September 12, 2013
Illinois

Iroquois board changes wind farm ordinance

Will Brumleve | The News-Gazette | 09/11/2013 | www.news-gazette.com

WATSEKA – The Iroquois County Board has approved numerous changes to the county’s ordinance regulating wind farms.

The revisions, approved on a 12-5 vote, call for the wind ordinance to be changed so that the setback between turbines and non-participating primary structures – or homes located on property not being leased for a wind farm – be increased from 1,500 feet to a distance equivalent to 12 times the rotor diameter. The distance between a turbine and a non-participating property line would be 1,500 feet.

Another change to the wind ordinance is that developers of wind farms will be required to prove shadow flicker will not affect non-participating landowners who live within one mile of a turbine. The developer can acquire a waiver from the affected person.

There are also new limits for the noise.

Another change is that the wind farm owner must maintain a general liability insurance policy covering bodily injury and property damage with limits of at least $20 million per occurrence and $20 million in the aggregate. The $20 million figure is up from $10 million.

The changes only affect wind farms not yet built or permitted.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/09/12/iroquois-board-changes-wind-farm-ordinance/