Legislature opposed to wind farms in the lake

A wind power project on an island is OK, but turbines in the lake are not.

The Jefferson County Board of Legislators' Planning and Development Committee passed on Tuesday night a resolution opposing the New York Power Authority's plan to put a wind farm in Lake Ontario.

NYPA has asked for developers to submit proposals on building towers for up to 500 megawatts of wind power in possible sites in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

This action came two weeks after the legislators approved a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for the proposed 252-megawatt Galloo Island Wind Farm.

"While I certainly intend to support it at the full board, my concern is our inconsistency in our message," Legislator Scott A. Gray, R-Watertown, said. Mr. Gray is not a member of the committee. "We're opposing a project with some of the very same things we approved a few weeks ago with the Galloo Island project."

The resolution included language that the NYPA project would hurt landowners, "including potential effects on real estate values, scenic vistas, and quality of life."

Chairman Barry M. Ormsby, R-Belleville, disagreed.

"The two projects, when compared side-by-side, are apples and oranges," he said. "One project is on a 2,200-acre island six-and-a-half miles offshore where 84 turbines will be confined."

He acknowledged that a certain section of the shoreline will see the turbines.

"But compared to the possible NYPA sites on the maps, you see a total littering of the Eastern basin from Tibbets Point to Mexico Bay," he said.

The six members of the committee at the meeting approved the resolution, which the full board will consider on March 2.

A draft natural hazard mitigation plan also was presented to the committee. It addresses measures to decrease potential harm from 13 natural hazards, including winter storms, wind, floods and earthquakes.

The plan, which is now with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for review, will open up FEMA grant possibilities for the county and seven municipalities that fully participated in the planning process.

The participating municipalities were the town and village of Clayton, Deferiet, Glen Park, Henderson, Lorraine and the city of Watertown.

Legislator Robert D. Ferris, R-Watertown, asked why the two towns he represents, Rutland and Watertown, weren't included.

Jefferson County Fire and Emergency Management Director Joseph D. Plummer said they either opted out of participating or didn't respond to the opportunity.

"We sent mailings, called town clerks and village clerks and our weekly e-mails would go out to everyone," he said.

Towns and villages that didn't participate initially won't be shut out forever.

"Other towns can jump back in during the five-year review and reapproval," said Richard A. Franks, project manager with URS Corp., Wayne, N.J. URS was the county's consultant on the plan.

The municipalities identified four or five actions to take to lessen the damage, such as a new storm drainage system or culvert replacement to prevent flooding. The county found 16 things it could do, including public awareness and information programs.

"The big thing was just public awareness with disasters coming — what to do, where to go and that kind of thing," Mr. Plummer said.