Takes issue with statements on wind farms

Thank God for the Internet. We all know it can be dangerous, but when used appropriately, it can expose the lies and deceit that we might never be aware of, such as the testimonies given on April 18 at the Whiteside County Planning and Zoning Commission open meeting.

A landowner, who has signed on with Mainstream, testified that he actually stood under one of the turbines and that it simply went “swish, swish.” Of course he was paid, and most certainly has signed a contract stating he cannot talk against Mainstream. And, there was the retired crop duster who stated he saw no problem with spraying in a turbine-infested area.

Michael Crowley, a so-called real estate expert paid by Mainstream, testified under oath that there is no impact on property values. Headline: “Property value losses near wind turbines greater than previously thought, appraisers say,” by Billie Jo Jannen, East County Magazine, March 30. Real estate appraisal expert Mike McCann of McCann Appraisal, LLC, has made a specialty of assessing impacts from nearby wind turbines. He announced that he is revising his figures in response to a recent study of more than 11,300 transactions near northern New York state turbine arrays.

The study, released in July 2011 by the Economic Financial Studies School of Business at Clarkson University, cites losses of up to 45 percent on properties located within one-tenth of a mile of wind turbine facilities. McCann expects adverse impacts out to 3 miles, with effects becoming less extreme with distance. McCann is a proponent of property value guarantees in communities that are heavily impacted by wind turbine projects.

Why is it that the only question raised at these meetings is the setback from homes? Why do we have to put up with those things at all?