July 30, 2012
Letters, New Jersey

Open letter to Rep. Pallone on UB wind turbine

Atlantic Highlands Herald | www.ahherald.com 30 July 2012

Congressman Frank Pallone
504 Broadway
Long Branch, N.J. 07740

Dear Congressman Pallone:

I am writing to you to once again ask for your intervention in the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority’s plans to erect a noisy 38-story industrial wind turbine with blades each the size of a cell tower on their land on Conaskonk Point. As I am sure you are aware, they recently had to seize an additional half acre of land on the point to allow for the blades to overhang their existing property line and also to allow for assembly of the turbine.

That seized half acre of land lies beyond the boundary set out in the Federal Coastal Barriers Resources Act. The BRSA wind turbine is mostly being funded with Federal dollars through ARRA. And yet the CBRA forbids Federal money from being spent on any project beyond the boundary as stated in the CBRA. Therefore, the BRSA is in violation of the law.

When a few of us met with you last year, you stated that you had written the section of the CBRA that protects Conaskonk Point. You also said that only an act of the U.S. Congress could allow the BRSA to intrude beyond the CBRA boundary – and that no local, state or federal agency could simply grant the BRSA an exemption. And yet, that is what has occurred. We also came across the attached news article that confirms this.

It was wise of you to seek protection for Conaskonk Point as it truly is an environmental gem necessary for the breeding, hunting and successful migration of many endangered and threatened bird species. Union Beach is grateful to you for that.

However, we now respectfully ask that you seek enforcement of the CBRA regarding the BRSA wind turbine issue on a Federal level – especially now with Union Beach winning an injunction to prevent any more transportation or construction by the BRSA until they finally render a decision on the larger case, and only if the BRSA prevails. The law must apply equally to working-class private citizens and powerful authorities alike. As our congressman, we need your help now to see that justice is done.

Sincerely,

Bill Heller

President

The Union Beach Environmental Trust, Inc.

www.noturbine.com

(Not affiliated with the Borough of UB)

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/30/open-letter-to-rep-pallone-on-ub-wind-turbine/