LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Windmill project under discussion 

When the Hamburg Town Board conducted a public hearing on its proposed wind energy ordinance Monday night, its members emphasized it wasn’t just about BQ Energy’s Steelwinds project on the old Bethlehem Steel property.

But the Steelwinds project is the only active, industrial wind project in the town. It is in one of the only heavy industrial zones in town – the zoning where turbines would be allowed under the proposed ordinance.

Mark Mitskovski, the project manager for Steelwinds, praised the town’s effort in putting the ordinance together. His company contributed to the regulations.

“A lot of paper has passed hands,” he said, referring to the give and take and information sharing.

But he said he was concerned about elements of the ordinance and that some of his company’s turbines could be jeopardized.

Steelwinds wants to build six turbines in Hamburg, as well as adding to its eight in Lackawanna.

The rules call for a 1,500-foot setback from any homes and also set public highway and railroad setbacks.

Councilman D. Mark Cavalcoli said the distances may be high but that it gives the town – through the Planning Board – the option of allowing lesser lengths if the developer can make a convincing argument for it or get the neighbors to waive their right to the full setback.

Mitskovski also asked for relaxation of measures requiring the developers to provide for eventual removal of the towers if they are shut down, saying the steel involved in the construction made removal certain in that kind of situation.

“With the price of scrap metal so high, we would make money if we were to remove it right now,” he said.

The Steelwinds project had been receiving almost unanimous support in public meetings, but some residents voiced concerns Monday.

Nick Buscaglia of Wanakah said the eight turbines already operating across the border in Lackawanna have changed how he looks at the lake.

“It’s an awful-looking sight, to look out and look across the water and see those things,” he said. “We only have one lake and one chance to develop our waterfront, and we’re putting in windmills.”

From the Hamburg Town Beach area, the turbines are close enough that they dwarf the Buffalo city skyline in the background.

Meanwhile, Joe Killian, the leader of a bloc of Hamburg taxpayer groups, said that from his perspective the turbines would be better than what used to be there. “I lived in Woodlawn for the first 10 years of my life, and I remember a hundred smokestacks sending smoke straight up in the air, all different colored smoke,” he said.

By Elmer Ploetz
News Staff Reporter

The Buffalo News

12 June 2007

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon