Bert Bowers December 12, 2009 Letter to the Town of Hounsfield Planning Board

December 21, 2009

Town of Hounsfield Planning Board
Ms. Kathy Snyder – Chairperson

C/O Ms. Diane Nier – Town Clerk
18774 County Route 66
Watertown, NY 13601

Copy: Honorable Robert F. Hagemann III (RobertH@co.jefferson.ny.us)
Honorable Robert J. Thomas (bobt@co.jefferson.ny.us)
Honorable Barry M. Ormsby (barryormsby@aol.com)

Honorable Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell
Jefferson County District Office
Dulles State Office Building, Suite 210
317 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601

Honorable Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava
93 East Main Street
Gouverneur, NY 13642

Supervisor Scott Aubertine, Town of Lyme

SUBJECT: Public Comments to Town of Hounsfield Planning Board Hearing
Upstate NY Power Corporation – Galloo Island Industrial Wind Project

Madame Chairwoman Snyder:

We thank you for the opportunity to offer public comments during your Planning Board’s deliberation of the subject project. At this time, the NYSDEC has not provided their final decision on the DEIS, as part of their SEQRA process. As we have previously noted the Town of Lyme will be affected due to its proximity to the project on Galloo Island. Citizens of Lyme are concerned about the effects on the viewshed, noise from the turbines impacting residents on Poimt Peninsula and the resulting deterioration in real estate values and assessed valuations.

As a result of our concerns, the developer has had a noise study done by Tech
Environmental, Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts. To say that this study is inadequate is the kindest thing we are able to say about it. The authors assume a preposterous sound level in the quiet rural area of Point Peninsula of 50.7 decibels and on this basis conclude that noise from turbines will not be a problem.

Looking at the larger issues in this proposed development, we believe this project, as presently constituted, exposes Jefferson County and the affected communities to a great deal of risk for little, if any net benefit. Conversely, the developer, for a minimal amount of risk assumed by an LLC with little capitalization, stands to make huge profits at the expense of residents and communities in Jefferson County.

We advocate that, because the very usefulness of the project is dependent upon a satisfactory transmission of the power to the electrical grid, approvals of the project work on Galloo Island be delayed until the development of a feasible and satisfactory transmission alternative can be worked out to the satisfaction of all parties. It should be noted that the purpose of the transmission line is to carry any electricity generated by the project beyond the boundaries of Jefferson County.

Jefferson County and the affected towns surrounding Galloo or along the power distribution lines are the largest investors in this project The developer and his LLC will suddenly fade into oblivion if anything goes seriously wrong with this project and Jefferson County will be left with the result. The economic success of this project is totally dependent on the willingness of US taxpayers to continue to support an industry that is not economically sound. This is one of the major risks to the profitability of the project.

There are other considerable risks. The proposed turbines are larger than those of other projects and will be operating in a isolated island environment where maintenance and repair of the equipment will be difficult, if not impossible, at certain times during the year.

Above all, we implore the Town of Hounsfield and Jefferson County to realize that we, not the developer, are the major investor in this project and have far more at risk than the developer. We must resist efforts by the developer to speed up the approval process for his benefit. The PILOT, as developed by the JCIDA, is a bad deal for the County and its communities as it does not provide sufficient compensation for the evident risks and downsides to our community. We must take the time to thoroughly analyze this proposed project and its benefits, which as presently constituted are woefully inadequate, and its costs to the people of Jefferson County and the affected communities.

Respectfully submitted,

Albert H. Bowers III, Co-Chair
The Coalition for the Preservation of the Golden Crecent and the Thousand Islands