Leaseholder’s letter made assumptions
Kokomo Tribune | July 25, 2013 | kokomotribune.com
Based on a recent letter, it appears that turbine leaseholders continue to distort the facts and spread malicious propaganda. Many of the author’s arguments are invalid.
Opponents showed up “at the 11th hour” because leaseholders obtained secretive, undisclosed agreements with E.ON and juwi in 2008 and 2009. And most residents, including Tipton County Citizens for Responsible Development (CRD), had no knowledge of juwi’s wind project until late December 2012 and early 2013.
The assertion that there are hundreds of leaseholders in Tipton County is totally invalid, too. I would challenge the author to provide evidence of the number of leaseholders.
Also, knowledgeable people are offended by statements that indicate clean wind energy is good for Tipton County. Local residents receive no discount on their electric bills. Citizens suffer from breathing road quartz dust. Multipath and electromagnetic signal interference cause disruptions to television, Internet and cellphone reception.
The safety issues include fire, weather and medical emergencies. The loss of birds and bats is well-documented. Crop dusting is essentially unavailable in wind farms.
The number of complaints against E.ON in the Windfall Wildcat Wind Farm is well over 150 and climbing. The only good appears to be the money the small number of leaseholders will receive, but everything else is just collateral damage.
At the last Comprehensive Plan meeting in Tipton, many wind farm opponents were from the Chippendale subdivision. This subdivision contains 154 homes and more than 600 residents. These people have every right to attend any and all Tipton County meetings because they are or will be in the footprint of a Tipton County wind farm. Many Chippendale people in Howard County received registered letters dated Feb. 14, 2013, from the wind farm lawyers, Bingham, Greenebaum, and Doll.
Probably, the author of the earlier article didn’t receive the same letter because she won’t be living in the footprint of a wind farm. She is just a leaseholder living outside of Tipton County.
Assumptions by leaseholders can be misleading and dangerous, especially when facts are distorted or concrete evidence is lacking. Opponents and the public are not naive. Non-leaseholders are opposed to the placement of 500-foot-tall industrial wind turbines next to people. These people come from all socioeconomic classes, including doctors, nurses, medical support personnel, professors, engineers, accountants, teachers, lawyers, librarians, farmers, small-business owners, skilled trades and stay-at-home mothers and fathers. They just want protection of health, safety, environment and property values.
Green energy is fine, but don’t place turbines next to people and don’t believe the propaganda from biased leaseholders. It has been proven time and time again that any wind project going to the ballot box would be denied because “those who profit are few, and those who suffer are many.” Get the facts!
Darrell Pennycoff
Sharpsville
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/25/leaseholders-letter-made-assumptions/