June 20, 2012
Vermont

Work progresses, opponents offer more guided hikes

Reposted from Caledonian-Record. | via Energize Vermont | 19 June 2012

LOWELL – Green Mountain Power contractors continue to work on the Lowell wind site, extending the crane path to the southern-most turbine area.

Meanwhile, the opponents who call themselves the ‘Mountain Occupiers,’ have set up a series of tours on the third Sunday of each month from now until November. The group invites the public to climb the mountain to a vantage point on the neighboring Nelson farm to see the ridgeline work by GMP contractors.

The second of these guided tours was Sunday. For information, contact Anne Morse at amorse@sterlingcollege.edu or 802-281-4432 or Ron Holland at blackriverfarm@comcast.net or 802-754-6354.

They are two of the six protesters who have been charged with trespassing on the GMP wind site in December.

The invitation poster on the Lowell Mountain Talk website includes the note that no one will be going onto the GMP site.

“We have permission from (Don and Shirley) Nelson to be on this property and it is completely legal to be at the observation post,” the announcement states.

The underground electrical lines are being laid along the ridgeline crane path.

Last week, officials said, the transformers arrived at the collector substation on the mountain. “We are still erecting the operations and maintenance building next to the substation,” said GMP spokesman Dave Coriell.

At the northern end of the crane path, construction on the turbine pads is underway. Concrete was poured over the past two weeks for the pad foundations. “Rock anchor boats” have been drilled and placed at nine turbine sites.

More than 120 people were at work on the site last week.

GMP officials noted that only those with permission are allowed onto the site.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/20/work-progresses-opponents-offer-more-guided-hikes/