Broad Mountain Wind answers questions about project

Over the past several months, the Broad Mountain Wind Project team has been meeting with local residents, elected officials and other stakeholders to ensure they have all the information they need to make an informed decision about the 80-megawatt, 21-turbine wind farm proposed for Packer Township, Carbon County.

Yet, despite all of these meetings, including more than half a dozen zoning hearings and counting, several project-specific open houses, and a number of presentations to community groups and others, there remain a number of misconceptions about the project, which would produce enough clean electricity to power about 25,000 homes a year.

Although this project is undergoing a comprehensive and rigorous review process defined by Packer Township’s wind-specific ordinance, it is also important that residents have the most accurate information as this project advances. Among the key issues:

Property values: Several prominent studies prove that wind farms post no negative impact on nearby property values. An expert in the field prepared and presented a property value impact report at the June 24 zoning hearing. He studied what happened to property values after construction of wind farms in two areas with similar characteristics to Packer Township and Nesquehoning. The study concluded that a wind turbine siting does not have an adverse impact on the selling prices of residences and vacant land parcels in its vicinity. The conclusions reinforce other studies that found the same.

Sound emissions (noise): The Broad Mountain turbines are predicted to produce less than 40 dBA at the closest residences, and less than that farther away. These are very low levels; lower than those on many wind farm projects operating in the United States. The 40 dBA level is what’s heard when sitting on the deck at night in rural farm country in a light breeze with no heavy traffic nearby, or inside a quiet library with HVAC running in the background. At the residences located to north and south of Broad Mountain, the proposed wind turbines are expected to be completely inaudible a majority of the time.

Shadow flicker: Contrary to claims, harmful human health impacts are not caused by shadow flicker from wind turbines, nor expected to be caused by the proposed Broad Mountain wind farm. A medical expert is expected to testify and substantiate this conclusion at a future zoning hearing.

Electromagnetic interference: Communications studies demonstrate there will be no electromagnetic interference with microwave path systems, land mobile and emergency systems, AM and FM broadcast radio, cellular phones, Wi-Fi/cable Internet, and cable/satellite TV. While turbines may interfere with some over-the-air TV signals, which are rare, Broad Mountain has a complaint procedure to address such issues.

Water quality and soil erosion: The total project footprint would use less than 8 percent of the total area that Broad Mountain has leased for development — approximately 290 acres of the approximately 4,000-acre site. There are no anticipated negative impacts to surface water or groundwater features related to this project. Surface water and groundwater protections are designed, implemented, inspected and maintained per the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection guidelines, with the Carbon County Conservation District having an integral role in reviewing and approving designs.

Wildlife Management: Researchers routinely find that wind energy has one of the lowest impacts on wildlife and their habitats of any utility-scale way to generate electricity. The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s “Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperation Agreement, Third Summary Report” supports the data, compiling pre- and post-construction wildlife surveys at wind sites in Pennsylvania. Wind energy is responsible for less than 0.01 percent of human-caused bird fatalities, far less than cats, vehicle and building collisions, and electrical lines.

Wind companies rely on sound science and exhaustive surveys to meet the strict regulations that local, state and federal regulators impose for wind farm construction. And we remain committed to an open and active dialogue with our neighbors as we work to ensure communities realize the full economic and environmental benefits of the Broad Mountain Wind Project.

Details can be found at www.BroadMountainWindProject.com.

Sincerely,

Rob Miller, Project Manager

Broad Mountain Wind Project