I am writing in regard to the 8/11/09 Daily News article, "Dairy Hills issues aired, pro and con." Unfortunately, the article's opening line, "Numbers fought philosophy...", read as if the proponents of the project outnumbered the opponents at the public hearing, when in fact, exactly the opposite was true. The Perry Town Board was overwhelmingly urged to vote no on the Dairy Hills Project by a hefty margin of 3 to 1.
Thirty-six speakers at Perry's Public Hearing on Horizon's Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement offered vast amounts of well-documented research related specifically to the numerous inaccuracies in Horizon's SDEIS. This in contrast to the scant dozen pro-wind speakers who said they "supported the project and the SDEIS," but provided absolutely no independent, scientific information to back up their positions. The only thing the pro-wind group did cite were names from a biased "survey" they've collected over the past two years. Worth noting is the fact that their "survey" was made up of less than 10 percent of Perry's total population of 6,654. (See: http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=273662)
The recurring theme of the 36 people who spoke against the project was that Horizon's SDEIS still contained the same inaccuracies and shortcomings as it did two years ago. Their resounding plea to Perry's Town Board members was to serve and protect the health, safety and welfare of all residents by voting no. "People first -- not money!"
Contrary to The Daily News report that Horizon's owner, Energias de Portugal Renovveis (EDPR), is a $1 billion company, Dick Green correctly cited the fact that evening that EDPR is worth in excess of $36 billion -- thus, the truly objectionable nature of allowing a mega, multi-billion dollar corporation a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes program. As Green said, "And Horizon asks the town of Perry for a PILOT program? That's not greedy. That's obscene!"
To name just a few of the many other contradictions and inaccuracies of Horizon's SDEIS:
Phil McBride of Lake LaGrange presented pictures of eagles that are residing in the vicinity of the lake (despite the fact that the SDEIS states that there are no eagles in the area). McBride said he has many ideas for further development of his property, including a possible camping area, but will not pursue any plans while the threat of industrial turbines is still looming.
Hans Kunze, well-known birder and professional in the financial field, said that "turbines are already obsolete." He said we'll be stuck holding the bag when these Limited Liability Corporations leave, and that the "piddly amount people think they will be getting is nothing compared to what we will be losing."
Robert Firestine, an economist who resides at Silver Lake, said that any money the town "might" get, especially when you figure in inflation a few years down the road, will probably only be about 1 percent, which he said, "is nothing" when looking at the big picture.
Steve Moultrup, former mayor of Perry, said, "This isn't just a Town of Perry issue. The aesthetic impact is county-wide."
Despite all the expert testimony, and well-researched and documented information presented throughout the evening, some of the most powerful comments came from one of the folks who is experiencing first-hand, the very negative effects of living too close to industrial wind turbines -- Glenn O'Connor of Bliss.
Mr. O'Connor prefaced his comments by saying, "If you want to know what life is going to be like with turbines, I'm your guy." He went on to describe his family's loss of TV reception, hours and hours of flicker, inability to sleep (54 dBA inside his home), months and months of unsuccessfully trying to get the Industrial Wind LLC to do something to help them, and the exorbitant costs associated with finally having to hire an attorney. He said, "Once your Town Board signs an agreement with the wind company, they are no longer going to be able to help you." Mr. O'Connor summed up his ongoing dreadful experience by saying, "You better think long and hard before you sign up for this mess!"
Ford Eberstein summed it up perfectly, "Do your own research. Take a short drive down Route 39 to Bliss/Eagle. Then tour Route 362 between the Village of Bliss and Route 78. Imagine our landscape littered with a foreign-owned mega industrial project of this scope. No impact? Get real! Let's send these Portuguese propeller proponents packing! I urge our Town Board to seize hold of the rapidly diminishing treasure of common sense that still exists in our country today, and vote no on the turbine project!"
Mary Kay Barton lives at Silver Lake.
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