There's been a big windfarm project in the works for Shaffer Mountain in PA, which has met with some of the strongest resistance in the area, including an entire resistance organized by a gentleman named Jack Buchan, a resident of the area. From what I've seen, Buchan and other members of Sensible Wind Solutions, a local group, has been a constant thorn in Gamesa's side, publishing giant full page ads opposing the project in local newspapers (more or less like this).
The latest transgression is a supposed suppression of data obtained by Gamesa on the land designated for development. Two Indiana bats, both juveniles, were found on Gamesa's land, and according to Buchan, the fact that there were juveniles found in the area could mean that there are Indiana bats breeding on Shaffer Mountain, and he forwarded the report to a bat expert at Penn State (I'm hoping to chat with him sometime this week about his thoughts on the matter). The area could potentially be considered "critical habitat" under the Endangered Species Act if such a colony is found.
Gamesa would have to obtain a takings permit, do a ton more scientific research and provide the Fish and Wildlife Service with a plan to show how they could minimize the damage done to the Indiana bats in the area. This is nearly impossible since wind turbines are without a doubt a detriment to local bat populations:
In West Virginia and Pennsylvania, the turbines are positioned on wide paths cleared amid maple, oak and other hardwood trees.
And that may have something to do with the bat deaths. Bats appear to be attracted to the open areas cleared by the wind developers because they can more easily find insects there, researchers said. But they are unsure why the bats hit the blades of the turbines -- whether they're attracted or accidentally fly into them.
Some of the bats are migrating south and others live near the wind farms, researchers said. Most of the deaths occurred between July and September, which includes the months of peak migration.
Estimates at one site, which housed 44 turbines were between 1,500 and 4,000 deaths in one year. Keep in mind those are deaths caused by direct collisions, not including the long term effects of habitat loss.
Studies upon studies are being recommended by conservation groups - edge effects, blade speed, the possibility of the turbines emitting an ultrasonic lure of some sort and just plain old studies of bat migration, which is still poorly understood. For example, there is only one known location of an Indiana bat breeding colony between New York and Virginia. Is that one location typical of their colonies? We won't know until another is found.
A big issue with these companies is that they do their own research in these areas, which is suspicious in itself. When I talked to the physics prof at FSU about his independent residential wind project, he said that this was one of the major problems with these windfarm companies like Gamesa; they do plenty of research themselves, but they are being allowed to place turbines without independent studies to back up their findings. I don't know about you, but having another self-contained, untouchable titan of energy production is the last thing we need right now.
The unknowns on both sides of the argument are staggering. More on this later this week, I hope.
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PACWind has come up with a new design for its portable wind turbine which can be appropriate for home use. Design is such that birds won't fly into them as it appears to them as a solid object.
I read Jeremy's comments on the opposition that has arisen against Gamesa's Shaffer Mountain wind plant. My name was mentioned prominently in his post, and somewhat inaccurately. While I would like to take credit for all the signs, news articles, etc., opposing Gamesa, I cannot. I am only a small part of the opposition. Thousands oppose Gamesa here, not just a few fringe NIMBYS or tree huggers. Doctors, steel workers, salesmen, students, housewives, loggers, businessmen and women, lawyers, contractors, tradesmen, clergymen, truck drivers, laborers, retired people, PhD's and high school dropouts -- a very diverse grassroots group of people-- is the opposition. There are actually 4 seperate groups working against the siting of this wind plant in the middle of a PA Natural Heritage Area of Exceptional Significance with two of the highest quality wild brook trout streams in the mid Atlantic and a major north American raptor migration corridor along the Allegheny front.
Few, if any, opponents are against wind power. It is the site that Gamesa has chosen that is the only problem. Now that the Indiana Bat - a federally listed endangered species - has been found, the feds and the Endangered Species Act are involved. Gamesa would prefer to ignore the ESA, but I doubt USFW will let them. This project, 30 404' turbines and 18 miles of new roads, has no business in one of the largest unfragmented blocks of mountain top forest remaining in PA.
Most of the ground is owned by Berwind Natural Resources Corp of Philadelphia who also owns a giant reclaimed strip mine 1.5 miles west of Shaffer Mountain that is the perfect place to build a wind plant. Gamesa refuses to even discuss moving the plant to the strip mine. Gamesa refuses to debate the merits of the project with opponents as well. Instead they hired former state Senator, Bob Jubilier, to lobby for them and tell legislators about all the jobs they have created. Trade our last, highest quality wild places, for a couple hundred jobs is what it boils down to.
Gamesa feels that they are politically wired because our Governor and DEP Secretary brought Gamesa to PA. They do not have to discuss the issues because they apparently feel their permits will be issued regardless of the environmental issues involved on Shaffer Mountain since they have brought some jobs to PA. As they see it, they should be able to build their industrial plants anywhere they want. They will be right if the decision will be based on politics. But if science is used as the basis for permit evaluation, the permit will be denied -- it isn't even a close question. Our Governor and DEP Secretary have way too much to lose here to allow the science to be ignored. We have faith in them.
The opposition to Gamesa is growing everyday. The 4 opposition groups include Save the Mountain, a local group headed by local property owner, Joseph J. Cominsky, Save Our Allegheny Ridges (SOAR), based in Bedford County that wants to keep wind turbines off our roadless ridgetops statewide, The Shaffer Mountain Protective Society which is a purely local group of very upset individuals and Sensible Wind Solutions - Dr. Thomas Dick and me who are working with scientists and attorneys on legislation to regulate wind turbine siting in PA. 5489 people have signed petitions as of this mormning opposing the siting of this wind plant.
The fact that there is a strip mine less than 1.5 miles west (and off the Allegheny Front migration corridor) that has a good road system, is high, open, very windy, and could accommodate all of Gamesa's wind turbines, brings into focus the issue we are raising. With 22% of northern Somerset County PA having already been strip mined, there are thousands and thousands of acres of high windy ALREADY DESTROYED sites for Gamesa to put their wind plant. But this Spanish Corporation insists on pushing ahead to try to destroy the largely roadless (3 dirt roads in 8000 acres)virgin ground of Shaffer Mountain. Our argument is compelling. Theirs is not. We'll see whether politics overrules science soon.
There is an excellent website that has been put together by opponents of this project -- www.shaffermountain.com. It's worth a visit.