Blue Mountain
Alliance
Welcome to the
Blue Mountain Alliance
Update on WKN Chopin Project
The WKN Chopin Project has been given approval
for 33 new turbines just southwest of Milton-Freewater, west of
Highway 11 and Lower Dry Creek Road. Approval for the
transmission line was not approved, and WKN has appealed the UC Planning
Commission's denial for the transmission line that is planned to go
directly east to the Blue Mountains.
As mentioned before, the proposed turbines are Vestas V112, 3 MW, with an overall height of 459.3' high from the ground to the
tip of the highest blade at 12 o'clock.
The land the industrial wind turbines will be built on is over 1600' above sea level, add the 459' wind turbine structure and they will be towering over the landscape more than 2059' high.
Although the hill between us is about 1600' at the highest point, the industrial wind turbines will be visible from most areas of the City of Milton-Freewater.
Our County has been sidestepping this point, using the less-than-honest information provided by WKN of a non-existent point they call "Old Town Milton-Freewater". From this "point" their project will not be seen. Ignored is the entire south portion of Milton-Freewater where it will be totally visible.
The southern part of the City also includes the urban growth area that Milton-Freewater has invested several million dollars to prepare for future development.
This new generation of industrial wind turbines will dwarf the previous wind turbines already in place in our area and be quite visible for miles and miles around, including the panoramic views from Tollgate Highway, Hwy 204.
There is another issue that has not been discussed in public, noise. Milton-Freewater is only a little over 3 miles from this project and will be downwind from it. What does that mean? It means that is the same direction the wind usually blows and will carry that noise to the City of Milton-Freewater and the surrounding area.
Stop the "green
energy" subsidies
2012 is an important year to stop the bleeding of taxpayers money to the big energy corporations. We need to focus on members of the Senate who are at home in their districts. The Senate does not reconvene until January 23.
What we
know: The Senate's tax
extender package failed in December. Nonetheless, it included
extensions for BOTH 1603 and the Production Tax Credit and these
will return either as part of the Conference Committee debate on the
Payroll tax holiday (HR 3630) or via other legislation. Conference
committee rules prohibit negotiations from considering provisions
outside of the bills passed but Harry Reid has already signaled "everything
is on the table".
What we need to do: Please call the LOCAL offices of your senators TODAY. Ask for their schedules during the recess period. Find out when/where your Senators will be holding townhall meetings. If NO townhall meetings are planned, ask politely for him/her to schedule a meeting at home before January 23.
Encourage your colleagues to attend Townhall meetings and make two public statements:
1) Tell your Senator you applaud the Senate for doing the right thing by NOT extending Section 1603 or the PTC in December;
2) Encourage your Senator to hold firm
and inform the leadership and Senate Conference Committee members
that he/she does not support extension of Section 1603 or the PTC.
If you see something you like, or can't find something you think we need to have in our website, send us your comments to webmistress@bluemountainalliance.org.
Important Meetings
& the Latest News
& the Latest News
1/17/2012 ~
Blue Mountain Alliance Meeting
Milton-Freewater Public Library
January 17th at 5:30 pm
-
T.B.A.
2/4/2012 ~
Public Review of the Draft "Wind Energy Health
Impact Assessment"
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute
Saturday, February 4, 2012
10 AM - 5 PM
A public review of the HIA draft report about the health of people living near wind turbines, produced by the Oregon State Health Department.
Input from this meeting will be condensed
down into a form letter or e mail that can be sent by our citizens
to Salem. So bring any/all information or questions you have
regarding this document and join us!
A copy of the HIA draft can be downloaded here.
Public comments can be submitted to the State until 5 PM March 30, 2012.
Find more meeting listings
on the Calendar Page.
The Latest News
BPA asks Feds to reconsider dispute pitting wind farms against dams
Leading bird conservation group responds to proposed eagle take permit
Double standard if you're a Greenie you can kill Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagle in peril in the US
Central Oregon wind farm may get OK to kill Golden Eagles
Bird Advocates urge mandatory standards for wind energy projects
Wind wins, you lose
Consumers pay to dump water over dams
Paying wind farms for ZIP
Feds rule BPA windpower shut-off unfair
Regulators tell BMA to stop pulling the plug on wind farms
Eco-Group Challenges Wind Farm Approval
Appeal of UCPC Conditional Use Permit for WKN Chopin Wind Project
Memo to UCPC & Emal from WKN to UCPC Re:Transmission Line
When will be it be too much?
