Our community is about to be changed forever ... by a company we know nothing about

An excerpt of this letter to the editor was submitted to the Clinton County News for publication:

The community we all love is about to be changed forever. Our landscape will be dotted with 40 monstrous wind turbines. Once they get their foot in the door, I have no doubt that those 40 turbines will soon become 80 and 120 and more. Some people will move, some people’s health will be negatively affected, everyone’s property values will take a nosedive, animals will suffer, and we
will have to look at gigantic metal monsters everywhere we turn. No one will move here or build here. Our electricity rates are going to soar. I have no animosity toward anyone, but there will be bad feelings among some neighbors and friendships of many years will be affected. All for what? For so-called green energy and, according to Forest Hill Energy’s website, 6 jobs per year in maintenance. If wind turbines could produce cost-effective energy that made economic sense, the free market would already be producing such energy and someone would be making a profit from it.

We have all learned new terms in the past couple of years and in recent months such as shadow flicker, dBAs and dBCs. We have heard over and over the concerns of the people who would have to live with these turbines. What has not been mentioned too much is this: Exactly why are we willing to sell out our community to a business who will not even tell us who they are?

I asked at a recent Essex Township meeting, “Who is Forest Hill Energy? Who owns it and where are the headquarters?” This is the answer I got: They are owned by “proprietors” and their headquarters are in Chicago. Why such an evasive answer? Many of us here are proud farmers who can trace our farm ownership back for four or five generations. We would never hesitate to say who “owns” our farm. I will bet that I could go to Chicago and I’m not going to see some big building with Forest Hill Energy on the front. They did not even have a website I could find until last week. I found an address listed for them on S. Forest Hill Rd. When I drove by it, it was someone’s house. There is no Forest
Hill Energy sign. We all know that it is just a small energy company formed for the purpose of getting huge government grants to get the wind farm off the ground.

Who really owns it? Is it GE? Is it a Chinese, Greek, or Swedish company? It could be any of those, and it could be all of those at different times over the years. I don’t like the cloak of secrecy and mystery. In my opinion, a business is up front about who they are and where they are and who calls the shots. We are being asked to make a huge sacrifice for a secretive government-funded company
who might just fold up their tent as soon as the turbines are built and morph into some other company or just fade into the distance. When the huge government subsidies dry up, who is going to tend to the turbines?

The Essex and Dallas Township boards took what action they could and passed an ordinance with stricter regulations on the height, decibel level and allowable distance from residences. We are all grateful for their decision. I pray that Bengal Township will join them.

We the people will have no vote on this issue. The final decision rests with the Clinton County Board of Commissioners. I hope they will take into consideration the legitimate concerns of the affected citizens before they make a decision that will change our community forever.

Cherie Anderson

New study - property value decreases near turbines

This was submitted as a letter to the editor for this week's Clinton County News.  The study referenced can be found at:  NEW Canadian Wind Turbine Property Value Study

Forest Hill Energy’s So-Called “Facts”

Forest Hill Energy stated that NO mitigation would be needed with regards to the 30 hours of shadow
flicker that will be cast in your home, however in their application to the county, they stated, "mitigation could include strategically placed tree plantings, window coverings, or window awnings."

In addition, the Shadow Flicker study was conducted by Forest Hill Energy and not an independent, unbiased third party.

With regards to Property Values, I located a recent unbiased study which was conducted in 2012 in
Canada by Ben Lansink, AACI, P.App, MRICS of Lansink Appraisals and Consulting which states, “Market evidence suggests that ‘dwelling properties’ will be harmed or injured by the construction, use, and maintenance of wind turbines situated in the vicinity. Real or perceived nuisances resulting from wind turbines produces buyer resistance that results in price diminution.” This study concluded that on average, home values decreased 35.69%. Visit clintoncountywindwatch.blogspot.com for the full report.

This project has been promoted at 64 MW however, per Forest Hill Energy, the turbines run at
approximately 30% of capacity due to wind availability, so in reality this is a 19 MW project, which is significantly LESS than Forest Hill Energy has been claiming.

Lori Pung

Wind farm noise does harm sleep and health, say scientists

From The Telegraph on Nov 3:  Wind farm noise does harm sleep and health, say scientists

"Wind farm noise causes “clear and significant” damage to people’s sleep and mental health, according to the first full peer-reviewed scientific study of the problem.

American and British researchers compared two groups of residents in the US state of Maine. One group lived within a mile of a wind farm and the second group did not.

Both sets of people were demographically and socially similar, but the researchers found major differences in the quality of sleep the two groups enjoyed.

The findings provide the clearest evidence yet to support long-standing complaints from people living near turbines that the sound from their rotating blades disrupts sleep patterns and causes stress-related conditions."
Read the entire article here: Wind farm noise does harm sleep and health, say scientists

Other counties with turbines in legal dispute

The Huron County papers have been reporting on the legal disputes about turbines in five counties.

Here's an excerpt from the Huron Daily Tribune's article County hopes for compromise on turbine taxes:

"The dispute’s roots go back to the fall of 2011 when the state tax commission lowered the taxable value of wind turbines. Wind turbines went from a 100 percent assessment in year one, with a scheduled depreciation to 30 percent value in 15 years, to an 80 percent initial assessment, with a depreciation to 30 percent value in six years.

However, local assessors and boards of review can go by the old depreciation schedule if they feel it more accurately describes the true cash value of turbines.

When that happened in Gratiot County’s Wheeler Township, DTE decided to file an appeal with the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

Huron officials, along with officials from other turbine-heavy counties, such as Sanilac, Mason and Tuscola, saw the potential for the same thing to happen to them. They decided to form the collaborative with Gratiot County, in an effort to support their cause and share legal costs."

You can read more from the Huron County View:
County frustrated by wind issues
County hears more about turbine tax issues

Reject the wind turbine application

This letter to the editor was printed in the Clinton County News this week.  Share your letter by sending it to Tom Thelen - tthelen@lsj.com.  It's limited to 200 words.  You must include your name, address, and phone number.


In Clinton County, the application to install 40 industrial wind turbines, although legal, should be rejected because of the justifiable concerns and fears of hundreds of nearby residents.  The county boards seem hesitant to implement restrictions which better protect citizens' health and property and animals' lives, but their hesitancy may come from biased information. 

First, the promise of several million dollars and thousands of jobs coming to our state is misleading.  Other counties in Michigan with operating wind turbines, such as Gratiot, Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola are in litigation in an attempt to collect their promised dollars.   

Secondly, in one study, “Green Jobs” were calculated as job years.  In other words, one person working one job for 30 years is counted as 30 jobs!

Thirdly, other sources of energy must stay online as backup, so windmills are not "green."

These turbines may affect dairy cattle and are killing eagles, migratory birds, and bats.  They are making people physically sick and reducing property values. 

New technologies like thorium-powered nuclear and discoveries of methane gas hydrates, found off every continental shelf in the world, are the future of energy.

Dr. Robert and Penny Malesky
St Johns

Map of wind turbine sites

This map of the wind turbine sites in Forest Hill Energy's application shows exactly where the turbines will be located in our neighborhood. 

Just click this link:  Map of Wind Turbine Sites

Come and speak at the Nov 14 meeting

This is an open letter to residents of Bengal Township.  Please share it with your neighbors.

Dear Bengal Township Residents:

The Proposed Wind Ordinance will be discussed at the Bengal Township Meeting on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. 

It's CRITICAL that we have a lot of residents at this meeting and it's even MORE CRITICAL that everyone stand up and say something.  It can be as detailed as you wish - or as simple as stating that you want the Bengal Township Board to adopt the Proposed Wind Ordinance like Dallas and Essex Townships did.  It's that simple.  We cannot have the same 10 people getting up month after month.  They are sick of seeing us and need to see that there are many more residents concerned about this issue than just us.  This meeting is CRUCIAL in getting the Board to pass the ordinance. 

The next County Planning & Zoning meeting is set for December and they could approve Forest Hill Energy's application.  Please plan on attending this meeting and standing up and demanding that this ordinance be adopted. 

If you absolutely cannot attend the meeting on November 14th, but still want your voice to be heard, there is a page that you can sign stating that you are in favor of Bengal Township Adopting a Wind Energy Conversion System Ordinance.  Let me know if you are interested in signing this and someone will stop by your home and get your signature.

Remember, it's BEST if you can go to the meeting in person and speak,  but if you can't, it's fine . . . just be sure to sign the sheet indicating that you are in favor of our township adopting its own ordinance.

Feel free to send this e-mail on to Bengal Township Residents who want to protect their health, homes and property values.

Thanks,

Lori Pung
pungpitcrew@casair.net