Barre resident wants more disclosure from Apex on the company’s experts

Editor:

On March 20, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. someone held what they would like to call a focus group at the Clarendon fire hall complex. The company that officiated was called RMS, also known as Research & Marketing Strategies from Baldwinsville, NY.

In attendance  also were representatives from New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, also known as NYSERDA, a film crew and 6 residents of Barre. Feedback from the so-called focus group went something like this: introductions, presentation and then questions were fielded. All questions asked involved the Heritage Wind project proposed for Barre. But few if any important questions from the participants were answered.

They instead were directed to visit the Apex/Heritage Wind LLC office in Albion. Questions included: Is there asbestos in wind turbines? What about the rare earth magnets contained in turbines that are polluting vast areas of Chinese communities via their production? How about fire suppression in turbines? None of these very important questions and many more were ever answered.

When one participant expressed her discomfort with the filming, she was told that Apex wind was the only one who would see the video. At the completion of the so-called focus group the participants were given unmarked envelopes, each containing $150.

If that’s not enough Feb. 28 from the hours of 7 to 8:30 pm. Apex/Heritage Wind LLC held another dog and pony show at the Albion Middle School. At the event, which they called a forum, people were not allowed to ask questions from the floor as the presentation progressed. Instead they were required to write their questions on 5×7 index cards so Heritage Wind could choose which questions the so-called panel of experts would answer.

Apex/Heritage Wind, in order to try and breath any degree of credibility back into your project, I believe several things are needed. Firstly let’s have all of your so-called experts (well before an event) disclose all college degrees and certificates that qualify them to be called experts in any of the fields your particular event at that time will cover. To alleviate any confusion , the definition of qualify is to become officially recognized as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity by satisfying the relevant conditions or requirements – typically by undertaking a course of study and passing examinations.

In closing, I would like Apex/Heritage Wind to please post in advance all qualifications of each person you call an expert well in advance of an event. Please include college degrees in their field, what college they attended and what years they attended, so all of us can fact check.

John Metzler

Barre