Say NO to Industrial Wind Turbines 

Clearway Energy, LLC wants to build 43 massive industrial wind turbines on Jack Mountain. If this plan is approved, these turbines will stand 591 feet high —taller than the Washington Monument— and will stretch approximately 14 miles along the top of Jack Mountain from above Moatstown to approximately the State line. The project will also need 17-miles of transmission lines to carry electricity to a substation in Franklin, and miles of maintenance roads will need to be built. In 2007, the Public Service Commission rejected this project proposed by Liberty Gap, LLC, because they did not fully study the impacts of the project on views, water, endangered bats and cultural and historic resources. Since then, San Francisco based Clearview Energy, who now owns Liberty Gap, has aggressively pursued this project, while keeping most of the residents in the dark about their plans. The application has not yet been submitted to the Public Service Commission for their consideration. The mountaintop views and trout-filled streams are the heart and soul of Pendleton County. In a world that is developing quickly, Pendleton County has kept its beautiful rural character, which is unique to West Virginia. The negative impacts from the proposed Liberty Gap wind turbine project include: · Industrialized Scenic Views: The 14-miles of huge turbines will dominate the landscape and lead to 17 miles of forest clearcutting for new power lines. Pendleton county is unique in West Virginia for not having viable coal, oil, or gas deposits, which has preserved our forested mountains. Our famous “dark skies” will likely be disrupted by synchronized flashing red lights required by the Federal Aviation Authority. The turbines may be visible from several scenic overlooks including Entrenchments Overlook, U.S. 250, Shenandoah Mountain; High Knob Tower; the Confederate Prayer Service Site on U.S. 220 and the Shenandoah Mountain Overlook, U.S. 33. Other points of concern include historic Sitlington Hill at the McDowell Civil War battlefield, the Blue Grass cemetery, and Doe Hill area as well as the historic black community of Moatstown. · Lower Property Values: The visibility of wind turbines can lower the value of nearby homes. Currently, West Virginia does not have rules about how far turbines must be from homes or property lines. For example, a 600-foot turbine can be as close as 900 feet from your child's bedroom! A new bill, House Bill 2714, is being considered that would establish setback requirements for wind turbines, but it contains loopholes that allow exceptions. · Harm to Streams and Groundwater: Jack Mountain provides essential water for surrounding farms and families. The forested ridge top will be clear-cut for 14 miles, which will significantly alter how water flows in the area. The compacted ground and miles of new roads will prevent water from soaking into the mountain, reducing the amount of groundwater and spring water that reaches nearby streams, homes, and farms. This disruption will also significantly increase the amount of stormwater runoff. · Health Risks. Wind turbines produce noise—both audible and inaudible— that can negatively impact quality of life and human health for people living near the turbines. People living near wind turbines have reported feeling more stressed or anxious. Moving turbine blades make a pulsing swish sound that increases with wind speeds and are more dominant at night. People living near wind turbines report more difficulty sleeping.1 And people in quieter rural areas experienced a greater impact from wind turbine noise because they had less background noise to mask it.2 Poor sleep can cause stress and harm health. Living near wind turbines can also cause doors and windows to rattle.3 In hilly areas like Pendleton County, the noise from wind turbines can travel further than flat areas, affecting homes downwind of the turbines.4 West Virginia does not have laws that set a limit on wind turbine noise. Another negative effect is shadow flickering, the on and off noticeable flickering of shadows from the rotating turbine blades that cast shadows across windows and other areas.5 · Impact on Fishing and Tourism: One of the major attractions in Pendleton County is its abundant trout streams that bring tourists and revenue. Many of these streams originate from Jack Mountain. Clearcutting the headwaters, bulldozing roads and creating impermeable surfaces will harm river habitats that are critical for healthy trout populations. Increased stormwater runoff will lead to erosion and sediment flowing into the streams. The sediment fills up the small spaces between the gravel and small rocks where juvenile fish hide from predators. Sediment smothers stonefly and mayfly larvae that provide critical food juvenile trout depend on. Even stocked fish will have trouble surviving due to high levels of sedimentation in streams. · Threats to Endangered Bats: West Virginia is home to several endangered bat species. Bats play an essential role in pest control, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds that support agriculture and maintaining healthy ecosystems. Four kinds of threatened and/or endangered bats occur in the area around Jack Mountain.6 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued guidance recommending that new wind turbines be located away from suitable forested habitats to avoid harming these bats. · More Wind Turbines: Approval of wind turbines on Jack Mountain could open the door to more industrial wind turbine projects on neighboring ridges throughout Pendleton County. In its 2007 application, project developers indicated interest in extending the line into Highland Country across the state line in the Doe Hill area. This could lead to further industrialization of our beautiful, forested mountains. West Virginia should focus on wind turbines on reclaimed coal mining lands, not in the heart of Pendleton County.