Letter from Martha Baier

Project Proposal Is Disturbing

We attended the board meeting on Monday, December 11 in Springfield. The main concern was the proposal of two wind turbines being installed in the Town of Stark. After two are approved, if they are, I bet they will put up more. New Leaf will “blast” a 15-foot deep trench for the foundation. Will it damage the rock bed and waters? They estimate that 400 concrete trucks will be brought in and promised to repair the access roads (in Springfield) that are damaged, but I’m not confident that they will follow through with that. They plan to sell the land immediately after they construct the wind turbines. New Leaf Energy plans to test the well water before and again afterward to show that they haven’t damaged the well water of residents in the area. They have submitted an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement), but it should have included wooded spots where the wildlife live. The vibrations and sound the turbines make have been shown to affect animals. I am very concerned about the effects the constant pounding has to whales many miles away in the ocean. Their sonar is highly sensitive and studies have shown a huge increase in beached whales due to wind turbines.

What about people?

The money poured into such a project will result in a -19 percent end product. How can this be an energy-efficient project?

Martha Baier
Richfield Springs