Monday, May 08, 2006

Cohocton Wind Watch Media Release - May 8, 2006

Cohocton Wind Watch [CWW] is sponsoring an informational meeting at Wayland-Cohocton Elementary School, 30 Park Ave., Cohocton,NY on May 18 at 7 PM.

According to Steve Trude, president of the organization, CWW plans to address issues raised by a Draft Environmental Statement [DEIS] prepared for a proposed wind farm atop the Pine Hill, Lent Hill and Brown Hill areas of Cohocton which is located in north-eastern Steuben County, New York.

Trude says the group also plans to question the efficacy of the project which was originally designed for smaller 1.5 megawatt wind turbines and now will use larger 2.0 megawatt turbines. The group will also discuss the Town of Cohocton's "Wind Mill Local Law #1."

Says Trude, "We want to make sure that the Town Board and Planning Board make the best choices for Cohocton and all of its landowners and residents."

The proposed wind farm, to be developed by UPC Wind Partners, LLC, of Massachusetts, would include 41 - 2.0 megawatt turbines, each 403 feet high. The project would be spread over 5,775 acres of leased land.

The turbines would be 13 times taller than an average utility pole, or roughly the height of Xerox Tower in nearby Rochester, NY. Current zoning laws would allow the turbines to be placed as close as 1,500 feet to nearby homes.

The turbines would be the largest built in New York State to date.

A second proposed project for the Dutch Hill area of the township would also be developed by UPC and would include 17 - 2.0 megawatt turbines.

CWW says they have many concerns about the proposed projects including a decrease in property values; lack of a feasibility study by the town; environmental and health concerns.

According to CWW, Realtors in neighboring communities where wind farms are proposed have seen many property owners selling properties in anticipation of towers being built.

Mike Keenan, a Realtor in nearby Naples, Ontario County, says he has already lost sales in towns where wind farms are proposed when prospective buyers have learned the turbines would be within their "viewscape."

Says Keenan, "Plain and simple, people don't want to look at towers."

According to the DEIS, the Cohocton turbines would be visible from many surrounding townships including Wayland, Avoca, Freemont, Howard, Wheeler, Prattsburgh, Italy and Naples as well as Canandaigua Lake.

According to Keenan, many out-of-state and downstate buyers are drawn to the region because of the low cost of housing and the scenic beauty of the area.

The DEIS states that some of the potential negative effects from construction and operation of the wind turbines include changes in the water table; sedimentation of ponds and streams; loss of wildlife habitat; loss of agricultural lands and woodlands; soil erosion and compaction; interference with communication signals; hazards created by "ice throw" and loss of tourism and recreational dollars.

CWW says it also questions tax incentives, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority cash transfers, Empire Zone deals and accelerated tax write-offs the out-of-state developers may have received.

The group says it is further concerned because several California wind farms developed by UPC's founder are no longer operational.

The group says it recently learned that UPC aided the town in the drafting of its "Wind Mill Local Law," and that some Cohocton lease-holders may have been offered more money per turbine than others.

In addition, says CWW, the DEIS contradicts itself in many places, has factual errors, contains inaccurate or incomplete maps and other mistakes.

"We are not against renewable forms of energy," says Trude. " In fact, we're all for it. We just question the size and scope of the project as well as its practicality. We don't believe the Town Board and Planning Board have thoroughly looked at all the issues involved."

The group says that through the "Freedom of Information Act", they have uncovered what appears to be irregularities in permitting for the project, including a lack of several key permitts required by Steuben County and New York State.

The Town of Cohocton has admitted that it has no clear idea as to how much revenue might be generated by the project, nor does it have a plan as to how it would spend the money.

Trude adds that town landowners have only until June 7, 2006 to respond to the DEIS, after which the town has said it will go ahead with the project. Construction is slated for the spring of 2007. The Town Board and Planning Board will only consider written questions. These should be sent in care of the Town Clerk, 15 South Main St., Cohocton, NY 14826.

The DEIS can be viewed on-line at www.cohoctonwind.com, or at the Cohocton Town Hall, the Cohocton Public Library, the E. J. Cottrell Memorial Library in Atlanta, NY, and the UPC information office at 28 Maple Ave., Cohocton.

The "Wind Mill Local Law" is available at Town Hall. Cohocton Wind Watch can be reached at http://batr.net/cohoctonwindwatch; PO Box 52, Cohocton, NY 14826, or, at 585-534-5581.

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