Western Catskill Preservation Alliance files Article 78 Petition 

The Western Catskill Preservation Alliance (WCPA) today announced that they have filed an Article 78 Petition with the NYS Supreme Court in Chenango County challenging the Town of Stamford’s recently approved “Wind Energy Facilities” ordinance, Local Law No. 1 of 2007. The WCPA is challenging the ordinance that clears the way for Invenergy to proceed with its proposed Moresville project to construct 34 industrial wind turbines, each standing 410 feet tall, along a six mile mountain ridge between Stamford and Roxbury. The Stamford Town Board and Chicago based energy company, Invenergy, collaborated to write the ordinance to specifically support the wind company’s project requirements despite overwhelming opposition from residents and business owners.

WCPA President, Ron Karam, said, “The Town of Stamford left us with no other choice but to file the Article 78 Petition to challenge what we believe was a flawed and unfair process in developing the ordinance. Outside of Invenergy’s biased input, the Stamford Town Board, who has very little knowledge of the complexities and science of these massive industrial wind turbines, failed to seek any input from subject matter experts to deal with the complex environmental and health related issues. The Town failed to conduct the required environmental impact study required under SEQRA. They also failed to conduct an economic impact study which the WCPA has requested numerous times to determine the effect the industrial turbines would have on our communities.”

New York City based Sive, Paget and Riesel (www.sprlaw.com), a prominent and well respected environmental law firm, along with the Albany law firm of Peter Henner are representing the WCPA and prepared the case based on detail and documented data compiled by WCPA members over the past year. Karam adds, “Based on substantiated factual evidence and New York State law, I am confident that our legal system will overturn the Wind Energy Facilities ordinance and force the Stamford Town Board to conduct the proper and required environmental reviews before establishing a revised ordinance.”

Local Law No.1 of 2007, “Wind Energy Facilities” and the Article 78 Petition are posted on the WCPA. Go to www.westerncatskillpreservationalliance.org.

“With the support of the majority of residents in the Towns of Stamford, Roxbury, Gilboa, Bovina, Meredith and Andes” Karam says, “the WCPA is committed to challenge, every step of the way, this ill conceived idea of clear cutting our historic and pristine mountain tops in favor of a dangerous and imposing energy technology that will be sure to be obsolete by the time they are constructed.”

About the WCPA

The Western Catskill Preservation Alliance was formed in 2006 to fight the construction of industrial wind turbines which will have a devastating impact on our rural lands and wilderness. Our members and supporters include working families and retirees, full-time residents and second homeowners, professionals and farmers. Our charter is to preserve and protect the natural beauty of the Catskill Mountains and surrounding areas in the Towns of Stamford, Roxbury and Gilboa from over development, including industrial wind turbine development. To join the WCPA write to wcpa06@aol.com.

Issued by the Western Catskill Preservation Alliance, Stamford, NY
(www.westerncatskillpreservationalliance.org)
June 18, 2007