Community Over Corporations. People Over Profit.
Community Over Corporations. People Over Profit.
Letter Campaign to Gov. Hochul
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I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Maple Harvest industrial wind turbine project proposed by Palmer Capital Corporation in my community. The towns of LaFayette, Otisco, and Tully face an alarming plan to install 24 or more industrial wind turbines, each measuring up to 680 feet tall, on the geologically unstable mountains of our region. I urge you to take action to stop this proposed project before it inflicts irreparable harm on our people, environment and communities.
The valley and hills we inhabit are widely recognized to be geologically unstable. Landslides in these areas are active and ongoing. We have experienced devastating consequences, including the tragic 1993 landslide that destroyed homes, swallowed trucks, and required three residents to be airlifted to safety. Additionally, our region has endured more than a century of industrial activities by outside entities extracting the salt and gravel deposits left behind by glaciers, and these industrial mining activities have left a lasting impact on our landscape and safety.
As currently planned, the project encompasses areas where the bedrock is cracked, landslides are active, and there is a high risk of additional ground instability due to ongoing mud boil creation as a result of “wild brining”. The proposed turbines are not small structures; they are approximately 2,000 tons of rotating and vibrating machinery. Situating these turbines on Bare Mountain – the site of the 1993 landslide – and other nearby slopes identified by the USGS as high-risk for future landslides poses a significant risk of further destabilization and damage to water quality. It also directly threatens the safety and well being of the residents and homes below.
We are a rural community but this is not a remote project far from households where people are living, working, and raising families. There are 150 homes located within a half mile of proposed turbine sites, and more than 1,000 homes within two miles of proposed turbine sites. Due to the permitting process established by the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission (ORES), there is limited opportunity for local voices to be included in the permit development process unless legal action is taken. This is troubling considering that this proposed project would have far-reaching consequences for our lives and property and is deeply unpopular in all three of our towns as evidenced by all three town boards passing resolutions against this project.
Our communities are blessed to be home to engineers and scientists who understand and have studied the unique geology of our region and the impacts that would result from a project of this scale. Palmer Capital Corporation, the company behind this project, has never developed a project of this size, and therefore, their assurances regarding the very serious risks to life, property, and the environment cannot be guaranteed. In reality, this project should not even be proposed. Areas of the state, particularly those near State and National Wildlife Refuges, along critical avian flyways, locations with karst bedrock, and areas with demonstrated landslides and landslide risks, should be off-limits to wind turbine developers.
It’s important to note that our towns have already demonstrated a commitment to green energy and are home to multiple community-based solar installations with plans for more on the way. A number of individual citizens have private small scale wind turbines on their properties as well as solar panels. Our commitment to renewable energy is evident and demonstrates that sustainable solutions can be achieved without imposing this risky and disruptive project on our community.
It is hard to understate the impact this project would have on our towns and the people who live here. I implore you to consider the unique and fragile geology of our region as well as the serious risks involved and to take a stand against this proposed project thereby protecting our community from perpetuating the tragic outcomes of the past.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I appreciate your commitment to serving our state, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue further.
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