March 25, 2007
Blogs, Kansas

Some Ellis County residents are very upset with wind farm location

This is a segment of a letter I received from, John Schmeidler, an Ellis County resident regarding the proposed wind farm for their area:

“¦Substantial housing sites and built homes are within 1/2 mile from some of the towers. The development sits on a ridge that at its highest point is 150″² above and dominates the view of the Big Creek River valley. The ridge can be seen from various places, and on a clear day, like most days in Kansas, the ridge can be seen from 23 miles away.

CPV is pushing for county approval of this site on March 28th. The people of Ellis County only “caught wind” of this three weeks ago.

This entire site overlooks old Ft. Hays, will be dead in the middle of native grasslands. Prairie chickens, both lesser and greater, have been logged by the fish and game people. When a large transmission line was built through the area 20-25 years ago enough people were upset that some of the poles were chainsawed through and the poles toppled. Bald eagles frequent this area during migration periods, and this is smack in the middle of seasonal bird migration paths.

I don’t know what are the criteria for siting which you mentioned on you blog site, but if the scale is 0-10, then this site is a 0, and perhaps the scale should have – “negative” vaues also, indicating that the site should not be considered”¦

Does this sound like an echo?

The siting locations and secrecy of all the wind farm development going on behind closed doors goes against my grain. We all have a stake in this through our taxes and investment in Kansas, but there is no transparency in government action any more.

The wind/ethanol/energy-producing folks are desecrating the most treasured locales of western Kansas, one by one, in each county west of Salina. Colorado and eastern KS will enjoy the benefits while western Kansas is becoming the public landfill.

There has to be a better solution to our energy needs and I believe it should start with conservation. No one seems to want to talk about that.

By Peg Britton

kansasprairieblog

24 March 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/03/25/some-ellis-county-residents-are-very-upset-with-wind-farm-location/