August 23, 2007
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
A company interested in building 30 to 90 wind turbines in the southern part of Wyoming County is “encouraged” by test readings taken with a meteorological tower in Forkston Township.
BP Alternative Energy business developer Kevin Davis, who spoke during a Noxen supervisors meeting Wednesday about a wind turbine ordinance, said his company plans to put up additional testing towers in Forkston, Noxen and Eaton townships.
“If we don’t have the wind, we won’t do a project,” he said.
Part of the turbine facility would be on 7,400 acres of land located in Forkston, Eaton and Noxen townships and owned by Deer Park Lumber.
Davis said BP has entered into a 29-year lease agreement with the Tunkhannock Township lumber company to use its land, which is partly located on South Mountain, for wind turbines.
He wouldn’t say how much BP is paying for the lease. The agreement, he said, was signed last month.
The special meeting Wednesday was attended by approximately 50 people and was called by supervisors to discuss a proposed windmill ordinance, which was tabled in May after BP expressed concerns.
The company has also recommended an ordinance to supervisors.
“It’s a very well balanced ordinance,” said Michael Klein, an attorney who represented BP.
At the start of the meeting, the supervisors held a nearly one-hour executive session.
Solicitor R. James Kamage said the supervisors discussed legal issues raised by BP’s proposed ordinance.
Although he said BP hadn’t threatened or pursued litigation, Kamage said that if Noxen had passed its proposed ordinance, then BP might have threatened litigation.
Asked by resident Cathie Pauley for his opinion on BP’s proposed ordinance, Supervisor Carl Shook said he didn’t have any major issues and wanted clarification on some items.
For instance, he said the ordinance does not define the “like-kind” replacements to a wind turbine that would not need a permit modification.
Supervisor Thomas Nalbone Jr. said BP’s ordinance also does not define the term, occupied building. He said he didn’t have a problem with the overall content of BP’s ordinance. Kamage said the draft of an ordinance that would combine proposals made by BP and Noxen Township could be ready for public review at the Sept. 4 meeting.
Some residents spoke against the proposed wind turbine facility.
“What are you going to do for Noxen?” Rick Wilson asked. “We’re getting nothing from this.”
By Josh Mrozinski
Wyoming County Bureau
23 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/23/bp-encouraged-by-turbine-tests/