Thursday, August 25, 2016

Penn Forest Wind Farm Special Exception Hearing continues tonight August 25 at 6pm

In an earlier post today, I noted that 16-year old Kunkletown teen Jade Eve Manz is missing.  Prayers that this girl is returned home safe and sound.

Wind Mill farm near Centralia PA

Tonight, at Penn Forest Fire Company #1 1387 Route 903 the Special Exception hearing for a permit for a 37-turbine wind farm continues at 6pm.

I have attended three of the hearings, and the community has mounted a comprehensive (and expensive) defense, in an attempt to keep this development from occurring on a forested ridge in one of the more pristine areas in and neighboring Monroe County.  It targets the land containing a watershed that the City of Bethlehem uses as a water source.

Each turbine is about 525' tall, with blades swinging a 300' circumference.

At a recent hearing, a woman who lives 1600' from a similar wind farm described how the noise and blade shadows that inundate their home have destroyed their lives and the value of their property.  She and her husband drove 4-1/2 hours from Somerset PA to testify.  This woman held up well in testimony, but when I spoke with her after the hearing she appeared emotionally devastated.

Another witness, Dr. Pam Dodds, Hydrogeologist, testified at length to the damage that the widening and construction of roads, and installation of bases for the towers will do to the flora, fauna and the water quality of streams on the property, and hence the reservoir(s).

This blogger is planning to attend in a show of support for the community.  Others from surrounding communities have also been spotted at hearings, and the reporter who covered Nestle in Kunkletown has been to each hearing.

No comments:

Post a Comment