RutlandHerald.com - We Are Vermont

Wind farm is too large



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Published: July 22, 2009

Over the past few months, several letters have been written in response to Vermont Community Wind's proposal for an 80-megawatt wind farm to be built in Ira and surrounding communities. This letter is written on behalf of a group of "ladies" that would otherwise have no voice in the matter.

We are not opposed to using and promoting renewable energy. After all, living on an organic farm is an assurance that we are committed to practices that strive for a balance with nature. But this project appears to be just too large.

The Milky Way Organic Farm is located on Route 133 in Ira and is home to a herd of beautiful Jerseys. Although very true that their well-being and production involves variables such as nutrition and genetics, we must not discount certain environmental factors as well.

Stray voltage is one of the greatest concerns for dairy farmers and their animals. Dairy cows are known to experience a set of behavioral, health, and production effects when exposed to problematic levels of electrical current. Stray voltage and earth current problems may be exacerbated by wind factories.

In many areas where wind farms have been constructed, farmers have been able to trace a decline in the animals' milk production and an increase in a variety of health problems. Cancer deaths, ringworm, mange, parasites, cows having difficulty calving, dehydration, mutations, cows aborting after one to two weeks, mastitis, kidney and liver failures are some notables.

Although wind developers deny that there are any problems with stray voltage caused by wind turbines and their massive lengths of underground electrical cables, we implore you to not subject the "Milky Way ladies" and their human friends and neighbors with the first-hand experience of such potential hazards.

Remember, happy cows come from Ira, and that is the way we want to keep it.

BOB, ROBBIE

and MARY CLARK

Ira








READER COMMENTS


Haven't most real "stray voltage" problems been traced to substandard wiring/grounding in farm buildings? Let's get someone from VELCO or GMP or CVPS to comment here.

And this can happen with ANY electrical power, and is not specific to wind power. Electrons don't care how they are generated. What does "largeness" have to do with stray voltage? Wouldn't that be more a function of, say, the voltages being used?

Throw in the host of "symptoms", and it clear that this is a scattershot attempt to scare the gullible with groundless accusations. Stray voltage usually is a convenient finger-pointing stand-in for bad animal husbandry. Given "organic" dairying already encourages withholding basic modern care for sick animals, if something goes wrong with these "girls", I suggest checking on what care they are not getting.
-- Posted by Freehold-06 on Sun, Jul 26, 2009, 6:26 pm EST

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Joel, you've been out of the loop buddy, phase I blow off mountain top. I would gather to think Iraits would be a little ticked off. Wind turbines require level ground. Not as simple as remove telecommunication bit and fit in wind turbine. Get up to date fella and who the heck are these carpetbaggers from the West Coast. FLASH news since we purchase power at .04 cents per kwl hour, wind will be at .40 center per same kilw. hour, not a real savings there. 1000% rise in cost usually not classified as cheap or maybe I'm not looking at the same dictionary as yours.
-- Posted by Curious gt on Thu, Jul 23, 2009, 12:00 pm EST

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Stray voltage is a real problem in my neighborhood. If people would only spay and neuter their voltages maybe this wouldn't be such a problem.
-- Posted by Seth Strait on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, 5:24 pm EST

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I find it incredible how opposition to renewable energy always seems to rely on junk science. Wind power generated electricity, and its ability to produce stray electromagnetic fields, is no different than electricity generated by nuclear, hydro, coal, or any other source. And underground electrical transmission cables, because of their design and the fact that they are usually in conduits, usually emit virtually no electric or magnetic fields. This is from someone who earned a BSEE in electrical engineering 40 years ago, and who has worked in the oversight of the electric industry for years.
-- Posted by Ray Makul on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, 4:07 pm EST

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Stray voltage IS a problem for dairy farmers in areas with wind farms. Here's one example from this article http://www.aweo.org/windlincoln.html: "In the meantime, farmers and their livestock in Lincoln Township have been suffering. There are over four farms that are battling -- among other problems -- herd decline due to diseases that were not present in the herds prior to turbine construction, but are present now, according to farmer Scott Srnka. These problems are not limited to nonparticipating leaseholders. Farms with turbines have been affected as well, as evidenced by the trucks, which have grown more and more frequent, hauling away animal carcasses."
-- Posted by None None on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, 11:58 am EST

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Wind farms are a great idea, but not in my back yard.
-- Posted by Mr. Moderate on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, 8:28 am EST

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Oh for Pete's sake! "Stray voltage"!!! What will they think of next? I guess those wind turbines would blow that "stray voltage" all over Ira and surrounding communities. I'm sure the clueless are running scared.
-- Posted by Allen Kuusela on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, 7:15 am EST

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How foolish can we be?
I read the comments of BOB, ROBBIE and MARY CLARK with a little shock.
"Stray voltage is one of the greatest concerns for dairy farmers and their animals. Dairy cows are known to experience a set of behavioral, health, and production effects when exposed to problematic levels of electrical current. Stray voltage and earth current problems may be exacerbated by wind factories."
"Cancer deaths, ringworm, mange, parasites, cows having difficulty calving, dehydration, mutations, cows aborting after one to two weeks, mastitis, kidney and liver failures are some notables"
This is a clear example of rhetoric and fear mongering with no support of fact of legitimate scientific studies. We all have an opportunity to exploit an alternative energy in our own backyard with little or no risk to anyone financially or physically. There are many possible benefits for our local education systems and economy yet we are hearing ridiculous and dubious assertions about the negative effects.
(If anyone sees any stray voltage running around please call the utility company so they can round it up.)
The dairy farmers have much greater concerns than the possibility of lower cost clean energy to help reduce the costs in an upside down dairy industry. Remember that we have had small wind turbines in the past in Castleton, Hubbardton, Wells and Equinox as well as the GMP sites in the northern part of the State. Where is the mass destruction wrought by stray voltage and cow ailments?
Let's give wind power a chance. If it doesn't work or there are issues, the company is responsible to remove the tower and restore the site. Remember many of the mountain tops of Ira Tinmouth and Wells still have the well casings drilled into the mountain tops where communication tower studies were performed by the State many years ago. I haven't heard complaints about the impact of those towers or the roads made for the drilling rigs, nor the frequent logging roads built into the areas over the years.
The Towns involved could require a phased in approach if you feel the project is too big. Let's stop the nay saying and give this a try. I want to be clear that I have always thought wind power is a great source of energy and lived in the shadow of Bobby Vanderminden's two wind towers in Wells for years. I actually liked the view and had no problem with any noise issue.
Also, I do not wish in any way to disrespect anyone but I would like this debate to keep to the facts and reality.
Joel Davidson, Wells, VT
-- Posted by Joel Davidson on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, 7:12 am EST

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