December 3, 2015
New York

Ortt wants wind farm more thoroughly studied

ENP STAFF REPORTS | East Niagara Post | December 2, 2015 | www.eastniagarapost.com

State Sen. Rob Ortt calls the process regarding the proposed Lighthouse Wind Project in the towns of Somerset and Yates “extremely disappointing and frustrating,” and says he wants the issue more thoroughly studied.

The North Tonawanda Republican said there have been “scarce details” released on the potential environmental and health risks of the project. He also said he feels there should be more local input into the licensing process for the proposed wind farm – or others like it.

Ortt released a statement today to the press. It follows in its entirety:

The process thus far has been extremely disappointing and frustrating for local residents and government officials. I’m hopeful that the next phase will address the serious concerns raised by property owners, businesses, farmers, and local representatives. We cannot have such a dramatic change in our community – potential risks to our environment, health, and property – with scarce details provided by developers and without community input. For this reason, I’ve been adamant in calling for a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) to study the impact that a project of this scale will have on our community. While federal aviation officials are studying the effect wind turbines will have on our skies and how it will impact local air traffic, the state needs to increase its diligence on this matter. I’ve also advocated for greater local involvement by moving siting decisions away from politicians and bureaucrats in Albany – and giving it back to local officials. I will continue working with concerned citizens as well as officials at the town, county, state, and federal level.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/12/03/ortt-wants-wind-farm-more-thoroughly-studied/