Tower safety a concern by R.J. KELLY

Daily Gazette

Local industrial windpower opponent group Schoharie Valley Watch has asked town officials to re-evaluate the safety of a 197-foot wind measuring tower in the Warnerville hills after a similar 164-foot tower in Cherry Valley collapsed during windy weather last week. The local 197-foot tower was set up last spring by Reunion Power to measure wind and meteorological data on the Karker Road farm of David Huse.

Richmondville Code Enforcement Officer Gene DeMarco said Tuesday he expects to soon inspect the tower, but does not have any immediate concern about safety since the tower is on open land about a quarter mile from Huse's house, the nearest residence.

The annual permit was due to be renewed and inspected by May 1, DeMarco said, so he planned to move the inspection up, possibly within the next week.

DeMarco was responding to a request by Schoharie Valley Watch Co-Director Robert Nied for an "emergency inspection of Reunion's tower permilesignpermilesign to ensure it does not pose a public safety issue."

In a statement distributed on its Web site and to reporters, Schoharie Valley Watch contends that the Cherry Valley incident "underscores the potential health and safety issues that must be carefully examined before industrial wind facilities are permitted in our rural residential communities."

Nied said Tuesday he was satisfied with DeMarco's response and plans.

Huse, called the concerns "just the overreaction by Schoharie Valley Watch."

"If my tower fell down, it's in the middle of a hayfield," said Huse, whose family operates a 400-head beef cattle farm. Huse said he would like to see Vermont-based Reunion Power build a wind turbine electricity generation project in Richmondville.

Although Reunion has been considering building a wind project on East Hill in the Otsego County town of Cherry Valley for several years, and has begun measuring wind in Richmondville and Jefferson, the company has not formerly proposed a project in Schoharie County.

The Richmondville tower is "standing very straight and true, and transmitting data," said Steve Eisenberg, managing director of Reunion Power.

The Jefferson tower is also working properly and sending weather and wind data daily by a wireless phone system, he said Tuesday. Eisenberg said he had no worries about their safety.

The Cherry Valley tower fell over some time last week, apparently during a period of high wind and ice storms.

The exact cause has not been determined, according to Eisenberg. "It appears one of the anchors pulled out," Eisenberg said. He said it's the only time any of the eight meteorological towers the company is using for tests around the state have fallen over.

While another testing tower is still up in Cherry Valley, Eisenberg said the company does not plan to replace the fallen one.

Plans for the proposed 24-turbine project in Cherry Valley have stalled after local opposition and restrictions that increased the distance turbine towers, potentially as much as 400 foot tall, would have to be set back from nearby property or buildings.