LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

News Watch Home

State representatives hold wind law workshop at JCC 

Credit:  By BRIAN MOLONGOSKI | Watertown Daily Times | September 21, 2016 | www.watertowndailytimes.com ~~

WATERTOWN – State officials held a workshop at Jefferson Community College Tuesday night geared toward helping residents understand the pros and cons of wind energy projects and how they can be adequately blocked by municipalities, if they so choose.

The two-hour presentation was put on by Christopher Eastman, manager of the Local Government Training program at the New York Department of State.

Much of the session centered on how municipalities opposed to wind projects can conduct studies and develop comprehensive plans that spell out justifications for opposing the construction of a wind project within the community’s boundaries.

For a comprehensive plan to carry weight, Mr. Eastman said, there needs to be an adequate justification to slow the development of a wind project so it can be taken under close consideration during a project’s Article 10 review process.

“If it’s something that the community feels should be implemented in zoning regulations and there’s a lot of justification for it, I think that’s probably your best defense,” Mr. Eastman said. “I don’t think that throwing up your hands because of Article 10, saying, ‘well the state’s going to do whatever the state’s going to do; it’s out of our hands’ is the correct response. It’s as important as ever to go through the comprehensive planning process and to have regulations on the books that reflect the goals of the comprehensive plan and the community.”

Municipal regulations, Mr. Eastman said, must clearly address residential, agricultural and commercial systems and whether the regulations affect the entire municipality or specific districts as well as how a wind project could be detrimental to the environment, from noise pollution to bird fatalities.

Mr. Eastman noted the town of Clayton’s development of a comprehensive plan as an example.

The town approved a six-month moratorium in May as Iberdrola Renewables pursues its Horse Creek wind project that would be mainly in Clayton and expected to incorporate the towns of Orleans, Lyme and Brownville. The developer has said it soon plans to start the pre-application process for a state-required Article 10 review of its still-undefined project.

More recently, conflicts have arisen over the town’s implementation of Local Law No. 5, which seeks to regulate the application, development and placement of wind energy facilities to protect public health and safety and to minimize the negative impacts of wind development.

Residents have argued that the law does not take into account potential noise violations that could cause health problems.

Source:  By BRIAN MOLONGOSKI | Watertown Daily Times | September 21, 2016 | www.watertowndailytimes.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon