Blinded by money

I read the following statement at the Nov. 20 county commissioner's meeting. Public comment: I wasn't going to attend today's commissioners meeting, since I didn't think it would be worth my time, but then I read Commissioner (Holly) Stacy's letter to the editor in today's Advertiser-Tribune and I changed my mind. Commissioner Stacy, in your letter, you referred to "facts have been misconstrued" and "not sharing real facts" or "not stopping misinformation." I take personal offense to your comments since I have been the primary presenter at the Seneca Anti-Wind Union informational meetings (which you have yet to attend) and I feel I do my best to be truthful and to only present the facts. Let's review the facts: FACT 1: The turbines being proposed are 652 feet tall, only 18 inches shorter than the tallest turbines in the United States that are located in Randall County, Texas, where you can't see a home anywhere close to the turbines. Now, Emerson Creek plans to use even taller turbines. FACT 2: The turbines will generate shadow flicker. FACT 3: The turbines will generate noise. FACT 4: The turbines will kill bats, eagles and other migratory birds. FACT 5: The turbines will ruin our rural landscapes. FACT 6: The turbines will reduce our property values. FACT 7: At night the turbines will be lit with red flashing lights. FACT 8: 26 of the proposed Seneca Wind turbine sites are not legal per the current setback laws, including one that is 740 feet from my property line. FACT 9: 16 turbines are proposed to be located within a 2-mile radius of Seneca East School. FACT 10: The Seneca East School Board voted unanimously to intervene in the Seneca Wind project. FACT 11: There will be unintended consequences where the people bearing the brunt of the wind turbines won't support future tax levies. FACT 12: Commissioner (Shayne) Thomas testified to a Senate committee to reduce the setbacks which would move the turbines closer to homes. FACT 13: A pro-wind lobbying group wrote and submitted a testimonial letter in your name without your approval to the Energy & Natural Resources Senate Committee. FACT 14: Seneca County has a population density of 100 people per square mile, while sPower's other two wind projects in Utah and Wyoming have less than 3 people per square mile. FACT 15: The commissioners had the opportunity to stop the approval of the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for both the Republic Wind and Seneca Wind projects, but yet chose to do nothing. FACT 16: The PILOT funding is based on 2011 dollars and does not adjust for inflation over the life of the project. FACT 17: Eight out of 10 townships in the two project footprints have voted to intervene against the project with the Ohio Power Siting Board. FACT 18: Per the Ohio EPA, the specific area where the Republic Wind and Seneca Wind projects are both located is designated as a "Drinking Water Source Protection Area with a High Susceptibility to Contamination and Water Quality Impacts." So the quality of our well water is at risk per the EPA's own document. FACT 19: Windpower is highly subsidized with taxpayer money and inefficient in production of energy. FACT 20: There are an average of 3,800 blade failures every year. We will have blade failures in Seneca County. FACT 21: For turbine projects greater than 5MW, state law overrides any local zoning protections. FACT 22: You have not rescinded the AEZ (alternative energy zone) which allows additional projects to come into the county without any local control. Commissioner Stacy, you have chosen to ignore these facts as well as many others since you've been blinded by the wind company's money. You are turning your back on the majority of the citizens who have the least to gain and the most to lose. You should be ashamed of this and this will be your legacy in the history of Seneca County. Greg Smith, Bloomville