Help needed at Mifflin.

On Sunday, October 6, 2013 11:01:33 AM UTC-4, KS wrote:
Two companies are planning the installation of wind turbines on top of Jacks Mt near the Mifflin County Airport where contests have been held for 23 years. Ridge running on Jacks is vital to the success of soaring at Mifflin and these devices would eliminate an essential part of the soaring activity.

See http://mifflin.ridgesewing.com/Jacks.htm for a further link to information which will show a picture of what the wind farm would look like and a request for letters/e-mails to help thwart this project.



Thanks for your help.



Karl Striedieck



PS Send this on to those who might not follow ras but could help.

Raptor mortality due to windmills is not an issue with the type of wind turbine structure currently used - cylindrical towers. Out west at places like Tehachipi the situation is different due to the lattice type towers used. There, with very few perching places, the hawks and eagles use the towers to scan for prey, and then get clobbered as they dive off.

Bat mortality is a different story, as many have been killed by wind turbines here in the East. I talked to a bat expert who consults with wind energy companies and he said the companies he's worked with have altered their operations to lessen bat mortality. These measures include shutting down the turbines at night when the wind speed is less than 15 mph in the summer. They don't miss much generation potential as a result.

A stronger case for opposing the Jacks wind farm proposals by Volkswind and Eon is protection of endangered species and water resources. Don't laugh but there are some difficult DEP hoops to jump through concerning the timber rattle snake and Allegheny wood rat.

And the sharp peak and steep drop offs where the turbines would be placed call for extensive mountain top removal and all the implies for water resources (and esthetics) for the residents in the valley.

Strict environmental zoning by the townships that would be impacted is important to the effort to keep Jacks Mt useable for soaring, and that is the thrust of the current appeal for letters/e-mails to the two townships.

Pa. has hundreds of windmills on the Allegheny Plateau and that is good place to put them. There is room and wind for thousands more.

Personally, we support green energy by being 100% self sufficient through a grid-connected PV system and pond-based geo thermal. But there are situations where the geology, esthetics and environmental conditions argue against an industrial scale wind farm. Jacks Mt is such a place.

Thanks for those letters and e-mails.

Karl Striedieck and past and future ridge runners.