Opposition to wind turbine farm on Lookout Mountain grows  

Credit:  Submitted by Nordia Epps, WDEF News 12, wdef.com 29 November 2010 ~~

A group against the project collected hundreds of signatures.

And at least one Walker County leader doesn’t think it’s such a good idea.

Chris Long, a plant manager for Iberdrola Renewables said in a training video, “Compared to other forms of power generation it’s totally clean energy. All we’re using is the wind.”

But not if some residents can stop it.

Nearly 550 people signed a petition against the wind farm.

They gave Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell a copy.

Bebe Heiskell says, ” there are some pluses and minuses to it but I don’t think it will benefit the people that own the property that much, as it would like in Texas and places where the wind blows all the time.”

Heiskell’s on the side of opponents who worry about light and noise pollution.

They don’t want some 120, 450 feet high turbines spoiling Lookout Mountain.

“It’s a beautiful place. It’s unique in the world and it overlooks our cove which is a very pretty place too and it will eliminate some opportunities that we were looking at with tourism.” she says.

But not everyone’s against the project.

Back in September James Hellard told us, “It’s a good idea. I need a job personally maybe they can put me to work.”

We spoke to a number of residents who were looking forward to it.

Mason Eller said “I live out here on 337 where you can see the mountain really good and it would be a good position to see them and stuff sit out there and just watch them.”

All this opposition just might work…if you go by Heiskell’s conversation with Iberdrola.

Heiskell says, “When I talked with them, uh, they said that if they weren’t well accepted then they just didn’t want to come.”

Heiskell adds Iberdrola would have to get approval from Walker County to move forward with the project.

We couldn’t reach the company for comment on whether the opposition has indeed turned them away.