Wind Power News: Complaints
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
State finds wind farm abused workers
Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle’s agency has lowered the boom on Colorado-based RES Construction, a subcontractor on the $590 million Montague wind farm in Eastern Oregon’s Gilliam County. Investigators for the Bureau of Labor and Industries determined RES deprived workers of hundreds of meal and rest breaks earlier this year. BOLI now proposes to fine RES $209,800, the biggest penalty imposed by the agency since it fined legislative leaders $1.1 million in a sexual harassment case. The Montague project qualified . . . Complete story »
Story bigger than ‘just a man who showed his ass,’ says turbine project neighbour who denies ‘mooning’ crew
NORTH STORMONT – The stress and noise of living near three industrial turbine construction sites fanned a local man’s frustrations to the point of showing “not even half a moon” to a Nation Rise project worker while they mutually pointed cameras at each other. So says Randy Lamb, 52, nonetheless now accused with the whole Criminal Code charge of “Indecent Exhibition” after the Sept. 21 incident in North Stormont, where contractors for EDP Renewables are currently building the biggest wind farm . . . Complete story »
Environment Ministry suspends wind farm construction
Panama’s Environment Ministry(MiAmbiente) has suspended construction work of the Toabré wind farm in Coclé. Minister Milciades Concepción said the stoppage was applied due to the breach, by the company, of commitments of the environmental management plan of the environmental impact study, The work stoppage became effective, Thursday, February 26 Concepción said that once the company corrects the breaches, the suspension measure can be lifted. The project is in the hands of the Elecnor consortium, a company with the participation of . . . Complete story »
140 hectares of once protection forest wiped out in south-central Vietnam
A total of 140 hectares of once protection forest in the south-central Vietnamese province of Binh Dinh have been cleared after a local energy company was tasked with managing the area. The provincial People’s Committee has transferred the case to police officers for further investigation, Nguyen Viet Hung, deputy head of the Binh Dinh Economic Zone Administration, confirmed on Thursday. According to Hung, a poplar forest covering an area of 250 hectares in Tuy Phuoc and Phu Cat Districts was . . . Complete story »
More than 60 residents and property owners in northern Chautauqua County sue wind turbine company
MAYVILLE – A group of 65 residents and property owners in Northern Chautauqua County have filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court against the developers of a wind farm, claiming to have suffered from various damages and injuries as it relates to the placement of wind turbines in close proximity to their homes. The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday by the law firm Westfall Law PLLC, lists over a hundred individuals from 65 different residences in the Fredonia, Cassadaga . . . Complete story »
More than 100 residents sue Arkwright project developers
More than 100 residents of the town of Arkwright, the villages of Cassadaga, Fredonia, Forestville have filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Mayville against the developers of the Arkwright Wind Power Project. The suit was filed Tuesday and names EDP Renewables, Arkwright Summit Wind Farm LLC, Horizon Wind Energy LLC, Tetra Tec EC Inc., Tetra Tech ES Inc., Tetra Tech Construction Inc., URS Corp., West Inc. Fisher Associates P.E., L.S., L.A. of New York, P.C., Fisher Associates, P.E., . . . Complete story »
Environment Minister hears about Port Elgin wind turbine suffering
Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks heard first-hand emotional accounts of health suffering from five Port Elgin residents living near the UNIFOR wind turbine at a private meeting at Saugeen Shores town hall Sept. 19. Five residents who have filed the majority of 1,000-plus wind turbine operation complaints with the ministry, sat across from Yurek, who is no stranger to the controversial green energy issue. Yurek and others are named in a private prosecution filed by a Chatham-Kent . . . Complete story »
Man who lived in footprint of wind farm shares his experiences
OSWEGO – Mel Hass of rural Oswego shared his experience with wind farms with Labette County commissioners on Monday. He spoke an hour about living within the footprint of a 126-turbine wind farm in DeKalb County, Illinois, and his advocacy for laws that protect property owners, especially those who did not lease acreage to wind farm developers. Hass said if or when these developers come to Labette County he would like county commissioners to have wind farm regulations in place so . . . Complete story »
Sparks fly as Germany’s climate plan hits rural landscapes
German farmer Edgar Thomas already has two towering pylons spoiling the view of the picturesque rolling hills around his land, and he’s exasperated that his area is being asked to find room for more. But in the country’s bid to ditch fossil fuels and switch to renewables as it marches towards a carbon-neutral future, such power highways are essential to transport green energy mostly harnessed in the north to the industry-intensive south. Thomas’ reluctance to see yet more power lines . . . Complete story »
‘Noisy’ wind farm extension paused after Barrow residents object
Residents claiming a nearby wind farm has been noisy for 20 years have convinced councillors to pause plans to keep it open for another decade. They said noise from the Askam and Ireleth wind farm, near Barrow, Cumbria, was “unbearable”. A decision on an application to extend its life has been deferred while Barrow Council seeks independent evidence. Operator Cannock Wind Farm Services said the farm had never been found to cause a statutory noise nuisance. Managing director Mike Tracey . . . Complete story »
