April 26, 2015
Letters, North Dakota

North Dakota doesn’t need to build wind farms for South Dakota

Letter: North Dakota doesn’t need to build wind farms for SD | The Dickinson Press | Apr 25, 2015 | www.thedickinsonpress.com

What if the Stark County commissioners and zoning board were approached about putting 200-foot billboards along the interstate from Richardton to Gladstone? They would say “no” so fast and wonder why anyone would even have the guts to request such a foolish idea; to put such a scar on the landscape with such a disgraceful blight. Now they will get to decide on 425-foot towers that make loud noise, have spinning blades, flashing lights and wingspans of a 747 jet along our interstate corridor.

That will really be something to remember when visitors travel to and from our beautiful Badlands.

After attending the presentation in Taylor on Saturday, April 18, I realized how much of an impact 87 wind turbines would have on our 64 square miles of Stark County. It definitely will not have the sound impact of 87 refrigerators spread out in the county like the Florida company wants you to believe. The acoustics expert at the presentation said to avoid sleep disturbance, the turbines need to be 1¼ miles (6,600 feet) from your house. Currently, our zoning allows turbines to be 2,000 feet from residences.

Another expert proved that the value of our land and houses would be severely reduced and often people and families move and sell for discounted prices. This just makes sense. To believe the lady from the Florida company saying it doesn’t lower prices is foolish at best. She has everything to gain by misleading the public and nothing to lose.

The last expert showed how our current zoning ordinances allow a landowner to lease to the wind farm the neighbor’s land and by that limiting the future use of that land, so the neighbor gets paid nothing and cannot build on his own land because of setbacks and is forced by the county to give up the rights to use his land as his wishes. It is disturbing that you are against a project, but the county currently requires that you have to donate the use of your land to the neighbor so he can make money on the project you are against.

From where I live, I will be able to see all 87 turbines along with the blinking lights. If South Dakota needs wind power, build it in South Dakota.

Justin Boersma, Gladstone


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/04/26/north-dakota-doesnt-need-to-build-wind-farms-for-south-dakota/