Wind Turbines on Lake Ontario!

[Tim Bromund]

Not sure if this is good or bad, but here is a response from Senator George D. Maziarz:

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your e-mail of last month. I represent a significant portion of Lake Ontario shoreline and I was recently named Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. As such, our region has a vested interest in the fate of NYPA’s Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project so I have been studying it very carefully and I am continuing to do so. Many concerns about this project’s implementation and after effects have been conveyed to me and you are right in pointing out additional factors to consider. I will gladly keep your comments in mind, and please know that I will continue to try to protect our freshwater resources.

Thanks again, and if you have any additional thoughts, please do not hesitate to share them with me.

Sincerely,

George D. Maziarz

Senator, 62nd District

For what it's worth, since he's been in office, Sen Maziarz has always been one of the Sportsmen's best friends in Albany. Definitely count him as one of the good guys.

Tim

[Has Been]

Chairman of the State Energy commitee means he is a big hitter& means he has influence. Also means lobbiest will "talk "to him a lot. What is his official position on this? He hasn't said in the response he is against it or for it. He could have written BLAH BLAH BLAH . It would have ment the same. I don't trust any of them.

[skipper19]

. It would have ment the same. I don't trust any of them.

Skepticism and optimism all means the same?..hmmmmm. Is that like an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?...or an ounce of PERCEPtion is worth a pound of OBScure....which way will we be more pleased?...What Tim said is very true about his dedication to the sportsmen of this region. He has a lobbiest group all of his own, in US, WE, the large sporting society that generates votes and elects him every year. It's a balance of a political position (his job) and revenues that will likely not support our western NY region as much as the fishery and properties of Lake Ontario. Let's hope his job is more important, and his job is representing those who put him in charge of our wishes for the betterment of the region, rather than the degradation of it.

Mark

[LongLine]

Costs more, need for back up generation, need to redo the grid system...What more do these people need to show them they are going in the wrong direction????? Even the govt's own reports show it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/busin ... nd.html?em

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Has Been]

Welcome to my world.

[Misty IV]

My neighbor at the lake was able to attend the meeting and sent me the following information. Please take the time to send an email to Mr. Shawn Doyle, expressing our displeasure with the windfarm project. He is the best apparent contact for Oswego County and is the next line of defense as this "disaster" works its way down the eastern shore. My neighbor mentioned that Shawn Doyle has received many emails from property owners, but has had very little feedback from boaters and fishermen AND he is requesting input from us!!!

Shawn's email address is: [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The meeting was attended by about 150 people, most from inland properties (farmland) that will be crossed (with eminent domain) by transmission lines. The priorities of this meeting were for these inland people, and the actions and methods of the resistance to our north.

There were about a dozen politicians and other local government people there, including the younger Mr. Barclay and our Legislator Shawn Doyle. Politicians in N. Osw. Co. do not want the overland transmission lines, so far. They are working with similarly minded pols and citizens in Jeff. Co. Whatever the viewpoint, having political and private citizen stakeholders there was constructive and instructive to all attending.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *******************One extremely important fact that came up in a discussion with one of the Northern people was VERY pertinent to our situation in Richland. Seasonal residents VOTED IN THE LAST GENERAL, LOCAL ELECTION AND ELECTED ONE OF THEIR OWN! Don't know about you, while it makes sense, I didn't think we could vote in Richland before this meeting. As long as you own property and pay taxes you can vote in local elections, including absentee ballots. This makes it possible for us to fight any number of issues that affect us; i.e. assessments, taxes, and other general Town actions (or inactions) that effect us negatively. Point here is, if we voted as a block we can defeat anyone that does not represent our interests. That potential threat will get us much more than futile protests at the next assessment increase. I suspect that this year's elections will have proposals for Richland/Oswego Co. that will effect our taxes, and who knows what else.

The other issue that was in the forefront and we can expect down the road, was the conflict of interest and corruption of local officials up north. Their legislature is in conflict against the local developmental board that is trying to get a 20 year pilot for the Galloo Is. project; i.e. tax free for developers for 20 years. That's on top of 30% paid by Stimulus, plus State Grants, and whatever they can get from Obama's Great Lakes Initiative (AT LEAST $$30 million for NY/Lake Ontario Shoreline). This has become a colossal bag of free money for these developers, investors and their political "friends", and ALL OF IT IS OUR TAX DOLLARS (STATE AND FEDERAL). These developers are FOREIGN and depend on our tax dollars for immediate profit, as their incentive to proceed.

Another problem is that there are no existing "wind laws" here, and believe it or not, the new ones in Jeff. Co. have been co-written with/by the developers; i.e. conflict of interest???

Another site to check out (I haven't as yet) is [email protected]; & preservationofthegoldencrescent which thus far is the best and most useful for tools and info.

In general, Osw. Co. is only starting to take official notice of the wind energy movement on/in Lake Ontario. Primarily it will effect Richland/Pulaski at present. Once they have their foot in the door the developers (3 FOREIGN, OFFSHORE CORP.) it will not take long for them to start (if not already), to work on the powers that be, to industrialize the east end of Lake Ontario.

Note; New York Power Authority and DEC, being both NYS gov't entities, are working together on this, and pushing it forward. The State owns the bottom of the Lake once you leave the shoreline, and needs their cut of the federal monies coming this way. WE WILL BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT unless we are engaged from the start!!

Keep your eyes on this issue, it's coming and will have a profound, negative effect on our property values (WITHOUT a decrease in our assessments, as is).

[chinook35]

Din't forget the "secondary" proposal for power transmisssion . There is a proposal on the table to run submarine cables between Galoo and Nine Mile Point. All this attention to the overland lines might be used to draw attention from this part of the proposal. I think lines run along the lake floor right through prime fishing territory would be a huge mistake. Bottom fishing for Lake Trout would be a thing of the past . And there are , I'm sure, other valid reasons not to run these lines.

[LongLine]

mailto:[email protected]

Mr. Doyle

I am a recreational fisherman from the Rochester area that is greatly concerned about anyone putting wind turbines in Lake Ontario, especially along the Southern & Eastern shores. My reasons are thus:

1. Offshore turbines are huge and require huge foundations. Sediments that have collected years of pollution and are now buried under cleaner sediments will be disturbed and pollution will be redistributed via the natural currents around the lake. Over the summer, the thermocline, in particular, is where the majority of sediments are transported and this is where the majority of Trout and Salmon reside. During the winter, the lake currents are much stronger. Sediments will also be disrupted during the laying of Transmission lines.

2. Climate change advocates say that in addition to reducing carbon emissions that the world’s freshwater supply is dwindling and must be protected. The great Lakes are a National treasure (US Executive order 13340) and are 95% of the US fresh water supply. We can’t risk the pollution accident they had at Maple ridge where the NYSDEC had to bring in bottled water to the residents after one tipped over 2 years ago and oil contaminated the ground water or like the one at Fenner this last November that the power company said collapsed “for no apparent reason.â€

3. Plans call for hundreds of turbines. As plans call for us to become more dependent upon offshore wind energy, we are only kidding ourselves if we believe that Homeland Security will allow anyone near or around them thus a great portion of our lake will become out of bounds for fishermen and pleasure boaters.

4. Every year people and boats are hurt/damaged by navigation hazards out on the lake. The sheer numbers of these turbines will greatly increase the number of navigation hazards out there.

5. Transmission lines will interconnect the turbines and be run to various places along the shore. The lines operate at approx 0.5 HZ and 33Kilovolts. The US Army Corps of Engineers is trying to stop the Asian carp in the Chicago sanitary canal with near the same electricity.

6. They will affect the fish. Salmon & Trout do make East-west traverses of the lake throughout the year prior to their annual run up their home rivers. I caught natural born salmon this past year off of Rochester and was told by the NYSDEC Lake Ontario unit that these small shakers could easily travel from the Sal River to Rochester in much less than a day. University studies have found that salmon are affected by magnetic fields in that they become sluggish and align themselves with the fields. These swimming/migration patterns will definitely be disrupted.

7. OSHA 1910.269 prohibits a worker from coming within 27 ft of a transmission line unless properly attired. (Properly clothed & grounded) The area where Transmission lines come ashore from the 27 Ft depth to shore, will present a hazardous area for any boater, fisherman and swimmer.

8. Mitigation by Lowville regarding the death of Bats & migratory birds consisted of placing more lights on the turbines. Perhaps the NYPA likes the night view of carnival Ferris wheels?

The U.S. signed an international treaty with Canada to restore the Great Lakes, years ago. For many years, many agencies/organizations including NYS have put forth great effort and money into this effort. Sportfishing on the Great Lakes has blossomed into a $7 Billion industry that pays into local economies year after year. Offshore windfarms in Lake Ontario are a major mistake and will do much more damage to the frail ecology of Lake Ontario than benefit the “green energy†movement.

Please do all you can do to stop them.

Sincerely,

That's my letter. Hope you guys write too.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[chinook35]

LongLine,

An awesome letter. Very well written and researched . I am glad we have you on our side!!

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

As some of you already know, this proposal makes me crazy. I am pleased to see all the outcry here. Do not feel like this can't be defeated, as it has in several areas. Most of us know this is a rush--job cash grab. Even if it made economical and energy sense, it is JUST PLAIN WRONG! We can't let anyone permanantly alter our Great Lake forever on our watch!

Another overlooked concern I have is that the structures will certainly attract baitfish in incredible numbers. With a vast "safe" zone that will certainly be imposed around the fields, these areas will suck Salmon and Trout from nearby waters. This will render them "out of bounds" to our efforts The bad publicity we will get in our competing tourist markets will be devastating. Lakeshore residents are not the only ones who would consider them an eye sore. Our visitors, who help justify the fishery, will not want to see them during their hard-earned escape to Lake Ontario.

[chinook35]

I just found a forum on a news website in Watertown that is asking for support for the Galoo island windfarm complete with false claims. Please go to http://www.newzjunky.com and scroll down to the link . You are able to vote for or against the project and add your comments. My comments will probably not go on any public forum anytime soon !! Please log on and VOTE Against this before it gets public support.There are a lot of people that read these lies and don't even have an idea where or what Galoo Island is. The link says "support Galoo Island windfarm" . Just a little P.S. I went back and read this pack of lies through a couple of times and the author really needs to learn how to spell . I will try and find out who is behind this item by contacting newzjunky . I am contacting any and all the folks I know who winter away from the lake to get them to vote.

[skipper19]

I just found a forum on a news website in Watertown that is asking for support for the Galoo island windfarm complete with false claims. Please go to http://www.newzjunky.com and scroll down to the link . You are able to vote for or against the project and add your comments. My comments will probably not go on any public forum anytime soon !! Please log on and VOTE Against this before it gets public support.There are a lot of people that read these lies and don't even have an idea where or what Galoo Island is. The link says "support Galoo Island windfarm" . Just a little P.S. I went back and read this pack of lies through a couple of times and the author really needs to learn how to spell . I will try and find out who is behind this item by contacting newzjunky . I am contacting any and all the folks I know who winter away from the lake to get them to vote.

MY RESPONSE TO NEWZJUNKY POLE.

The notion that 6-12 miles away is "out of sight" is false. These rotors reach to 410 feet above mean base level. At night the red pulsing lights are going to be visible as well, that's why they are put there in the first place, to be seen. Underwater transmission lines are not a viable way of dispersing the electricity either. Disturbance of sediments in laying and maintenance of cables will liberate heavy pollutants from earlier decades and cause contamination of water supplies. There will also likely be an exclusion zone for security purposes and render a large area of the surrounding waters, of any power generators, off limits to recreational boaters and visitors to the area. Electromagnetic fields will disorient the natural homing navigation that many sport fish possess and limit the ability of these fish and other aquatic life to proliferate, and support one of the largest economic attractions to the area of Lake Ontario, in the form of sport fishing by vacationers, and locals as well. I strongly disagree with any wind farm proposal as to it's location anywhere in or on Lake Ontario with respect to it's return benefit to the so called local power grid and 25 jobs against the losses of revenues that marina's, gas sales, tackle suppliers, campgrounds, lodgings, restaurants, and others generate for the local and state.

The construction will likely be outsourced to bidding companies and there will be no long term local construction jobs created. I hope that as we speak of economy, to coin the phrase, that we don't overlook the dime to pickup a nickle. Thank you for letting me vote NO to the project.

Mark Schuman

OH AND WHO THE HECK IS "MY" IN THE "YOUR RESPONSE WILL NOW APPEAR IN MY SPREADSHEET"

[chinook35]

Skipper,

The MY on the poll is still a mystery. I contacted Newzjunky about the link and was not furnished with any information about the author, only the fact that the poll has been removed. Maybe it was a scam or phishing trip , the syntax and spelling led me to believe the author did not use english as their first language. It may have been the developer , it is my understanding they are not American. There is a link on the site that states that the PILOT is going to the full legislature and lists the politicians by name that either favor or oppose the project.

[LongLine]

So I’m looking at my electric bill from Rochester Gas & Electric last night. The electric supply charge is $23.89. Hey!......not bad for my household! Especially through the holidays with all the company, tree, house decorations, etc.

I even see on page 1, in large print that there is a “Residential Hydroelectric power savings†of $6.40 applied.

Then I see that RG&E enclosed a flyer concerning “wind-generated energy.â€

So I grab my calculator.

Hmm…$23.89 + 7.50 = $31.28. But wait a minute…I’ll lose the $6.40 Hydroelectric credit!?!?? So if I was in this plan my bill would have increased by $13.90 or totaled $37.68.

Here’s how I sent it back:

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[skipper19]

Way too funny Tom awww man I wish I could see their faces with that one

Mark

[muskybob]

That was great Tom. I just had to pass it around. Thanks for sharing.

[Misty IV]

I sent an Email to Shawn Doyle and received a reply from him the following morning. He is very much against the windfarm project and promises to do everything in his power to stop it from becoming a reality. Nice to know we have some strong backing from the local county representatives.

[Misty IV]

Here's another valuable website with a lot of good information. Well worth reading!!!

http://pandorasboxofrocks.blogspot.com/

[larryg]

Jefferson County Leg. just passed (8 to 5 vote) the PILOT project. This clears the way for the Upstate New york Power Corp. to obtain permits for the turbine project.

Read the story ( http://www.watertowndailytimes.com ) I find the NYPA's map of proposed sites for wind turbines interestingly upsetting.

[Tall Tails]

This is a very sad Day for the Great Lakes as we all know it. It will NEVER be the same again. All of those legislators should be embarrased that they allowed this to happen on there watch just to fill the county bank accounts.

Very sad day indeed..............

Brian

[Misty IV]

I agree - very sad day, indeed. What were these politicians thinking anyway? Oh, wait, that's right. They don't think when there is large $$$$ in it for them.

I'm still not giving up on this, though. I continue to write my representatives and continue to get different replies from them. All the ones I am in contact with in Oswego County are 100% AGAINST the windfarm project. I hope they manage to put a stop to it before it is too late. I am not ready to sell my boat.....

[Billy V]

Very sad. Very, very sad. And it all boils down to greed. Politicians disgust me.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

At what point does the environmental impact study take place? Surely the criminals that cloak this under the guise of "green" energy, wouldn't want it if it affected the environment or fish and wildlife in anyway!!!???

[Tall Tails]

From what I have heard the DEC being a state agency is already supporting this project. I think there hands are tied. Should be interesting State of the Lake Meetings this spring as I know I will be bringing up the topic on our end.

Brian

[rail bird]

A shot across the bow of the DEC. We shall see where this goes. Fingers crossed, first of many counter attacks.

http://www.windaction.org/news/25493