Provided photo – Dennis Vacco, an attorney helping the Town of Somerset fight a proposed wind turbine project, speaks on Wednesday outside the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. Somerset Town Supervisor Dan Engert is to the right of Vacco.

NIAGARA FALLS – Three retired pilots and former high-ranking officials have written a joint letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials, expressing concern about a proposed wind turbine project in the towns of Somerset and Yates, and the impact of tall turbines on the the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

“The future of the NFARS, its current and potential military usefulness, could very well rest on the decision made by your administration on this proposed project,” according to the letter from W. Robin Pfiel, Col. USAF (ret.), John J. Higgins, Col. USAF (ret.) and Thomas Keough, Col. USA (ret.). The trio served in high-ranking capacities as a former commander and vice commander of the 107th Airlift Wing, and the former vice commander of the 914th Airlift Wing.

U.S. Rep. Chris Collins and State Sen. Robert Ortt also have voiced concern that the turbines, which could peak at about 600 feet high, could cause problems for flights and radar from the base in Niagara Falls.

“If the base were to lose its competitive advantage in the area of encroachment, its position with the next BRAC would be seriously compromised,” the trio of commanders/vice commanders wrote in their letter. “A decision to permit the APEX project will create estimated 5-10 full time jobs. If the next BRAC were to recommend and succeed in closing the NFARS the cost will be nearly 3200 jobs!”

The letter was shared with media on Wdnesday when Save Ontario Shores members gathered at the Air Reserve Station with Daniel Engert, Town of Somerset Supervisor, and Dennis Vacco of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP, special counsel to the Town of Somerset. Somerset officials are fighting the project, which could include up to 71 turbines.

Apex Clean Energy is the developer for the project. Taylor Quarles, development manager for Apex’s Lighthouse Wind, said the company is confident it can address any concerns with turbines and their impact on the Air Reserve Station.

Apex will detail the size, location and turbine manufacturer of all turbine sites in the next step of its application, expected to be submitted in the summer, Quarles said today. The company has submitted a preliminary scoping statement, which Somerset, Yates and SOS officials say is vague on details.

Quarles said Apex will address any concerns with the Air Reserve Station, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense. Apex will do studies that will be reviewed by the FAA, DOD and other interested parties in the project.

“The studies will have information so reasonable decisions can be made by the regulators,” Quarles said.

In the letter, the former Air Force Pilots identified three areas of concern with the turbines on the Air Reserve Station:

1. “The current C-130 operations maintain a number of low level training routes (generally 500 feet above ground level (AGL), but as low as 300 feet AGL, on some routes. These routes depart NFARS on a common departure path, in a northeasterly direction. In the area of the lake shore, east of Wilson NY, the individual routes commence with a turn in various directions, as per the routes design. Additionally, there is an established high speed route, established primarily for fighter aircraft, that is in the same general area; and it is also cleared down to 300 feet AGL.”

2. “As the Air National Guard in its MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) mission, it is intended to station MQ-9 aircraft at NFARS. Their mission would have the RPA depart NFARS, proceed to Lake Ontario, and fly up to the Fort Drum ranges, utilizing the existing MOA and restricted area over Lake Ontario. After the mission it would return to back to NFARS and would transit the area of concern in its recovery to NFARS.”

3. “The intended development area is in the flyway of migratory birds. We are concerned that a westerly shift in the flyway, as a result of the wind turbines, could heavily impact flight safety at NFARS.”

Photo by Tom Rivers – Monday’s year-end meeting for the Yates Town Board was the last meeting for Town Clerk Brenda Donald, who is retiring, and John Belson, the town supervisor. Belson lost a close election in November to Jim Simon. Donald and Belson were both thanked for their service on Monday by the Yates Town Board.

(Editor’s Note: This article was updated from an earlier version that stated Somerset hired GHD Services LLC for engineering work. The town has instead hired Wendel for work reviewing the Lighthouse Wind project.)

YATES – The Yates Town Board has retained a Buffalo law firm and also an engineering company to review the preliminary scoping statement from Apex Clean Energy’s wind turbine project and also help the town prepare comments for the New York State Public Service Commission.

The town plans to use intervenor funds from Apex to pay for the legal and engineering services.

The Public Service Commission required Apex to set aside $70,350 for municipalities and citizens’ groups to hire consultants to help review the PSS. That money represents $350 for every proposed megawatt in the project.

Apex wants to build a 201-megawatt wind turbine project in the towns of Somerset and Yates.

If Apex proceeds with the project to a final application stage, it needs to provide another $1,000 per megawatt or $201,000 for the community to review the document and comment on the studies from Apex.

Yates on Monday voted to hire Hodgson Russ in Buffalo and GHD Services LLC, an engineering firm with a Buffalo office. GHD has experience reviewing large-scale wind energy projects.

Yates wants to use intervenor funds to cover the expense for the work by Hodgson Russ and GHD.

The Public Service Commission set up the intervenor funds to be split 50 percent by a local government where the project is planned, and the other half for citizens’ groups.

Dan Spitzer, an attorney with Hodgson Russ, is asking the PSC on behalf of Yates to set aside 75 percent of the $70,350 for the local governments. The Apex project, Lighthouse Wind, covers two towns in two different counties.

Spitzer said during Monday’s Town Board meeting that the two towns are clearly taking the lead in reviewing the 125-page preliminary scoping statement from Apex.

Spitzer requested that the 75 percent or $52,762.50 be split in half for the two towns with Somerset and Yates each receiving $26,381.25. That would leave 25 percent of the intervenor funds, or $17,587.50, for other local parties or citizen’s groups to participate in hiring experts for the review.

Spitzer said Yates and Somerset will try to coordinate the review as much as possible to stretch out the dollars for the two towns.

Spitzer, in a Dec. 28 letter to the PSC, said Yates didn’t budget for the expense of hiring experts and also is under the 2 percent property tax cap. (Click here to see submissions to the PSC.)

“We really don’t want to see taxpayers pay for a private application,” Spitzer said during Monday’s board meeting.

The PSC has set a Jan. 12 deadline for comments on the Apex preliminary scoping statement. The Town Board moved to hire Hodgson Russ and GHD in order to meet the PSC deadline.

Hodgson Russ attorneys Daniel A. Spitzer will be paid $270 per hour and Charles W. Malcomb, $265 per hour, for their work on the PSS. GHD engineers will be paid the following per hour: Camie Jarrell, $141; Dave Britton, $177; and Robert Adams, $187.

Two incoming members of the Yates Town Board, John Riggi and Town Supervisor-elect Jim Simon, will take office Jan. 1. They said after Monday’s meeting the outgoing Town Board should have refrained from hiring Hodgson Russ and GHD until the new board was in office.

Simon said there still would have been time to meet the Jan. 12 deadline for comments by waiting to hire consultants next week.

‘They never came to us and asked our feelings’

Photo by Tom Rivers – State Sen. Robert Ortt attends a meeting at the Barker Fire Hall on Dec. 7 attended by about 200 people. Ortt told that group he would work to defeat a proposed wind turbine project in the towns of Yates and Somerset.

YATES – A Yates town official says he is “really disappointed” with recent public declarations from elected officials against the Lighthouse Wind project.

Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, said county legislators, a state senator and congressman did not reach out to Yates officials about the project before making their public comments, denouncing the project. Apex Clean Energy wants to build up to 71 large-scale wind turbines in the two towns.

Bradley said this morning during a Yates year-end meeting that he is most disappointed with the Orleans County Legislature, which voted on Dec. 16 to oppose the project.

Legislators on Aug. 27 said they would hold off on a public stance on the project until after a town-wide wind survey. The wind survey results were presented this morning, with 66 percent of the respondents saying they oppose the project.

“They couldn’t wait 12 days,” Bradley said about legislators and their vote. “They never came to us and asked our feelings.”

County legislators said on Dec. 16 they wanted to get on the record with the Public Service Commission. The deadline for comments was Jan. 6, but was extended on Dec. 16 until Jan. 12.

Legislators said they have heard “the voice of the people” and want to state the county’s opposition to the project to the PSC. Legislators opposed the project that they said would “place commercial wind turbines within this quaint, beautiful Town of Yates,” according to the county resolution.

The Legislature also opposed the state’s Article 10 law, which gives the state the power to site the turbines, not the local government leaders.

Bradley said the Legislature’s talk about “home rule” through Article 10 is “lip service.”

Brad Bentley, a Yates town councilman, also said he was disappointed to see the Legislature come out against the project while it’s in the preliminary scoping stage. All of the studies haven’t been done and Apex Clean Energy hasn’t disclosed the locations and size of the turbines.

“I take issue with the county,” Bentley said. “It seems they want home rule but that’s quite a lot of hypocrisy.”

State Sen. Robert Ortt and Congressman Chris Collins also came out publicly against the proposed Lighthouse Wind project, where the turbines could peak at about 600 feet high.

Ortt was the first to say he opposes the project and will work to defeat it.

“My focus will be to kill the project,” Ortt told about 200 people at a meeting on Dec. 7.

That meeting was organized by Save Ontario Shores, a citizen group opposed to the project by Apex Clean Energy.

“Sen. Ortt has never spoken to us,” Bradley said. “He never asked us our opinion.”

The next day after Ortt’s comments, U.S. Rep. Chris Collins sent a letter to the Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration officials expressing concern over the wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Collins said the project could jeopardize 3,000 jobs at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station military operating area.

“Protecting the military missions and jobs supported by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is my main priority,” Collins said in a news release on Dec. 9. “The proposed wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline has the potential to jeopardize the base’s operations and viability. Any project that puts the base’s future at risk is unacceptable. NFARS has survived a number of closure attempts, and I will continue to do everything in my power to guarantee its doors remain open.”

Bradley said Yates officials were never contacted by Collins and his staff about the issue.

“He never spoke to us and got our input,” Bradley said. “They all made these statements without ever talking to us.”

Taylor Quarles, the development manager for Lighthouse Wind, issued a statement today after the wind survey results were announced. Quarles said the full application hasn’t been submitted. He thanked the Yates Town Board for refraining from judging the project in its early stages.

“The Yates Town Board has taken a very responsible approach in waiting to take a position until all of the relevant information has been collected and submitted as part of the application process, and we encourage others to follow its lead,” Quarles said.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, discusses a town-wide survey on a proposed wind project. There were 1,187 respondents and two thirds said they opposed Lighthouse Wind. Brad Bentley is next to Bradley during this morning’s Town Board meeting.

YATES – The survey results are in and about two thirds of the 1,187 respondents said they oppose the proposed Lighthouse Wind project by Apex Clean Energy.

That company has submitted a preliminary scoping document to the state Public Service Commission. The company says it wants to build up to 71 large-scale wind turbines in Yates and Somerset.

Yates residents, in a survey mailed just before Thanksgiving, were asked 10 questions, including, “Based on your knowledge of Lighthouse Wind, are you in favor of or opposed to this project at this time?”

There were 770 respondents or 65.59 percent who said they oppose it, 353 or 30.07 percent who support it, and 51 or 4.34 with no opinion.

The survey was mailed to 2,608 registered and non-registered voters. The 1,187 returns represents a 46.57 percent participation rate, which town officials this morning said they were pleased with.

The results will be submitted to the state Public Service Commission. Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, worked on the survey with a representative from both Apex Clean Energy and Save Ontario Shores, a citizens group opposed to Lighthouse Wind.

The results are similar to a town-wide survey in Somerset in June. Somerset town officials mailed about 1,100 surveys and 644, or nearly 60 percent were returned.

The Somerset survey showed 61 percent “strongly oppose” the project while 17 percent “strongly support” it. Another 6 percent said they “moderately oppose” it while 12 percent “moderately support” the project.

Save Ontario Shores also did a survey in October, sending out 1,235 to Yates property owners with 421 surveys returned. Of the respondents, 77.9 percent of Yates property owners say they oppose the project.

The percentage of opposition fell by nearly 12 percent in the Yates town survey. Taylor Quarles, the project manager for Apex, said there is growing support for the project in the community.

The company will work to address residents’ and community concerns about the project, and will offer more specifics about size and location of the turbines in the next document on environmental impacts, Quarles said. The preliminary scoping document is intended to identify concerns that need further study, he said.

The Public Service Commission set a Jan. 12 deadline for comments on the preliminary scoping document. Dan Spitzer, an attorney for the town, said the review is a “process” with input from the town and community. There will also be opportunities to comment on the Apex application if the company proceeds after the preliminary stage.

Quarles said Apex would like to submit the next stage of the application in the summer, and then work with the community and state officials to address any concerns with the turbines.

Jim Simon, the town supervisor-elect, said the town survey is additional validation of strong opposition from residents to the project. He said Apex should not proceed with the effort given the limited support.

Here are the 10 questions residents were asked to answer on the survey and their responses:

1) Many topics are currently being studied regarding Lighthouse Wind. These proposed wind turbines would change the appearance of the landscape within the town. Do you have a concern about this?

Yes – 793 (66.92%), No – 365 (30.80%), No Opinion – 27 (2.28%)

2) As currently proposed, the electricity from this project would be delivered into the New York State electrical grid. Should the Town of Yates attempt to negotiate a separate agreement with electric suppliers for more favorable rates?
Yes – 840 (74.53%), No – 133 (11.80%), No Opinion – 154 (13.66%)

3) If Apex eventually seeks a PILOT (Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) from COIDA (County of Orleans Industrial Development Agency), should this be granted?

Yes- 307 (26.84%), No – 654 (57.17%), No Opinion – 183 (16.00%)

4) In 2015, the Town of Yates tax levy was $852,205. What percentage of decrease in the Town of Yates tax levy would you like to see come from this project? Circle one answer.

0% – 94 (8.39%), 25% – 164 (14.63%), 50% – 239 (21.32%), 75% – 90 (8.03%), 100% – 369 (32.92%), No Opinion – 165 (14.72%)

5) What effect do you feel wind turbines would have on property values in the Town of Yates?

Increase – 81 (7.00%), Decrease – 807 (69.75%), No Change – 269 (23.25%)

6) Taking into consideration requirements of the Article 10 review process, do you feel the study of health issues is important?

Yes – 909 (77.69%), No – 208 (17.78%), No Opinion – 53 (4.53%)

7) Taking into consideration requirements of the Article 10 review process, do you feel the study of wildlife issues is important?

Yes – 891 (76.02%), No – 247 (21.08%), No Opinion – 34 (2.90%)

8) Taking into consideration requirements of the Article 10 review process, do you feel the study of possible effects on the operations at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is important?

Yes – 822 (70.26%), No – 260 (22.22 %), No Opinion – 88 (7.52%)

9) Do you feel New York State’s “Reforming Energy Vision” is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Yes – 350 (30.54%), No – 516 (45.03%), No Opinion – 280 (24.43%)

10) Based on your knowledge of Lighthouse Wind, are you in favor or opposed to this project at this time?

Favor – 353 (30.07%), Oppose – 770 (65.59%), No Opinion – 51 (4.34%)

YATES – The Yates Town Board will present the results of a town-wide wind survey this morning that was sent in by more than 1,000 residents.

The town mailed 2,608 surveys last month. The survey asks 10 questions, including whether residents favor a proposed Lighthouse Wind Project. Apex Clean Energy is proposing to build as many as 71 wind turbines in Yates and Somerset that would peak at about 600 feet tall. Those turbines would be about 200 feet higher than the ones in Wyoming County.

Town Councilman Wes Bradley served on the survey committee along with Save Ontario Shores member Richard Pucher and Taylor Quarles, the project manager for Apex Clean Energy.

The survey results will be presented at 10 a.m. as part of the Town Board’s year-end meeting at the Town Hall, 8 South Main St.

LYNDONVILLE – The public can weigh in on a proposed cleanup plan for Monroe Electronics, which is part of the state’s Superfund Program.The DEC will discuss the cleanup plan during a 6:30 p.m. meeting on Jan. 7 at Village Hall, 2 South Main St. The state will also accept comments about the project until Jan. 22.

Monroe Electronics is located at 100 Housel Ave. The company has operated from the site since 1972, manufacturing electrostatic measuring instruments and other electronic devices. Before Monroe Electronics operated here, the property was the site of the former DuPont/Barre Lime and Sulfur Company where various pesticide sprays and dust mixtures were manufactured, according to the DEC.

In September 1986, Monroe Electronics submitted a Hazardous Waste Disposal Questionnaire as a requirement of the Community Right-to-Know survey. Monroe Electronics indicated that it dumped 1 to 4 tons of TCA at the Housel Avenue facility outside a former door on the west end of the building in the early 1970s. The owner indicated that TCA and waste oil was spread along the driveway on the east side of the building.

A remedial investigation was completed in multiple phases between 2011 and 2014 and included installation of over 30 soil borings and monitoring wells. Several monitoring wells were constructed in “clusters” to monitor groundwater quality in the overburden (shallow and deep) and the upper bedrock zones.

The drilling program also included installation of five soil borings inside the active manufacturing building. Field investigations included testing of soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, soil vapor, and indoor air both on-site and off-site to define the nature and extent of contamination.

The contaminants of concern at the Monroe Electronics site include industrial solvents in groundwater and arsenic in soil. The two specific industrial solvents known to be causing environmental impacts at the site are 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) and trichloroethene (TCE). TCA and TCE are chlorinated volatile organic compound (VOCs) that were used for cleaning and degreasing components in the manufacturing process. These two chemicals, as well as their by-products of degradation, have been detected in groundwater at concentrations above Class GA  Groundwater Standards and Guidance Values.

Based on the results of groundwater sampling conducted to date, it is clear that the overburden and bedrock aquifers beneath the site are contaminated by chlorinated VOCs originating from one of two subsurface sources: 1) a source of TCE near the gravel parking area at the east end of the building, and 2) a source of TCA located at the west end of the building.

These dissolved contaminant plumes are thought to be co-mingled at some point beyond the northern property boundary and undergoing limited reductive dechlorination. As a result, the extent of VOC contamination in groundwater off-site appears to be limited to the area near the site and does not extend far beyond West Avenue to the north, the DEC said.

The DEC, in consultation with the state Department of Health, developed the proposed remedy after reviewing the detailed investigation of the site and evaluating the remedial options in the “feasibility study” submitted under the state’s Superfund Program.

The site is listed as a Class “2” site in the State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites. A Class 2 site represents a significant threat to public health or the environment and action is required, the DEC said.

The remedy proposed for the site includes:

Enhanced In-Situ Bioremediation, involving multiple injections of bioamendments and degrading bacteria into the bedrock aquifer, to treat chlorinated volatile contaminants in groundwater beneath the manufacturing building and immediately downgradient;

In-Situ Chemical Reduction, involving injections of liquid-phase reducing agents (e.g., zero-valent iron) to supplement the bioremediation groundwater remedy and boost the rate of abiotic destruction of organic contaminants in groundwater;

A vegetated soil cover in areas where surface soil exceeds the applicable soil cleanup objectives for arsenic. The soil cover will be a minimum of one foot of soil placed over a demarcation layer (e.g. a layer of orange snow-fencing), with the upper six inches of soil of sufficient quality to maintain a vegetative layer;

Indoor air monitoring program to address potential exposures related to soil vapor intrusion during and following the active remediation phase;

An environmental easement that will restrict use of the site to commercial or industrial purposes in conformance with local zoning laws, prohibit use of any structure on the site for residential purposes, restrict use of groundwater for potable or process water, and require compliance with the approved Site Management Plan;

Development of a Site Management Plan, approved by the DEC, to ensure that the institutional and engineering controls are properly implemented and monitoring requirements adhered to.

For more information, click here.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club has announced the winners of the annual Christmas decorating contest.

Kevin Johnson and Yates Town Supervisor John Belson served as judges of the contest.

Lynne Johnson, the Lions Club president, said it was difficult for the judges to narrow the list to five winners because “so many houses were beautifully decorated for the season.”

This year’s winners include:

Eric Morton/Rose Carter of 65 Eagle St.
Jim Scharlau of 10262 Millers Rd.
Alex Seaman of 1559 North Lyndonville Rd.
Serena Starr of 201 Maple Ave.
Barb and Julio Tice (and extended family), 8 Eagle St.

Provided photo – Some members of the Orleans County Town Clerk’s Association include, from left: Susan Colby, Clarendon; Darlene Rich, Shelby; Cindy Oliver, Murray; Jean Klatt, Gaines; Brenda Donald, Yates; Amy Richardson, Kendall; Barb Klatt, Ridgeway; and Donna Goodrich, deputy clerk for Clarendon.

YATES – Members of the Orleans County Town Clerk’s Association made a surprise presentation last week to retiring Yates Town Clerk Brenda Donald.

The presentation was made during the regular meeting of the Yates Town Board on Dec. 10. The clerks wanted to recognize Donald for her many years of service. She will retire Dec. 31.

Donald was presented with gifts and a declaration that stated in part: “Being the closest level of government to the people, the Clerk can’t help but care for the Community almost like extended family, as residents put their trust in that office for not only honest, efficient service, but in caring for the Clerk they elect, as in Brenda’s case, many times over.”

Donald was appointed as deputy to Town Clerk Larry Brown on Aug. 1, 1987. She served in that position until 2001 when she was appointed to the position of Town Clerk, following Brown’s death, and has served as Town Clerk for the past 14 years.

She has been a member of the Orleans County Town Clerk’s Association throughout her years of service. Members of the Town Clerk’s Association expressed gratitude to Donald for her decades of service to the Yates community.

“We thank you for the respect you’ve given to the position of Town Clerk and your attention to matters of importance to your community,” they said.

Photos by Tom Rivers – County Legislator Don Allport speaks against a plan for wind turbines that would peak at about 600 feet high in Yates and Somerset.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators today stated their opposition to a proposed Lighthouse Wind project that could include as many as 71 industrial-sized wind turbines in Yates and Somerset.

County legislators have avoided taking a public stand on the issue, saying previously they wanted to wait on a survey of town residents and also not appear to be meddling in a town issue.

But the Public Service Commission has set a Jan. 6 deadline for comments on a preliminary scoping document from Apex Clean Energy. (The PSC today announced the deadline has been extended until Jan. 12.)

Legislators said they have heard “the voice of the people” and want to state the county’s opposition to the project to the Public Service Commission.

“Keep in mind we still have an uphill battle,” Legislature Chairman David Callard said at today’s meeting that was attended by several Yates residents who have opposed the project.

A siting board will decide if the project is approved. The seven-member board has five members from state agencies and will include two local residents. That gives the state the majority of the say in voting on the project.

Legislators opposed the project that they said would “place commercial wind turbines within this quaint, beautiful Town of Yates.”

The Legislature also opposed the state’s Article 10 law, which gives the state the power to site the turbines, not the local government leaders.

In a separate resolution, legislators stated their support for “Constitutional Home Rule.”

Legislator Don Allport said he worries the state could force landfills and other unwanted projects on communities with the Article 10 Law. Allport said Albion was able to prevent a new landfill in the community since the mid-1990s because it has local laws against additional landfills. He said the proposed turbines are “monsters.”

By passing Article 10, the state led by Gov. Andrew Cuomo has stripped local municipalities of their powers to use zoning and land use in their communities, legislators said in the resolution.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Richard Pucher, a member of the Save Ontario Shores citizen group opposed to turbines in Yates and Somerset, addresses the Orleans County Legislature this afternoon.

Paul Pettit, Orleans County public health director, said the Genesee-Orleans Board of Health also has concerns about the project because the state and Apex haven’t done baseline studies measuring the health of residents and environmental conditions in the community before the project.

Pettit said the Article 10 process skirts some important environmental studies for such a large project.

“We’ve been very concerned with the health impacts,” Pettit said at today’s Legislature meeting. “We feel strongly that studies should be done.”

Russ Martino, a former Yates town supervisor, spoke at today’s meeting. He said the Town of Yates is working on the results of a 10-question survey of residents. More than 1,000 have been returned to the town, Martino said, and results should be presented at the Dec. 28 Town Board meeting.

Martino is a retired Lyndonville principal who has lived in Yates for 48 years.

“I’ve never seen the commotion that the siting of the wind turbines has caused,” Martino told county legislators. “It pits neighbor versus neighbor.”

Richard Pucher, a retired Lyndonville superintendent, has been active with Save Ontario Shores. Pucher said many school administrators head to Florida in retirement, but he has opted to stay in the community.

“I stayed here because I love my community and I don’t want to see it destroyed,” Pucher said.

He urged the Legislature to follow the Somerset Town Board, Niagara County Legislature and State Sen. Robert Ortt in opposing the project.

Jim Simon was elected Yates town supervisor in November on a write-in campaign. Simon was endorsed by Save Ontario Shores and has been against the turbine project.

He was pleased with the Orleans County Legislature resolutions opposing Lighthouse Wind and Article 10.

“I am very encouraged by the Orleans County Legislature resolutions for Home Rule and against the Apex proposal,” Simon said.

He said he expects the town survey will show strong opposition to Lighthouse Wind. He expects the new Yates Town Board will officially oppose the project early next year.

Photo by Tom Rivers  – This house at the corner of South Main and Eagle streets is one of many decorated for the holiday season in Lyndonville.

The Lyndonville Lions Club will do its annual judging of houses decorated with lights on Dec. 15. Judges will canvass the community on Dec. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. to look at the displays.

“Lyndonville has some of the best Christmas-decorated homes around during this wonderful time of the year,” said Lynne Johnson, the Lions Club president.

The Lions Club is also doing its annual toy drive for children. That started today and people are welcome to drop off toys at the M & T Bank and Yates Community Free Library, both on Main Street.

Last year, the toy drive resulted in 125 children receiving five toys each and a new pair of pajamas. The toys will be collected until about a week before Christmas.

“We hope we can exceed last year’s total and make each child happy and reflective on the Season of Giving,” Johnson said.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Collins

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today released the following statement after writing a letter to Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration officials expressing concern over a proposed wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

“Protecting the military missions and jobs supported by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is my main priority,” said Congressman Collins. “The proposed wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline has the potential to jeopardize the base’s operations and viability. Any project that puts the base’s future at risk is unacceptable. NFARS has survived a number of closure attempts, and I will continue to do everything in my power to guarantee its doors remain open.”

Full text of the letter is below.

December 8, 2015

Mr. John Conger Ms. Elizabeth Ray
Deputy Under Secretary Vice President
Department of Defense Mission Support Services
Installations and Environment Federal Aviation Administration
3400 Defense Pentagon 800 Independence Ave SW
Washington, D.C. 20303 Washington, D.C. 20591

Dear Mr. Conger & Ms. Ray,

I am writing you to share my concerns with a proposed project in my district. I recently received a letter from the Niagara Military Affairs Council (NIMAC) regarding a proposal by APEX Clean Energy to construct wind turbines along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. I have included the letter for your reference. This letter raises serious concerns with the potential project and its proximity to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) military operating area.

NFARS was established in 1955 and is home to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 914th Airlift wing, the 328th Airlift Squadron, and the New York Air National Guard’s 107th Airlift Wing. Currently, the Air Force Reserves flies the C-130 mission and the Air National Guard has taken on the Remotely Piloted Aircraft mission. NFARS employs nearly 3,000 service members and civilians and provides economic growth and stability to the Niagara County and its surrounding communities.

If approved, the APEX Clean Energy proposal would put 70 wind turbines that stand 600 feet tall along the shores of Lake Ontario, in close proximity to the base. Encroachment is one of many key factors the military uses when determining the future of a base. Currently, NFARS is ranked favorably in that area and we cannot afford to allow any project to move forward that would jeopardize its future.

We have serious concerns that these wind turbines will impede the current airspace, making the base less viable for future missions. In 1995, the base was reviewed for closure during a Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). It was again reviewed for closure in a 2005 BRAC, and again in 2012 during the US Air Force Structure Adjustment. With an ever-present BRAC threat to the base and talks of another round in the next few years, we cannot risk these wind turbines jeopardizing the future of the Base and all those who are supported by it.

We must ensure that the future of the base remains viable and that any proposed projects do not interfere with its radar and flight operations. I am asking that before any decision is made, both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense complete a thorough study of any potential impacts these structures would have on current and future operations at NFARS.

Sincerely,

CHRIS COLLINS
Member of Congress

Cc: The Honorable Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York