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

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

CWW has compiled comprehensive evidence, volumes of empirical data and a paper trail of proof that public officials, developers and their agents and leaseholders have acted collectively to defraud NYS. With this AG announcement of an active investigation, claims and allegations of the industrial wind fraud and wrongdoing will finally be scrutinized by the highest level of law enforcement.

A special thanks goes to District Attorney Derek Champagne of Franklin County who profiles the very best traits of public service and enforcement of the rule of law. New York State has heard the outrage of thousands of exploited residents and scores of courageous community organizations. The diligent efforts, research, and documentation of scores of ordinary people finally bears fruit. Now this evidence will hopefully serve as the basis and proof of illegal conduct. All New Yorkers deserve judicial accountability for corruption and predatory developers.

The penalties of anti-trust transgressions are severe. As the legal system works its way through the inquiry, CWW is confident that the evidence will justify grand juries, indictments, trials and convictions.

Cohocton Wind Watch supports the advancement of rational and economically beneficial alternative energy technology. First Wind/UPC Wind and Noble Environmental Power projects are not able to fulfill those standards. Industrial Wind developers want the public to believe their venture generates meaningful “Green Electricity”. The use of NYSERDA public funds by wind developers places an obligation on them to prove that ample prevailing wind patterns exist at their project sites. Wind developers refuse to release the data from test towers. The implication is clear: Much of the New York State has insufficient wind for these industrial turbines to become a reliable electric generating source.

More important, both companies and their dozens of corporate variants engage in a scheme of deception and duplicity. Remember the lesson of Enron’s lies and criminal activity, which led to disastrous consequences for utility ratepayers. The Industrial Wind Swindle will be exposed in court.

Sin embargo, una reciente investigación ha confirmado que dicho proyecto no ha sido radicado ante el Consejo para la Protección del Patrimonio Arqueológico Terrestre de Puerto Rico. Tampoco existe ninguna autorización o endoso por parte de esa agencia. Esta irregularidad es significativa ya que el endoso del Consejo es requisito para que una DIA-F pueda proceder al proceso final de aprobación.

Se encontró además que el proponente de dicho proyecto aún no ha sometido al Consejo los estudios de impactos arqueológicos requeridos por dicha agencia. Esto le fue requerido a Windmar luego de que arqueólogos del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña encontraron en el 2006 que esa empresa impactó varios yacimientos arqueológicos registrados como recursos culturales, sin los debidos permisos, durante la construcción de caminos nuevos. Al menos dos áreas de concheros precolombinos fueron raspadas por la maquinaria en Punta Verraco. En la colina de Punta Ventanas resultó impactado el sistema de cuevas de las Madamas.

Estas nuevas irregularidades se suman a otras recopiladas por el Departamento de Recursos Naturales (DRNA) y de la propia JCA, según informes redactados a partir del 2004. Los informes confirman que por varios años y sin el conocimiento de las agencias, Windmar ocasionó la destrucción de miles de árboles, así como de hábitat crítico esencial para varias especies en peligro de extinción e impactos a otros recursos únicos e irremplazables. En el 2006, el Cuerpo de Vigilantes intervino otra vez con Windmar, por haber ocasionado destrucción de patrimonio natural y arqueológico al construir nuevos caminos valiéndose de un controvertible permiso del DRNA para limpieza de caminos. Este permiso fue otorgado pese a la oposición de la Secretaria Auxiliar de Permisos del DRNA, tras haber evaluado la solicitud.

El DRNA y el Instituto de Cultura aún no han enviado los resultados de las investigaciones a la JCA y demás agencias a cargo de la evaluación y otorgación de permisos. Esto ha dado paso para que la JCA y agencias como la Junta de Planificación, lleguen a conclusiones erradas, al no poder tomar en consideración la totalidad y magnitud de los impactos.

El permiso otorgado por el Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) en el 2007 para permitirle a Windmar la toma incidental (muerte o daño no intencional) de especies en peligro de extinción se debió a que el FWS desconocía de la existencia de estos informes, por su falta de voluntad para investigar el asunto de manera imparcial y responsable.

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Lunes, 14 de julio de 2008

Contacto:
José Saéz Cintrón, Portavoz — Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco
787 601-3175, jsaezcintron@yahoo.com
www.coalicionventanasverraco.org

Finally after 3 years of lobbying, and a hearing at the High Court in March 2008, a few weeks ago RES released the background noise data, and professional experts commissioned by Mike Hulme, who is spearheading the Group, have now carried out a preliminary analysis of this data.

This investigation shows that there are indeed serious errors in the data and in RES’ assessment of it. These errors mean that the noise impact of the development is actually greater than RES stated at the Planning Inquiry, and that the protective noise limits contained in the Planning Permission are set too high to offer protection.

Evidence from other wind farms shows that turbine noise CAN cause serious problems for local residents and that turbine noise CAN have impact on properties much further afield than RES has so far acknowledged.

The good news is that largely on the basis of this new evidence permission to take the case to the Court of Appeal has not only been granted but has been granted speedily and in emphatic terms — indicating that there is a strong case to answer.

The Court of Appeal has set a date of 24th and 25th of July 2008 and of course this means funding! Estimates are that a fund of at least £20,000 is required to underwrite costs, and donations and pledges to cover this are URGENTLY needed.

Support for the case to date has been tremendous, both from the local community and much further afield, showing the depth of feeling and concern over the building of an industrial-scale wind turbine power station so close to people’s homes. We have to defend our environment against this defective planning approval. Please help NOW by donating whatever you can.

Donations to the Appeal Fund (made out to ‘Den Brook Judicial Review Fund’) should be sent to: DBJRF c/o Nick Jewell, Lynderies, Heath, Spreyton EX17 5AN

For more information please visit our web site www.denbrookvalley.co.uk, email info@denbrookvalley.co.uk or telephone any of: Mike & Basia Hulme (01363 82220),
Bruce & Karen Everett (01647 231603), Nick Jewell (01647 231553), Claire Hodgson (01363 82628), Richard & Vicki Turner (01363 82876), Muriel Goodman (01837 82626), Ruth Harvey (01837 82838), Anne & Graham Ramsey (01647 24317).

We have many concerns after spending many hours researching wind farms here in the U.S. and abroad. Our primary concerns would be Wind Turbine Syndrome (the turbines being too close to residences), and there not being an adequate noise ordinance for this very rural part of the state; second diminished property values and inability to be able to resell our homes should we be forced to leave; thirdly, our concerns for the surrounding wildlife — elk and their huge migrations, antelope, deer, etc. and not to mention that our area is a major migration zone for the snow geese and sand hill cranes, not to mention the disturbances to our raptors, songbirds, owls, etc. This is an area of huge revenue for the state and large game hunting. And there is no local set-back ordinance on these big turbines. Our property line is less than 1/4 mile from the proposed site; and the other site is only 40’ from a private residence.

Several stories have been published in the Taos News, and the first of many meetings takes place at the Taos County Planning Commission on Tues. July 8, 2008 @ 6pm.

Permission has been given to appeal the recent high court decision and we go to the Court of Appeal in only three weeks time, on 24th July — the second time we’ve been through the court system in only four months The Appeal will crucially re-examine the ‘installed capacity’ balancing procedures along with a recently discovered invalid and flawed noise assessment undertaken by the developer here in Devon.

After persevering for nearly 4 years we at last managed to obtain the developer’s noise monitoring data only a few weeks ago. This was not available at the Planning Inquiry nor at the High Court Hearing. The judge at that Hearing, whilst not upholding our claim, was severely critical of the developer for withholding this data. It was subsequently handed over and we learnt useful lessons in the process — if you are seeking to obtain your background noise and wind-speed data in order to independently evaluate your developer’s noise-assessment, contact us, we would be happy to assist.

An independent professional evaluation of the noise data here has revealed an erroneous analysis and prejudicially flawed noise assessment by a supposedly leading developer with Queen’s and other prestigious awards bestowed upon it. This recently discovered hard and factual evidence leads us to be cautiously optimistic that the Appeal Court will uphold our legal challenge and overturn the planning permission.

Success would set an important precedent to assist all concerned about noise and the vagaries of ‘installed capacity’, and trying to gain some justice in this tortuous wind farm debacle.

It will come as no surprise that we are strapped for funds to underwrite the potential £20k costs exposure for the Appeal Court case. We have raised a massive amount locally and nationally over the past 4 years to get this far but we urgently need your financial support to ensure we are able to take this important legal challenge through to a conclusion.

For more information and for details of where to send your contribution please visit our web site www.denbrookvalley.co.uk.

Many thanks.

2nd July 2008

Mike H
Den Brook Judicial Review Team
info@denbrookvalley.co.uk

Donations made out to “Den Brook Judicial Review Fund” can be sent directly to:

Nick Jewell, Lynderies, Heath, Spreyton, Devon, EX17 5AN, UK