Concerned Citizens of Stark County oppose wind turbine setback laws
Letter: Concerned Citizens of Stark County oppose wind turbine setback laws | By Autumn Richard from Dickinson on Feb 26, 2016 | The Dickinson Press | www.thedickinsonpress.com/
Letter: Concerned Citizens of Stark County oppose wind turbine setback laws | By Autumn Richard from Dickinson on Feb 26, 2016 | The Dickinson Press | www.thedickinsonpress.com/
This letter is intended to clear the air about the intentions of the Concerned Citizens of Stark County Group and the ongoing fight to prevent NextEra Energy Resources from placing wind turbines within our county. There seems to be an assumption that this group is against all wind energy, but that is not the case.
Environmentally friendly energy should always be strived for; however, a $50 billion company should not need government subsidies to be productive. Now, you might ask yourself why this is important to you. The answer is that anything subsidized has only one outcome, and that is higher tax rates and more national debt.
I could type out an essay on the increase in taxes, potential health concerns, higher utility rates, the beauty of our county and so forth, but the real reason I am writing this letter to the editor is to explain what’s wrong with the development of THIS wind farm in THIS location.
I have always been proud to live in a community that has strong moral and work ethics, and neighbors that can still be depended on. I was not born in North Dakota and I can honestly say that I have never seen more kind and neighborly people.
However, I am ashamed of how our county has not protected these people. According to our county ordinances, a wind turbine can be placed within 2,000 feet of a home! Not a property line, but that close to your front door! To give you a visual, that’s approximately four blocks from your front door steps. Now imagine that and walking up to a 450-foot structure. It’s not only absurd, it’s criminal.
Our county ordinances do not protect those who do not want these turbines in their backyard. If our commissioners cared about the rights of Stark County citizens, they would change the ordinance and move the set back to landowner’s property lines and not their dwelling.
This is why the Concerned Citizens of Stark County are fighting back. This is why there is opposition. And this is why we will continue to fight.
Autumn Richard,
Dickinson
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/02/29/concerned-citizens-of-stark-county-oppose-wind-turbine-setback-laws/