LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Officials examine impact of proposed wind farm 

Wind energy is one of Pennsylvania’s fastest-growing industries and now Lancaster County has its first wind farm under consideration – a $24 million project at the county landfill in Manor Township.

Are there any concerns?

Bird collisions, aesthetics and sound concerns have been issues with some wind turbine farms across the country.

“We recognize that has been a concern and we would look at that thoroughly,” James Warner, executive director of the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority says of the bird mortality issue.

The authority and PPL are exploring a wind farm on top of the landfill property at Turkey Point.

Just last month, the Pennsylvania Game Commission signed a cooperative agreement with 12 wind-power companies “to avoid, minimize and potentially mitigate any adverse impacts the development of wind energy may have on the state’s wildlife resources.”

The Conejohela Flats, just above Turkey Point, has been designated as one of the state’s “Important Bird Areas.”

In a study requested by Congress, the National Research Council said this week that scientists need to spend more time studying the threat that the spinning blades of wind turbines pose to birds and bats.

The towers appear most dangerous to night-migrating songbirds, bats and some hunting birds, the study said. But it warned that the risk is not yet well enough known to draw conclusions.

The six turbines proposed for the landfill would be on towers 250 feet high and each blade would be 120 feet long.

As for any sound pollution, Warner says he and PPL officials recently visited Atlantic City, N.J., to see wind turbines similar to the size of those that could be built at the landfill.

“You couldn’t hear a thing,” Warner says.

As one of the highest points along the Lower Susquehanna, the towers would certainly be visible from the river.

A 150-foot Nextel tower is currently located on private property at Turkey Point.

No power-generating wind turbines are currently located in Lancaster County. The developers of a proposed high-rise condominium, hotel and commercial tower tower in Columbia are considering a single wind turbine, about one-fourth the capacity of each of the Turkey Point turbines.

Warner says some people may wonder why an authority in the trash business is getting involved in commercial energy ventures.

His reply: “The fact is, we do own a public asset that we believe has great potential to further renewable energy development.”

The county waste-to-electricity incinerator and the new methane gas plant produce electricity equivalent to powering one in six homes in Lancaster County, he notes.

“So, we’re already in this business.”

PPL and the authority have not discussed ownership or other details of a wind farm, if built.

PPL currently owns no wind turbine farms, but does purchase about 50 megawatts of power from two private wind farms located in the Poconos area.

The utility recently pledged to spend $100 million on new renewable-energy sources.

The landfill project could end up being one of them.

By Ad Crable
Lancaster New Era

lancasteronline.com

3 May 2007

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon