April 7, 2018
Vermont

Settlement reached in Deerfield Wind blasting complaint

By Howard Weiss-Tisman | Vermont Public Radio | April 6, 2018 | vpr.net

A landowner who said his property was damaged by blasting at a nearby wind power facility has reached a settlement with developers.

Francis Candiloro of Searsburg filed the complaint against the Deerfield Wind project in July 2017.

The 15-turbine Deerfield Wind project is owned by Avangrid Renewables, a U.S. division of the international energy company, Iberdrola Renewables.

Deerfield Wind’s state permit required the company to develop a blasting plan and protect nearby landowners.

Candiloro claimed that contractors failed to visit his property before the blasting began, as was required in the state permit, and his property sustained damage while construction was taking place.

According to the hearing officer’s report that was issued this week, the two sides reached a settlement and the state investigation has been closed.

Details on the confidential settlement were not released. The hearing officer’s report says the company did not admit to any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

The 15-turbine wind project in the Green Mountain National Forest is the first commercial wind development on U.S. National Forest Land.

The turbines went online in December 2017.