Punta Verraco en Guayanilla, al proponente del proyecto Windmar, Víctor González Barahona a cambio de recibir unos terrenos en el lugar propuesto, desmiente al director ejecutivo de la AEE Jorge Rodríguez. Durante la inauguración del Gasoducto del Sur en Peñuelas y a preguntas de la prensa en el sentido del anuncio que ya habían firmado el “contrato” entre Windmar y la AEE, y que la oposición a este proyecto señala que Windmar no tiene los permisos para su construcción el Sr. Rodríguez reaccionó diciendo, “el Proyecto Windmar va, no le quepa duda a nadie, Windmar tiene todos los permisos habidos y por haber”. (30 de junio de 2008)

El pasado domingo 3 de agosto en un artículo publicado en rotativo de la Capital, Vélez Arocho indica y cito, “Vélez Arocho precisó que, entre los permisos que todavía le faltan a Windmar, se encuentran el del estudio hidrológico-hidráulico y el de movimiento de corteza terrestre, que podría tomar entre 90 y 120 días. El de mitigación que tampoco había sido obtenido, quedaría cubierto por el acuerdo con el DRNA, aclaró Vélez Arocho”. (3 de agosto de 2008)

Esta información la esta brindando el Sr. Rodríguez desde principios del 2008. Las expresiones del Sr. Jorge Rodríguez tratando de justificar la firma de dicho contrato brindando información fuera de contexto, tergiversada y manipulada no hacen honor a la verdad. La Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco ha venido denunciando que el Proyecto Windmar no tiene los permisos. Emplazamos al Sr. Jorge Rodríguez a que hable con la verdad, que no engañe al pueblo, ¿Por qué la insistencia y lo apresurado del anuncio de la firma del contrato?

Martes 12 de agosto de 2008

José F. Sáez Cintron
Portavoz Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco
787 601-3175
jsaezcintron@yahoo.com
www.coalicionventanasverraco.org

Guayanilla — Comments obtained by the press by the Secretary of the DRNA [Department of Natural and Environmental Resources] Javier Vélez Arocho justifying the “agreement” between Windmar and his agency — in which he condoned the serious environmental violations in Punta Ventanas, Cerro Toro, and Punta Verraco in Guayanilla — to the proponent — in exchange for receiving some land in the proposed site — of the Windmar project Victor Gonzalez Barahona bely statements by AEE [Electrical Energy Authority] executive director Jorge Rodriguez.

Earlier this year, during the inauguration of the Gasoducto del Sur in Peñuelas, Sr. Rodriguez responded to questions from the press about the announcement that the “contract” between Windmar and AEE was already signed and that the opposition to this project claims that Windmar does not have permits for construction, saying, “The Windmar project is moving ahead, nobody should doubt it, Windmar has all the permits it needs.” (June 30, 2008)

Last Sunday, however, August 3, an article printed in la Capital stated, “[DRNA Secretary] Vélez Arocho explained that among the permits still lacking at Windmar, there are hydrological/hydraulic and seismological studies, which could take between 90 and 120 days. The mitigation that has yet to be obtained would be covered by the agreement with the DRNA, clarified Vélez Arocho.” (August 3, 2008)

This information has been available to Sr. Rodriguez since early 2008. The statements of Sr. Jorge Rodriguez attempting to justify signing the contract took information out of context, misrepresented, and manipulated it without respect for the truth. The Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco has been criticizing the fact that the Windmar project does not have permits. We demand that Sr. Jorge Rodriguez state the truth, not mislead people: Why the insistence on and the hasty announcement of the signed contract?

On October 6, 2007, more than 1,500 French citizens, members of national federations and local associations, came from all over France along with local elected officials to demonstrate against unjustified and scandalous industrial wind. Received by the minister of the environment, a delegation presented their demands.

Despite its promises, the state has still not kept its commitments.

One year later, in contempt of the most elementary democracy, the demented program instigated by the industrial wind lobby risks being voted on:

The law proposed by the Grenelle de l’environnement to Parliament in October 2008 equals a check from taxpayers of 2.5 billion euros/year for 25,000 MW of wind energy, more than 10,000 to 15,000 giant wind turbines erected throughout France.

It is to denounce that planning error, which imperils the economy as well as the natural and cultural heritage of the French people, that the Collectif du 4 octobre will demonstrate in Paris at the ministries.

“Wind is catching fire,” said L. Preston Bryant Jr. Virginia’s secretary of natural resources. “It is literally all the rage.”

Although the Washington Post article highlights the “conflict within the environmental community” concerning this development push, it fails to provide much in the way of details concerning the basis for the objections. It also repeats a number of the industry’s deceptive talking points without offering any analysis.

For example:

The article repeats misleading claims that wind energy in Virginia has the potential to produce as much as 20 percent of the state’s electricity needs.

More than 90% of that potential is offshore, where wind energy development is not considered economically viable at present. Yet wind energy proponents cite the offshore-based estimate to support the current push for development on our forested mountain ridges. (www.vawind.org/Assets/Docs/Onshore-Offshore.pdf)

The article repeats exaggerated claims concerning the number of households that would be served by two proposed ridgeline projects in western Virginia. It states that the proposed Highland New Wind project is expected to produce enough electricity to power 15,000 homes, and that the proposed FreedomWorks project will produce enough electricity to power 86,000 homes.

These estimates are based on the unrealistic assumptions that all electricity produced will be for residential use, that electricity is not needed on days when there is no wind, and that the two projects will dramatically exceed the performance of existing Appalachian wind projects. (www.vawind.org/Assets/Docs/RESIDENCES-PER-TURBINE.pdf)

The article repeats the uniformed claim that wind power provides an alternative to new coal-burning power plants, a claim made both by FreedomWorks, Inc., on its company website, and by some environmental groups opposing Dominion’s Wise County power plant.

Although concerns about the mining and burning of coal are well founded, promotion of wind energy as an alternative is not an effective argument. It would require 2,260 2-megawatt turbines to match the output of the proposed Wise County coal-fired generating plan in August (the peak demand period of the year). That would require about 323 miles of ridgeline, about the length of the Blue Ridge Mountain chain in Virginia. (www.vawind.org/Assets/Docs/FreedomWorks.pdf)

Despite these shortcomings, the Washington Post article should be given credit for at least acknowledging that the environmental community is conflicted over the ridgeline development issue.

Also, there is ironic truth in the included statement by Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association, who acknowledges that wind power “… is no longer an alternative energy source … it’s mainstream.”

The push for wind energy development is now driven by multi-national business interests, and along with that goes the usual investment in the manipulation of public perception.

In this context it will be difficult to achieve the informed public debate that is clearly needed if we are to achieve real solutions to our energy and environmental problems.

This book of photos is available from Blurb: Click here to preview and order.

Also see photo galleries at Fotopic (click here).

Download “Union, Wisc., Testimony on Noise and Health” (17.3 MB)

Washing Wind Turbine from Helicopter (Spain, 3 min.)