October
10, 2012
410 Bay
Street
Cape
Vincent NY
13618
Honorable Jaclyn A Brilling, Secretary
NYS Board on Electric Generation Siting and
the Environment
3 Empire Plaza
Albany NY 12223
RE:
Case 12-F - 0410: Application of Cape Vincent Wind Power,llC for
Certificate of
Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to
Construct an approximately 200-285MW Wind Electric
Generating Facility in the Town of Cape Vincent, NY
Honorable Secretary Billing,
On September 25, 2012, I submitted a
document for the above file. I wish to add the following information
to the file for the Cape Vincent Wind
Power Application.
Regarding
home value impact: Enclosed
please find an October 4, 2012 front page story from the Kingston Whig
Standard, the newspaper of Kingston, Ontario. Kingston is on the opposite side
of the St Lawrence River from Cape Vincent, with Wolfe Island between our town
and Kingston. Wolfe Island is home to 86 industrial wind turbines. This article
explains a new study regarding the home value impact in communities
hosting industrial wind turbine
developments. I noted in my previous letter that this is one of the many issues
that BP (and previous wind companies) have chosen to ignore by discrediting any
report that even
hints on the reality that home values
are impacted. I also am referencing for you, the Clarkson University study
(2011) "Values in the Wind: A Hedonic Analysis of Wind Power Facilities"
and the Cape Vincent Wind Turbine Economic Impact Committee Report (2010). A
2010 rebuttal by BP to the Cape Vincent Report once again is based on the DOE
2009 report. As
more
industrial wind turbine complexes have been built near residential homes, the
evidence is emerging to support what our local realtors have know for several
years. Proximity to industrial wind
turbine development or proposed development does have a negative impact on home
values/sales.
Estimated
PilOT payments:
I stated in my previous document that any projected PilOT payment information
provided by BP (and previous companies) has been misleading. I want to add that
in the St lawrence Wind Economic Report (Exhibit F) they state a formula for a
distribution of 50% to Jefferson County, 35% to the school district and 15% to
the town. The BP ads run in the local papers (Exhibit D) use a formula of 50% to the schools, 35%
to the county and 15% to the town. This discrepancy in the division of PilOT
money causes one to question any numbers they have presented. Once again, I
stress that there is NO existing PilOT formula in this county and that this
project involves FIVE municipalities, not three. BP
should not be allowed to continue to present
such obvious misleading information. I am also suggesting that they be required
to state the percentage of the current municipal budget that is represented by
the
PILOT payment. Citizens have a right
to know the reality of these payments.
Ethical
Impact of Article X Process: In addition to my previous specific comments
on each section of the PIP presented by BP, I am at a loss for words to
describe the unethical behaviors of our previous Town and
Planning Board members in cooperation
with officials of both BP and Acciona. With the assistance of legal support
from the firm of White Osterman and Hanna lLP, they completed the SEQR process
for the St
lawrence Wind project only (not Cape
Vincent Wind). Allowing BP to combine the two projects and utilize the corrupt
SEQR process appears far beyond the boundaries of the expected ethical behavior
that Governor Cuomo established as Attorney General. A Watertown Daily TImes
article of July 21, 2007 entitled "PSC finds Studies Deficient"
shares this information:
"If
the St Lawrence Wind Farm wants to satisfy the state Public Service Commission,
it should rewind six months and start it environmental review over ..... The
commission's comments on
the
review say the town Planning Board accepted a draft
environmental
impact statement that is incomplete and does not address any topic in
sufficient detaiL.The commission recommends
that
the Planning Board restart the environmental review process and begin with a
scoping document. In January St lawrence Wind chose to forgo the optional
scoping stage, which identifies what studies need to be done .... PSC is not
the only entity to have expressed concern that studies for the St Lawrence Wind
Farm's environmental review are incomplete. The state Department of
Environmental Conservation has suggested more studies since March. The US
Fish
and Wildlife Service also has made extensive comments on the project."
In spite of these concerns, the
process continued without addressing the issues raised. Specific ethical concerns
that impacted these decisions are still under investigation by the NYS Attorney
General. Enclosed please find a copy of a February 2009 paid ad in the local
papers documenting these unethical behaviors. The Article X process, with the
right to override local laws, must expect the highest ethical standards.
Cumulative
Impact:
The cumulative impact that these industrial turbine developments will have on
our citizens and wildlife cannot be overlooked by a decision on an individual
project. Along the St Lawrence River, several projects have been proposed,
which could place over 600 industrial turbines along this scenic area of NYS if
every proposal was completed. The Article X Siting Board has yet to see many of
these proposals, but I would expect that the Siting Board to have a vision of
balancing energy needs with selective placement of intrusive industrial wind
turbine development in our state. NYS does not need to look back in ten or
twenty years and say we did not make the best decisions on anyone project since
we were not looking at the cumulative impact.
Thank you again for attention to these
concerns as you address this application.
Additionally, Donna included a paid advertisement from the Watertown Daily Times highlighting Cape Vincent's Unethical Black Hole , as well as a recent newspaper article from the Kingston Whig Standard about turbines decreasing Property Values Link here to read the online edition of this article. from the Whig Standard
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