| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Two-mile setback for turbines deserve support
Credit: East Oregonian, www.eastoregonian.com 26 June 2011 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
The proper siting of wind generation needs to be done. Not improper siting left to the victims to live with, be it landowners, elk, birds, bats, fish or landscape.
Landowners that have been run over by the siting of wind turbines in Morrow County had to take it upon themselves for protection. Now, after the fact, the state laws are still being deciphered with the state and county trying to figure out what to do. Have the wind turbines that are out of compliance in Marrow County been turned off? No.
It took over two years’ time for the Umatilla Planning Commission to reach a consensus and pass it on to the commissioners.
The Umatilla Board of Commissioners are holding a hearing again on what to have as setbacks from rural homes and towns. With what was mentioned as a consensus of two miles at the last meeting, it looks as though we are headed in the right direction.
While the recommendation from the Umatilla Planning Commission did include some provisions for habitat, the Board of Commissioners took it upon themselves to look at development in the watersheds and critical habitats, which is a huge step forward in the proper planning process.
Wind development has had developers running for leases along existing transmission lines instead of first looking for the best and constant wind areas with the least environmental impacts with proximity to transmission lines as should be done.
Causing damage to streams from extensive road systems in the watersheds, relocation of elk herds wintering and calving ground, blocking the way for bird migration north and south and from higher to lower elevations, tampering with the viewscapes that accent our communities. These are some of the reasons, I, like your editors of this newspaper, support the two-mile setback, as well as a maximum protection of the Blue Mountain viewshed and Walla Walla watershed.
Richard Jolly
Blue Mountain Alliance Member
Weston
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 |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=50085 ]
