2 Yates officials say Heritage Wind plan has troubling details involving several towns

Posted 28 October 2016 at 11:07 am

Editor:

Detailed review of the Heritage Wind LLC Public Information Plan (PIP) as submitted to the New York State Department of Public Service by APEX Clean Energy has proven quite interesting in a very troubling way. The PIP can be found by clicking here.

Apex Clean Energy has proposed Heritage Wind, a 200.1 Mega Watt Industrial Wind Project, for the Town of Barre. On Sept. 23, 2016, Apex submitted its PIP, which included a very interesting and troubling set of maps.

These maps show not only the ground zero project area, but also the proposed study area. The study area is a buffer zone of 5 miles around ground zero in all directions. While the ground zero project area is within the Town of Barre, the buffer zone study area includes the following Towns and Villages:

Towns of: Barre, Albion, Elba, Oakfield, Byron, Bergen, Basom, Alabama, Shelby, Ridgeway, Gaines, Murray and Clarendon
Villages of: Albion, Elba, Oakfield, Medina, Holley, Fancher, Eagle Harbor, Knowlesville

Additionally, this project is in close and adjacent proximity to:

Town of Yates (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue)
Village of Lyndonville (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue)
Town of Waterport
Town of Kent
Town of Kendall

By comparison, Apex’s Lighthouse Wind Proposal includes the following Towns and Villages as a part of the original project and/or study area:

Town of Somerset (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – ORIGINAL PROJECT / STUDY AREA
Village of Barker (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – ORIGINAL PROJECT / STUDY AREA
Town of Yates (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – ORIGINAL PROJECT / STUDY AREA
Village of Lyndonville(3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – ORIGINAL PROJECT / STUDY AREA
Village of Olcott (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – STUDY AREA
Town of Newfane (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – STUDY AREA
Town of Hartland (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – STUDY AREA
Town of Ridgeway (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – STUDY AREA
Town of Carlton (3 years into the Lighthouse Wind Issue) – STUDY AREA

It is noted here that both Lighthouse and Heritage Wind PIP’s include language which indicates the study area potentially becoming part of the project area. Yates and Somerset have leaseholders with signed leases within the study area and beyond the ground zero project area. Additionally, the buildable areas for these two projects may very well involve land in six of Orleans County’s nine towns.

So, in one fell swoop, Apex has succeeded in pulling almost all of Orleans County into the Wind Turbine War via submission of these two project proposals.

For those who are potentially impacted and are hearing of the Heritage Wind Industrial Wind Turbine Project for the first time, you will hear and read many positions, on wildlife, environment, human health, quality of life, property value decline and promised tax reductions as the project moves forward. These positions will come from those representing both sides of this issue. When everyone has stated their positions, you will need to ask yourself one question:

“Am I willing to accept the potential risks to: wildlife, environment, my family’s health, quality of life and property values if this project is built”?

It is important to remember that turbines, once built, will not go away. They will not be torn down if you are negatively impacted by this proposed project.

This letter is not written to scare or upset. It is written to warn, inform and urge everyone in Orleans County to get educated and conversant on this project now. Much is at stake. Please heed the warning.

John Riggi James Simon

Councilman, Town of Yates Supervisor, Town of Yates