While liens were being filed against Noble Environmental Power and its subsidiaries in Franklin County, similar documents are being filed on landowners in Clinton and Wyoming counties including one filed in Clinton County by a local business owner.
According to documents at the Clinton County Clerk's office, a total of $6.4 million in liens have been filed on various subsidiaries of Noble Environmental Power LLC.
While The Telegram was able to obtain a handful of the lien documents, officials at the Clinton County Clerk's office said she could not say how many liens were filed there, noting "there are too many to count quickly."
One of the liens, filed against Noble Clinton Windpark and Noble Ellenburg Windpark, claims the company owes $3,839.48 to Adirondack Energy, a Malone fuel company. That lien is not filed in connection with a property owner who has an easement agreement with the company. Instead, it's filed on Noble's Clinton Ellenburg Substation.
Also in Clinton County, two electrical contractor labor unions -- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (I.B.E.W.) Local Union 1249 and I.B.E.W. Local Union 910 -- have filed mechanics liens for work on the substation performed by Kay-R Electrical, now out of business.
One lien in Clinton County, filed by SPE Utility Contractors LLC on Noble Altona Wind Park LLC, says Noble has not yet paid $2.12 million for a "Fiber Optic Under Ground Collector System Package."
Other liens have been filed by Stuart C. Irby Co., an electrical contractor based in Jackson, Miss., and Versatile Office & Storage Inc. of Gansevoort.
In Wyoming County, 19 liens have also been filed on Noble's Wethersfield Wind Park.
Nine liens filed by Stuart C. Irby Co. in relation to the park total $393,621.96. The liens do not name individuals with easement pacts with the wind energy company, but instead name Noble Wethersfield Windpark LLC, Noble Environmental Power and Noble Constructors LLC.
Four separate liens were filed in Wyoming County by Robert Maxwell, an individual who said he performed the "acquisition of land rights and environmental permits, and the facilitation of compliance with local, municipal requirements" on Noble's behalf. The liens total $66,176. Three of the liens name local property owners, including a farm.
A third lienor, AECOM USA Inc., filed six liens totaling $206,698.08. One of the liens names an individual property owner.
Noble Environmental Power Communications Associate Maggie Wisniewski did not return a call for comment Wednesday night.
When reached last week regarding three earlier liens filed in Franklin County, Wisniewski would not respond to questions.
"We can't comment on these matters, so I guess I have to say Ono comment," Wisniewski said.
Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne, who sits on a Wind Ethics Task Force created by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, said his office has been contacted about the liens.
Champagne said he is not at liberty to speak on the task force's behalf, but he said the group is in the process of scheduling its next meeting.
"It is something that has been brought to my attention," he said. "Several people filed complaints with my office about what's occurred. As a member of that committee, I am obligated to forward any complaints on to the committee as a whole."
Noble Environmental Power LLC currently has six operational wind parks in New York ¬ Noble Altona, Noble Chateaugay, Noble Clinton, Noble Ellenburg, Noble Bliss and Noble Wethersfield windparks.
The company is developing its Noble Bellmont, Noble Allegany and Noble Ball Hill windparks in New York, though Noble officials say the Bellmont project is on hold until the economy turns around.
Noble also has an operational park Noble Great Plains Windpark, in Hansford County, Texas.
The company is also developing windparks in Clay County, Minn., Coos County, N.H., and Rutland County, Vt.
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