September 8, 2010
Maine

Talks of wind turbines create debate in Camden

By Diana Bosch, WABI TV5, www.wabi.tv 8 September 2010

Camden – Town leaders in Camden are considering an idea to build wind turbines on Ragged Mountain.

Even though its just talk right now, it’s already getting heat from some residents.

Dorie Klein enjoys the recreational activities of living near Ragged Mountain but recent talk of building wind turbines in the area has her worried.

“We feel the blasting could effect the area, the aquifer, the drainage certainly and this recreational area,” she said.

The town’s Energy Committee is currently brainstorming ways to conserve energy and alternatives to oil.

“We do know there is wind potential and it is an agressive site for wind development.”

Town Manager Roberta Smith says the project is in its early stages but Klein has done homework of her own and disagrees with the idea.

“Oddly enough it can increase CO 2 emissions because powerplants are on standby because wind is variable and unpredictable,” Klein says.

Klein created the “Friends of Ragged Mountain” group to educate her neighbors and give them a voice.

“We feel that one of the reasons people come to Maine is because it is unspoiled, and we feel it would be a very bad thing to spoil what is a wild, recreational area into an industrial one,” she said.

Klein says wind turbines could also spoil the area because of the noise the wind turbines create.

Smith says the committee has created a workgroup to focus on Ragged Mountain and says several steps will be taken before a decision is made on whether to pursue wind power exploration.

“Before we even get that far we have to determine if this is something the community wants to do,” Smith said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/09/08/talks-of-wind-turbines-create-debate-in-camden/