Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Can wind farms aid criminals?

Could wind farms in Northern New York unwittingly help drug smugglers?

That is a question the federal government may have to tackle if the Department of Homeland Security does as Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has asked, and deploys military-grade radar along the U.S.-Canadian border to nab low-flying aircraft. The Defense Department has warned that wind turbines interfere with radar and has opposed their placement near military installations.

Turbines' effect on radar hasn't been a big issue along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, where developers have eyed a number of locations for wind farms. That could change if DHS deploys the more sophisticated radar — something Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano strongly hinted last week could happen.

"It's certainly something we study," said James H. Madden, project manager for Cape Vincent Wind Farm, where 84 turbines are proposed.

Read the entire article

No comments: