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Opinion: Educate yourself about potential wind farm, says Parishville resident

Posted 4/12/18

To the Editor: We recently spoke with a Hopkinton resident, an intelligent, educated person, yet he had no idea how turbines would impact our community. He firmly believed that they won’t be seen …

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Opinion: Educate yourself about potential wind farm, says Parishville resident

Posted

To the Editor:

We recently spoke with a Hopkinton resident, an intelligent, educated person, yet he had no idea how turbines would impact our community. He firmly believed that they won’t be seen or heard just a half-mile away…people, believe me when I tell you that we will hear them. And the skyscrapers will be seen for many miles, in neighboring communities like Massena, the Mohawk Reservation, the St. Lawrence Valley and the Northern Adirondacks. Many don’t realize it.

We would also feel them; because we live on a huge ridge of bedrock, the vibration will be felt for miles around. Noise and vibration—they have a lot to do with inner ear disturbances that cause some of the many symptoms of wind turbine syndrome and panoply of illnesses.

Why do you think the wind company is bribing residents with agreements whereby some residents sign away their legal rights to sue or even speak out with complaints?? Also, most won’t live long enough to realize the electric benefits, and our own tax dollars are footing the bill!

There are many other problems due to giant industrial turbines:

Significant property value declines. For example, the gentleman who came to our community to share concerns from the wind farm in Massachusetts told me that his neighbor had to move away from his home after he became ill from the turbines. I asked about property values and he said that before the turbines, his neighbor’s home was valued at nearly $200,000, but he has been since unable to sell the home, even for $29,000!

Disturbance of roads, trees and topography; destruction of forestlands, especially south of Route 72; degradation of state forestlands and the Adirondack foothills; blasting of bedrock (and associated noise, environmental damage and disruption of aquifers, headwaters and drinking water); and loss of endangered bird and bat species all the time, especially during migration, and much, much more.

And did you know there will be extended traffic stops throughout the day during construction? I have had to wait 20 minutes or more for turbine parts to pass through many times as I travel through the county. It could take you even longer to leave for work, go to the store, or return home for many months.

Our quality of life and quiet enjoyment of nature will be gone. Bright lights from the substation will forever ruin the night sky. Flicker will reflect the sun’s rays and blinking red lights will strobe off the giant blades. Noise will be incessant. Some of you will not be able to tolerate it. And you won’t be able to buy back what you’ve lost forever.

A local man who installs wind turbines clearly stated that he does not want to see a wind farm here. Also, the Hopkinton and Parishville Town Boards have conducted surveys, and the majority of residents indicated that they are opposed to the project.

For these and many other reasons we need to protect the people, the community, and our beautiful sensitive forestlands south of 72, by creating safer setbacks and noise laws and a common sense wind overlay zone, as recommended by the Hopkinton Wind Advisory Board.

For further information, I urge you to reference NNYWind.com, and check out the interesting and informative YouTube video: Chatauqua County says no to big wind.

Patti Walzer

Parishville