Groups give notice of intent to sue wind farm developer

Thursday February 6, 2003

By Paul J. Nyden
STAFF WRITER

Defenders of Wildlife, a national environmental group, believes plans to build 200 wind turbines near the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area would violate the Endangered Species Act.

With the West Virginia Friends of Blackwater, Defenders of Wildlife sent a 60-day notice of its “intent to sue” to NedPower, a Dutch company proposing to build the large-scale wind power project on the Allegheny Front in Grant County.

The “intent to sue” letter is required for legal action under the Endangered Species Act. The groups oppose the company’s plans to clear forests, build roads and erect huge turbines and power lines along 14 miles of wilderness area inhabited by the endangered West Virginia northern flying squirrel.

Five of the squirrels were found on the project site in October, the furthest north the squirrels have been found.

Both environmental groups believe the nocturnal squirrels depend on the area’s unique spruce and older hardwood forests for their habitat.

Disturbing the area, they argue, would “cause their already fragile populations to decline.”

NedPower official Jerome Nessonoff said Wednesday, “This is another way for those people who don’t want to see any wind farms in West Virginia to kill the project.

“We have identified some habitats [for the flying squirrels]. We will stay out of them,” he said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said [we were] to create a buffer zone. That is also something we have done. We will stay out of those areas.

“We can easily move turbines back and forth to stay out of the area. The area is fairly small,” he said.

Friends of Blackwater President Judy Rodd said: “Wind power is supposed to be environmentally benign. But his hasty, ill-considered scheme in the heart of some of West Virginia’s most valuable scenic land and natural habitat, is not benign.”

“Wind power will be part of our energy future. But we have to be smart about where and how we go about it,” said Caroline Kennedy from Defenders of Wildlife. “West Virginia has already paid a high environmental price for this country’s energy demands. So why on Earth would we want to add a poorly thought-out wind power project to that toll?”

The letter from the two groups also cited threats to the endangered Virginia big-eared bat, found in a cave near the project, and to thousands of migratory birds that fly by the proposed power project area.

NedPower, based in the Netherlands, currently has wind farms operating in India and Germany and other projects being planned in Germany, Ireland and Greece.

If completed, its Mount Storm wind farm in West Virginia will be the company’s largest operation and might produce up to 300 megawatts of power. It will also be the largest windmill farm east of the Mississippi.

NedPower Limited is a corporation registered under the laws of Mauritius, an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164.
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