August 21, 2013
New York

Development Authority, Cape Vincent town officials upset with BP Wind

By JAEGUN LEE, TIMES STAFF WRITER, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013, watertowndailytimes.com

BP Wind Energy and stakeholders of the developer’s proposed Cape Vincent Wind Project – the town government and the Development Authority of the North Country – again are at odds over the definition of a “meaningful dialogue.”

In a recent letter to BP, the attorney for DANC urged the wind developer to provide additional information to the development authority’s engineers – a request made four months ago.

“They have not been provided with the additional information and studies set forth in our April 19, 2013, letter to you. DANC staff further advises us that there has been no meaningful dialogue with your project development team and DANC’s engineering department,” said Dennis G. Whelpley, of Schwerzmann & Wise P.C., in his Aug. 16 letter to wind project manager Richard Chandler.

The letter also was forwarded to the state Public Service Commission.

Mr. Chandler responded by email to the Times, stating that DANC had been provided with information in June.

“We provided a comprehensive package of information to DANC in June as a follow-up to our April communication with DANC. We remain committed to working with DANC and other stakeholders to ensure a successful project,” he said.

The Cape Vincent Town Council, which has criticized BP several times in the past for the firm’s “unresponsiveness,” claims that BP would not even provide a timetable for a six-hour teleconference that had been planned for the end of July but canceled at the last minute.

Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey said the town had requested additional information regarding the stipulations process and asked that BP provide a more detailed agenda so that Cape Vincent consultants could call and chime in when needed – rather than idly standing by for hours.

“From our standpoint, we made a reasonable request,” Mr. Hirschey said.

The teleconference is yet to be rescheduled.

“We continue to be open for discussions with the town of Cape Vincent. We cannot comment further on the stipulations process or how the town wants to engage with us in that process,” Mr. Chandler said in his email to the Times.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/08/21/development-authority-cape-vincent-town-officials-upset-with-bp-wind/