January 12, 2008
New York
New York
Is the wind power issue dead in the Jefferson County town of Lyme?
The proposed local law to regulate windmills would kill plans for BP Alternative Energy to put up as many as 60 turbines there.
Under the measure, turbines would have to be 4,500 feet away from the lake, the river and the villages of Chaumont and Three Mile Bay.
Within those areas there are limits as well.
“If it stays an ordinance as it’s currently written, BP could not build a wind farm in the town of Lyme,” said Jim Madden of BP Alternative Energy.
The town planning board said the proposed law is based on the results of a survey sent out to local residents.
“Those are the setbacks that we came up with. That’s what the people wanted and that’s what we put down,” said Judy Tyndell of the town planning board.
BP officials said they wouldn’t be surprised if the 4,500 foot setback plan is the most restrictive in New York state.
7 News took a look at several local laws across the state; no other town we found has setbacks as far as the town of Lyme’s proposal.
In addition, Lyme’s noise restrictions are a lot tougher.
The final public hearing on the issue of wind power will be held in Chaumont Saturday.
The proposal will either head toward town board approval or back to the drawing board.
11 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/12/lyme-proposal-could-kill-wind-power-plans/