July 31, 2018
Letters, Minnesota

Keep new wind turbine developments safe distance from residents

Marshall Independent | Jul 31, 2018 | www.marshallindependent.com

I’m originally from Marshall, went to St. John’s and then joined the U.S. Navy. Marshall gave me a sense of home. SJU gave me a sense of humanity and inquiry. The USN gave me a sense of loyalty and a desire to protect those unprotected.

I live in Massachusetts, but have always kept tabs on the “goings-on” in Marshall and Lyon County over the years. The June 2017 Independent Editorial (Proposed wind farms need to be scrutinized) is spot on. The cited editorial might be old news, but as the wind industrialists continue to try to develop new projects, scrutiny is paramount.

I am a believer in wind energy (in the proper location). Despite information the wind industrialists sell, government officials ought to give serious consideration to projecting immediate property abutters. Turbines need to be a safe distance from residents. In my Massachusetts town they didn’t do that. In my town, local government leaders were all about the money. In my town, neighbors took town government to task and won a nuisance claim (eight years). The turbines are now forever shut-down after millions of infrastructure dollars spent by the taxpayers without local government due diligence.

From SJUs’ education, wind energy is essential to our energy future. But when projects are sited too close to Lyon County neighbors, my sense of SJU humanity and USN loyalty kicks in.

Please take heed of your editor’s remarks!

Mark Cool

East Falmouth, Mass., formerly of Marshall

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/07/31/keep-new-wind-turbine-developments-safe-distance-from-residents/