| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Commissioners OK Clinton County wind project
Credit: Written by Steven R. Reed | Lansing State Journal | Jan. 29, 2013 | www.lansingstatejournal.com ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
After more than four years of research and community debate, the Clinton County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 Tuesday to grant a special use permit to a Chicago company that wants to build a $123 million wind-turbine project to generate electricity.
Although turnouts of about 150 residents – most of them opposed to the project – had been common at planning commission and township board meetings over the past year, barely 50 people attended the county board meeting, which started at 9 a.m.
Only four local residents – two in favor and two against – made public comments.
Bob Boettger, a farmer who has agreed to host eight of the proposed 39 turbines on his land, described the project as “something our community can be proud of when it’s completed.” He said it had benefited from the extensive review process.
Ken Wieber, a farmer who has fought the project at every step, compared the approval process to watching a traffic crash develop in slow motion over several years. He challenged commissioners to recognize what he said was growing evidence of adverse health effects related to wind turbines.
Among the commissioners, only Adam Stacey commented. He described the local-government review as the most fascinating and most frustrating public process he’d ever been involved in. Three weeks ago he had said he would vote against the permit and he followed through on Tuesday.
Project developer Tim Brown said he was grateful to secure permit approval but said it was too early to discuss what would happen next. The turbines are proposed for location across Bengal, Dallas and Essex townships, all of which have approved special ordinances more restrictive than the county.
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=32751 ]
