Shields of Defense

Our federal government's inability to craft a reasonable response to such a universal concern as climate change, or global warming, without relenting, politically, to the influence of profiteers is extremely disturbing.
For years, many of us have gradually lost faith that our elected representatives, on state and federal levels, are capable of understanding the best interests of their constituency, in lieu of succumbing to the more immediate presence of "special interests".

On the Roanoke County government level, our elected Supervisors are largely guided, with respect to their bi-weekly public responsibility to provide "directives of guidance," by county administrative staff and additionally, appointed citizens on a variety of Boards and Commissions.

So, here we are, a small, dynamic community of approx. 1800 residents, in a county of 92,000, trying to defend our peaceful, bountiful environment from encroachment on our most precious topographic, and "aquifer-wise", resources:  the Ridges of Poore Mountain.

Over how many years? how much? a revenue windfall might there be to county operations?

Roanoke County Attorney Compares Wind Farms to Hamburgers

When introducing a new land use, it is the obligation of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors to confirm that it is a beneficial land use that is worthy of desecrating approx. 3/8 mile of virgin ridge line per turbine. Neither Invenergy nor the Supervisors have documented in any scientific meaningful way that this is a good land use for Roanoke County.


I believe this is a fundamental question that must be addressed when considering a land use that Roanoke County has never before considered. The worthiness of the proposed use must be thoroughly validated before even considering such details as setback, noise annoyance, communication disruption, view shed, environmental protection, ad infinitum.
 
Sound reasonable? County Attorney Paul Mahoney argued, no. On a couple of occasions, when I posed this question to our esteemed civil servant, he declared the question as being analogous to evaluating the quality of a hamburger at a fast food restaurant prior to granting a permit for the construction of such a restaurant in our County.
 
Tuesday evening, when our Board of Supervisors had become overwhelmed with concern for exstensive modifications to a proposed large scale wind ordinance, Mr. Mahoney, struggled to guide them toward a confusing "line by line" vote on modifications based upon fear that a potential applicant may attempt to seek permission to build such a use under an unrelated part of the existing ordinance. This expressed fear has prevailed for over two years and has intimidated both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors into a very flawed process to accomodate the wind industry.
 
Industrial wind farms have not proven in any way a justification to classify them as a utility use under the Zoning Ordinance of Roanoke County. Indeed, if that were the case, why wouldn't small scale residential turbines have been declared permissable by the same logic?

Why provide keys to the Blue Ridge to the Windbaggers?

This is exactly what the Roanoke County Attorney and Roanoke County Administrative staff has been doing for well over two years. The County Attorney has continued to advise our elected and appointed officials that, ‘if you don’t provide prospective applicants for industrial scale wind turbine installations with a defined use in our zoning ordinance, you risk that they may attempt to apply for permission to construct such facilities under our existing ordinance by defining their project as a utility use, and if they pursue that option the Courts may rule in their favor.’ The County Attorney has further warned that, ‘if you establish use standards that might be described as “unreasonable”, the County still risks an unfavorable ruling in the Courts.’

According to Wind Data Charts prepared by AWS/Truewind, a private consultant from upstate New York paid by the DOE, a politically driven federal agency stakeholder* in “unproven technology’, the most productive “on-shore” wind sites in Virginia are on the Blue Ridge mountains, paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway. Chicago-based Invenergy, LLC and other “Windbaggers” including GE, BP, Horizon, Siemens and a host of others are trying to establish a “beach-head” along the Blue Ridge in Virginia. (*Stakeholders: In today’s twisted world of spin are those whose livelihoods are dependent upon the promotion of non-validated sources of renewable energy, not the property holding stewards of the land.)

Supervisor Richard Flora commented at a recent public hearing considering the proposed Large and Industrial Scale Wind Turbine Amendment to the Roanoke County Zoning Ordinance that he considered it the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors to determine the “highest and best use” of land in Roanoke County. Very few Roanoke County citizens, if any, would disagree with his statement. The appeal of Mr. Flora’s statement is in its simplicity and clarity of understanding the importance of allowing for thoughtful uses of Roanoke County lands.

As a result of County staff’s guidance, the current proposed amendment to our Zoning ordinance falls far short of responding to Mr. Flora’s commitment. No benefits to our community have been irrefutably identified other than a suggestion from the “windbaggers” of $800,000 of more annually of tax revenue to Roanoke County. Further the amendment as it currently stands minimizes reasonable protection of the citizens of Roanoke County and the entire Roanoke Valley.

An $800,000 annual tax revenue windfall, first, benefits our local government staff. Secondly, it may, just may, provide some relief to local taxpayers at the expense of many individual citizen landowners.

The saddest part of this misadventure is that, indeed, as we have been warned, the Windbaggers do not hesitate to divide and split a community over massive financial gain……

at our direct expense.

Nearing Potential Roanoke County Supervisors' Actions to Desecrate the Blue Ridge in Virginia

Recently, a number of well-researched letters have been sent to the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors

Here is one:

To: The Board of Supervisors, Roanoke County


From: Linda LaPrade, Cave Spring District Resident

Your job of constructing the Windmill Ordinance is not an easy one. You will not please all the people no matter what you do. Thank you for taking the time to explore the many suggestions given to you. Please also consider these things:

1) According to the WHO in their 2009 authoritative document on noise and sleep disturbance, levels between 32 dB and 42 dB will disturb sleep and noise levels of 50dB or higher have been proven to cause health consequences. The same study uses 21dB as a threshold for rural nighttime sleep. World Health Organization 2009; Effects of different levels of night noise on the population’s health.

Average night noise level over one year Health effect observed in the population

• Up to 30dB  - Although individual sensitivities and circumstanced may differ, it appears that up to this level no substantial biologic effects are observed.
• 30 to 40 dB   - A number of effects on sleep are observed; body movements, awakening, self-reported sleep disturbance, arousals. The intensity of the effect depends on the nature of the source and the number of events. Vulnerable groups (elderly, children and chronically ill) are more susceptible.
• 40-55 dB   - Adverse health effects are observed among an exposed population. Many people have to adapt their lives to cope with the noise at night.
• Above 55 dB    - The situation is considered increasingly dangerous for public health. Adverse health effects occur frequently, a sizeable portion of the population is highly annoyed and the sleep disturbed. There is evidence that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases.

There is no medical doubt that audible noise such as emitted by modern upwind industrial wind turbines sited close to human residences causes significant adverse health effects. These effects are mediated through sleep disturbance, physiological stress and psychological distress. This is settled medical science.”

An Analysis of the American/Canadian Wind Energy Association sponsored “Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects An Expert Panel Review, December 2009.” Peer reviewed and published January 2010.

2) The sound is projected outwards, so that it is actually fairly quiet directly beneath the turbine, but farther away the resulting sound, especially of several towers together, has been described to be as loud as a motorcycle, like aircraft continually passing overhead, a "brick wrapped in a towel turning in a tumble drier," "as if someone was mixing cement in the sky," "like a train that never arrives." It is a relentless rumble like unceasing thunder from an approaching storm. Enxco's John Zimmerman admitted at a meeting in Lowell, Vt., "Wind turbines don't make good neighbors." [Click here for one story from Fenner, N.Y., where many other noises have been described, including an eerie screeching as the blade and nacelle assembly turns to catch the wind -- click here for a video recording of these noises.]

3) From Science News…studies are being done about the effects of noise. Research leader Dr Con Doolan, of the University's School of Mechanical Engineering, said the noise generated from wind turbines is 'trailing edge or airfoil noise', the same sort of noise generated at the edge of aircraft wings.

"We know generally what causes that noise – as the turbulent air flows over the sharp edge of the blade it radiates sound much more efficiently, so the noise can be heard at some distance," said Dr Doolan. "Wind turbine noise is very directional. Someone living at the base might not have a problem but two kilometres away, it might be keeping them awake at night," he said.

4) When turbines have been installed with lax regulations, there is little that can be done. For those who have lived near those in operation for a number of years, the stories are clear. I again urge you to examine what those who live near turbines that have been operational for several years say about their quality of life: Letters From Wind Farm Neighbors

www.savewesternny.org

5) Many people spoke at the meetings you have held. One thing that I noticed was that many of those speaking in favor of the wind turbines are members of the Sierra Club (see their goals on ‘global warming’ and on alternative energy). Others were those whose livelihoods are dependent on wind energy. Most if not all do not live in the affected areas…many do not live in Roanoke County. Most of the speakers with real concerns who spoke against the setbacks and excessive noise created are those Roanoke County citizens who live near the projected site. To me, their concerns should carry a much greater weight because they and their property are directly affected…and THEY are your citizens.