Voice your wind farm opposition
Herald & Review | August 8, 2018 | herald-review.com
A wind developer based in Kansas, but wholly owned by an Italian company, is seeking to build on prime agricultural ground in much of the western half of DeWitt County. If they are allowed to do so, they would be the first to exploit our county. Enormous, tax payer subsidized, profits would likely go off shore.
The developer is telegraphing using what would be the largest, tallest wind turbines in Illinois, nearly 60 stories tall – 69 of them – squeezing around three turbines into every two square miles. Imagine living in that mess. Imagine the noise and shadow flicker when these are too close to your property. Imagine twice as many red lights at night because of their height.
Residents have been pleading for improved ordinances that provide for reasonable setbacks from neighboring property lines, the elimination of shadow flicker, and the use of Federal Aviation Administration approved technology that would allow the annoying red flashing lights to be off most of the time. These are pretty reasonable requests.
On Aug. 22, the DeWitt County Board will have an opportunity to demonstrate which side it represents. Either it will do the right thing and side for safety, health, and lifestyle of residents, or it will vote down the proposed ordinance changes and make it easier for wind developers to crowd the landscape with their impactful monstrosities.
Decisions that go against county residents, and favor wind energy developers, will be long remembered for decades to come. Residents are encouraged to continue making their views known by contacting DeWitt County Board members and by witnessing first-hand at the Aug. 22 meeting just how the board members consider the safety, health, and lifestyle of its rural residents.
Donald Waddell, Wapella
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/08/09/voice-your-wind-farm-opposition/