Katie Troe, Safe Wind in Freeborn County
Tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. is the deadline for Comments on the Bent Tree Wind Farm Certificate of Need and Siting docket. This is the 200-400MW wind project that Wisconsin Power & Light wants to build in MINNESOTA for credit towards the Wisconsin Renewable Electricity Standard.
QUICK, send your comments to:
Steve.Mihalchick [at] state.mn.us
For the PUC’s sites, go to www.puc.state.mn.us
Then click on the blue “eDocket” button…
… and search for dockets
08-573 for Siting Docket
07-1425 for Certificate of Need
And there’s also Commerce’s Siting page:
Dept. of Commerce Bent Tree Project Page
Remember, this is the one that, together with one in Clay County, triggered this White Paper:
MN Dept of Health – Public Health Impacts of Wind Turbines
Here’s another story in the Albert Lea Tribune with a great “I think they need professional help” quote from Katie Troe:
By Jason Schoonover | Albert Lea Tribune
Published Monday, July 13, 2009
After a public hearing June 29, Safe Wind of Freeborn County is continuing to work to influence the placement of the turbines for the Bent Tree Wind Farm in Freeborn County.
Wisconsin regulators last week gave their permission for Wisconsin Power & Light to build the wind farm, though now it needs Minnesota approval.
Safe Wind is working to get its message out before the state Public Utilities Commission decides later this summer whether to approve the site permit and certificate of need for the project, which if passed would give the green light to construction.
One of the biggest concerns of Safe Wind is the health effects of the noise produced by the wind turbines. Katie Troe of Safe Wind said the turbines produce noises that can both be heard, and low-frequency sounds that some studies say are amplified and trapped in homes. Troe said some of the sound is audible and some is not.
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