Why support wind power? 

To The Natural Resources Council of Maine:

A letter I received the other today is the second solicitation I have received from you in the last couple of months for a donation. You claim to want to protect and I quote:

“Sparkling clear lakes. Free-flowing rivers. Vast green forest. Moose, deer, eagles, and other wildlife so spectacular that people travel here from across the country just to catch even a glimpse. From our pristine mountains and quite ponds to our wild, rocky coast and sandy beaches, Maine is famous – and dearly loved – for its natural splendor.”

I ask then, why is it that you support wind power over other forms of electricity generation? Is it that the wind industry made a large contribution to your organization, just like it has to other associations and groups that are suppose to support and protect Maine’s natural resources and its wildlife?

The wind companies want to destroy thousands of acres by putting in roads and transmission lines to support the destruction of over 300 miles of our mountain tops where the wind turbines are to be installed. The impact to wildlife due to low frequency sound is going to be tremendous. The evidence of its impact on domestic animals and humans is rapidly being realized and will affect wildlife more as they are much more sensitive to the environment. Our cold water fisheries will be affected by the deep bedrock blasting due to its affect to the cold water sources originating on the mountains.

Please don’t tell me the evils of nuclear power, as I spent over one half of my life (I am 69 years old) with the submarine force in one way or the other. I have the utmost favorable opinion of nuclear power. It is safe, clean, and efficient. And as far as our dependence of foreign oil goes, we have a lot here in this country that we are not allowed to get because of special interest groups that have blocked drilling in many areas. Our oil industry and its technology greatly reduce the chance of any mishaps.

The reason for the BP mess in the gulf was the result of our government forcing our companies into deep waters that they said presented hazardous conditions. Now the Chinese are taking our oil resources by offset drilling in the Caribbean. So that you don’t think I am in total favor of the petroleum industry, I am an individual who in the 1970s with a great concern about wildlife, developed most of the Navy’s oil spill response procedures, formed the only manned and funded spill response team in the Navy. I worked with the EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, and advised various states including Maine. I spoke at symposiums on oil spill response, logistics, and environmental damages.

My upbringing in Maine with a love of wildlife drove me to accomplish all I could in this area. The drilling of oil does not have to represent an environmental disaster with today’s technology. Soundings done in the ’70s of areas in the northeast revealed that there are obtainable oil resources in areas along the Hudson and Connecticut River Basins and elsewhere. The Gulf of Maine has vast oil reserves and its drilling would be like that in the north seas. It would bring long needed, full-time high paying jobs for many Maine families, not short six month to a year jobs like the wind industry.

This country has huge coal reserves and with technology comes cleaner and cleaner coal burning capabilities. If the government stopped its ill spent substitutes’ that it waste on converting corn into fuel and applied that money for a short period of time in advancing the clean coal research we would be far better off, and the world food shortage would greatly eased. It is a known fact that our current grain production usage has affected the world’s food supply.

Our hydro-electric production is the cleanest and cheapest source of power, yet special interest groups cause our existing dams to be removed and stop the building of new ones on our rivers. Maine currently produces more power than it needs, yet the federal government and some in our states administration continue to cramp wind power down our throats, while destroying our wildlife, tourism based economy, and our very heritage and way of life.

So that you know, my family and I will no longer maintain our membership with the Natural Resources Council of Maine nor will we donate another cent until you once again support your own doctrine as noted at the beginning of this article. You have sold out the citizens of Maine.

Dave Miller
Lexington Township, Maine