Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 17:21:15 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "George M. Jett" Subject: Re: Article on MD windfarms MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Folks Sounds like the Ex State House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. has his head up his exhaust pipe. Thank you Allegany voters for not re-electing this ignorant and insensitive politician. The adjective "asinine" perhaps also fits this person. Pardon my anger, but the temporary shut down of the windmills to save the lives of hundreds of animals far outweighs the additional benefits of the electricity generated by the wind. There is a moral issue that is not considered in Mr. Taylor's position. Proper location of the windmills might greatly reduce the death rate, but we will still be stuck with wind bags that run for public office. George ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Vavrek" To: Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 8:55 AM Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Article on MD windfarms > Thank goodness Speaker Taylor is no more. He wasn't reelected. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gail Mackiernan" > To: > Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 8:28 AM > Subject: [MDOSPREY] Article on MD windfarms > > > > Hi all -- > > This was forwarded to me by a non-birding friend-- > > > > Perhaps Speaker Taylor needs to be reminded that migratory birds are > > federally protected, at least not on military bases! > > > > Gail Mackiernan > > ---------- > > Subject: Fwd: Slow! Birds Crossing!!! > > > > > > Slow! Birds Crossing!!! > > Maryland Regulators Tell Windpower Plants to Stop > > Giant Turbines During Heavy Bird Migration Periods > > > > By DAVID DISHNEAU > > Associated Press Writer > > HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- State regulators want to require > > developers of > > two > > proposed wind power plants in western Maryland to shut down the > > giant turbines during periods when the whirling blades could kill > > large numbers > of > > migratory birds. > > The condition, apparently the first of its kind in the nation, is aimed > > at > > balancing the interests of wildlife advocates and wind power > > developers, > who > > are racing to build the plants by Dec. 31, 2003, when a federal tax > > incentive expires. > > "We are supporting both plants on an expedited schedule but we are > > building in contingencies in the event there are problems," Paul Massicot, > > director of the Department of Natural Resources' Resource Assessment > > Services division said Wednesday. "The last thing we want to happen > > at a wind > energy > > plant is a big environmental problem." > > One of the companies, U.S. Wind Force of Baden, Pa., has agreed > > to shut > > down its proposed windmill farm for up to 18 hours a year if the 25 > turbines > > are found to kill more than 200 birds or bats per windmill in a > > 24-hour period, president Thomas Matthews said. > > The other company, Clipper Windpower of Carpinteria, Calif., is > > in > talks > > with the DNR about the agency's proposed condition requiring > > shutdowns of > up > > to 53.7 hours a year if Clipper's planned 67 turbines are found to > > kill > the > > same number, Kevin Rackstraw, the company's director of East Coast > > development, said. > > "We're trying to move things along and we want to be as > > cooperative as > we > > can," Rackstraw said. > > The shutdowns would likely occur for several hours at time during > periods > > when the threat to wildlife is greatest, Massicot said. > > He said the shutdown period proposed for Clipper was longer > > because scientists believe there is more bird activity at that > > project's location, > > atop Backbone Mountain, Maryland's highest ridge. > > Both projects are awaiting approval by the state Public Service > > Commission. Public hearings are scheduled Jan. 7 for the Clipper > > project > and > > Jan. 14 for the U.S. Wind Power project. > > Massicot agreed with both developers that there is no reason to expect > > significant bird mortality at either site. However, bird and bat > > deaths > have > > been associated with wind farms and communications towers elsewhere, > > especially on overcast nights when migrating birds, apparently lost > without > > the stars, tend to circle lighted towers, Massicot said. > > Because of the approaching tax deadline, state regulators chose > > to recommend that bird mortality be monitored after the plants are > > built > rather > > than holding off on construction until more studies are done, > > Massicot > said. > > The Sierra Club urges the opposite approach, Charles Garlow, > > energy chairman of the environmental group's Maryland chapter, said. > > "The official position of the Maryland Sierra Club is that the Maryland > > Department of Natural Resources oppose granting of the permits until such > > time as more comprehensive studies of the potential bird impact be > > completed," Garlow said. > > State House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr., an Allegany County Democrat, > > called the shutdown provisions "asinine" in a story published > > Wednesday in > > the Cumberland Times-News. Taylor, who lost the November election > > and is leaving office next month, said overzealous bird protection > > could hamper future development of such projects. ------ > > Maryland Public Service Commission: http://www.psc.state.md.us/psc > > Clipper Windpower: http://www.clipperwind.com > > Sierra Club, Maryland: http://maryland.sierraclub.org/ > > > > ==================================================================== > > === > > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > > ======================================================================= > > > > ====================================================================== > = > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================