Article X legislation utility siting law letter to NYS by James Hall

Dear Legislator,

Cohocton Wind Watch regrets that NYS is considering an Article X bill that has serious public policy flaws. While we favor "Home Rule" we recognize that NYS has a fundamental responsibility to protect the public safety of all citizens.

Therefore, Cohocton Wind Watch urges both the Senate and Assembly to reject Governor Spitzer's version and bring back most of the provisions in the old Article X.

CWW opposes the siting of any industrial wind project that endangers the public health and safety of residents. The distance set backs from all public roads and property borders of adjacent property owners must be significantly increased to ensure the safety of the motoring public and ensure that property rights of any adjoining land can be protected from the sever negative impacts of industrial wind turbines.

All set backs must be measured from property lines, not from dwelling boundaries. Distance for set backs in most local laws are entirely inadequate. Industrial wind turbines need to be sited at least 1.5 miles from any public road or adjacent property border line.

Article X would be beneficial to the general public if strict NYS public safety standards are adopted and regulated, while maintaining the principle of "Home Rule".

Industrial wind turbine projects are not appropriate and certainly not safe to be located near populated residential properties. If NYS wants to encourage alternative energy projects there must be a balance in public policy that will demand that citizen's safety and property rights will not be sacrificed for the business interests of foreign wind developers.

Cohocton Wind Watch opposes the versions of Article X that are being considered. New public protective safeguards need to be the cornerstone of any legislation that reauthorizes Article X.

Your duty is to protect resident's health and safety before any energy development project. NYS can do better. Industrial wind turbines are not a practical solution but are an Enron model scheme to defraud the public and destroy the local tax base of rural New York State.

People need strict and comprehensive oversight regulation over the entire wind industry. Place the public interest first, especially since anti-trust investigations are looking into the suspect business practices of wind developer LLCs. Collusion and corruption of public officials are well known to the voters.

The future of New York State is at risk by ill-conceived and flawed wind projects. Cohocton Wind Watch appeals to your moral conscience and sworn duty to protect the public. If you approve any version of Article X, guarantee that it includes safety standards that are meaningful.

Cordially,

James Hall for Cohocton Wind Watch - June 19, 2007