November 20, 2017
Indiana, Letters

Wind: Listen to the residents

Voice of the People | The Rochester Sentinel | 17 November 2017 | rochestersentinel.in.newsmemory.com

Last week I went to the Fulton County Commissioners meeting at Fulton.

It was standing room only. The meeting was very civil and well ordered. What I found interesting was that a large share of those in attendance were my friends and neighbors and most, not all, are against the wind turbines.

Of those in favor, most were from the construction side. They wanted jobs. I understand that, but this is a project that will affect lives for at least the next 30 years. The lives it will affect the most are the residents who live within the wind field. I got there at 5 p.m. when the doors were to open and the parking lot was almost full. When going in we were greeted and asked if we wanted to speak on the issue and if we were for, undecided or opposed. I signed the opposed for an opportunity to speak. I was about the 10th or 12th on the list. At that time, no one had their names of either the for or undecided to speak.

I did not get the opportunity to speak.

The first five speakers for the evening shared current rules, taxes, legal aspects and the developer, RES, which all slanted their speeches in favor of the turbines, especially RES. The only opinion that slipped out was when speaking on the decommissioning of the turbines, Richard Hall let it slip about getting rid of the “eyesores.”

This brought a large applause. The only scheduled speaker in opposition was Aaron Ault for the Fulton County Property Rights Group. He brought out points that RES and others in favor didn’t want shared. He shared so much about health issues, environmental issues, drainage and irrigation issues, and many others.

To hear his talk, visit the Fulton County IN Property Rights Facebook page. I encourage everyone to listen and watch his presentation.

I spoke with RES before the meeting. I shared that I live in the area of the county that has had to put up with NIPSCO for almost 60 years. I have had to farm around them and allow them full rights to our ground. They own us. I ask RES about that and their response was, “Oh, we aren’t NIPSCO”.

We would never do that.

I asked him about what it says in their contract. He denied it.

So here it is on page 10, 3.2.4: “Notwithstanding the grant of the easement contained in Section 3.4 below, Landowner understands and has been informed by the Company that by this Agreement, Company has the right to cause on, over, across and under the Property or as an indirect or direct result of Company’s or any successor or assign’s activities on the Property in Connection with the Windpower Facilities or the Effects.

Except as otherwise agreed to herein, Landowner, for itself, its heirs, administrators, executors, successors and assigns, does hereby waive, remise and release any right, claim or cause of action which it may now have or which it may have in the future against the Company or successor or assign as a direct or indirect result of said Effects.”

They will own us!

Then to top it off, after construction is done, RES plans to sell the wind field and we will then have to deal with another company who also has no interest in us, except for the tax credits that they will be receiving to line their pockets.

Having wind turbines in our community will affect lives. It will change farming practices. It will affect health for some people. It will affect property values. What for? Money. All of those speaking in favor of the project were speaking about money.

I am sorry people, but there is more to life than money.

Yes, we need money to live, but to what extent?

Do we let it affect our quality of life? Will we let it pit neighbor against neighbor for many years to come? Will we allow it control our livelihood?

Will we sell out to a company whose only interest in us is the tax credits they will receive?

If wind turbines are so awesome, why don’t they replace the aged ones and rebuild in those areas? Because the tax credits are for new construction, not for replacing the “eye sores” of the past and they are in high wind areas.

So my appeal is to the commissioners and the plan commission, please make the setbacks safer at 2640 feet or four times the height, whichever is greater, as compared to the 900 feet and to those who haven’t signed with RES, please DON’T SIGN THE LEASE AGREEMENT.

Help us to preserve Fulton County as an agriculture county, not an industrial wind farm.

The next Commissioners meeting on this issue is Nov. 20, 2017 with the location yet to be determined.

Thanks for hearing, David Sommers, 4th generation, lifelong Wayne Township resident.

Editor’s note: The location of the meeting is at the Fulton County Fairgrounds Community Building.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/11/20/wind-listen-to-the-residents/