Judy Wilcox's letter concerning Wind Energy

[Soapweed]

Judy Wilcox from Tilden, Nebraska wrote a very good letter-to-the-editor, which is in the current issue of the Grant County News of Hyannis, Nebraska. Please read and take heed.

Two Sides to Everything, Especially Wind Towers.

If they cost tax dollars to build, can't survive without subsidies and are built next to people who don't want them, why do they keep building them? To provide clean power? What about all the coal, iron ore, and fossil fuel it takes to build them? Warren Buffet is on record saying the only reason to build them is for the tax credits. He is building them as fast as he can in Holt County right now and elsewhere. Yes, everyone has to pay for them because of the tax credits. Insult to injury is the fact that the ones who build them on their land seldom live on that land. How can they justify, harming the health of people and driving them from their homes, driving up the National debt, all for a few thousand dollars. It is truly about the money.

Before anyone signs a lease with a wind developer and before any county board approves a project, they should check the facts about these projects, not just on the internet, but by interviewing people who are living in existing projects in this State and other States, where they have been installed and find out the true depth of the problems they create for the land, roads, people, pets, livestock and wildlife.

Google the Internet and see if you find anyone who says "I am so glad I signed the rights to my land away, and I received everything they promised". In reverse the Internet is full of horror stories from people who live by them. Look for research by Dr. Salt from Washington State University of St. Louis. Search about Shirley Wind Farm, and for Brown County, Wisconsin. Google bankrupt wind farms. These are just a few. I live in rural Antelope County and it is sad how the developers have steam rolled our county. Nearly 200 already built, another 160 approved and still signing leases across the county, until we will be saturated. They say there will be so much tax money coming into the county, well our land taxes have not gone down yet, seems there are also a lot of unexpected costs to roads, bridges, extra time by county employees to complete and file paperwork, etc, etc,

Don't let your county become the next target. Don't let the destruction of your fragile Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquafer be the next conquest of Wind Tower Developers. There are also articles on the internet where well water has been muddied from the installation of them, think of the Ogallala Aquafer! The Developers will not be the ones living with the consequences, of tearing up the grass, destroying the views, damaging the health of people and livestock, and driving up taxes, because they don't live there and they get Tax Credits from the project, which ultimately comes from the pockets of everyone below them.

Listen to Warren Buffet for the real reason to build them. It isn't for the environment, it is for the money. Stop this waste of Tax Money now. Until you live in a Wind Tower Project you have no idea how real the problems are that they cause and then it is too late. Why am I writing this from the other end of the state? Because I am truly interested in the environment, other people, I don't want to pay more taxes, and our farm and our house use water from the Ogallala Aquafer.

Check the facts. They do not belong near people, pets, livestock, wildlife or the Ogallala Aquafer! Just say NO.

Judy Wilcox

 

[littlejoe]

I am not a proponent of either corn ethanol or wind farms.

That being said, when I see claims made that don't make sense, it devalues their entire argument.

Or maybe somebody can explain how putting up a windmill muddies an aquifer?

 

[Faster horses]

I am not a proponent of either corn ethanol or wind farms.

That being said, when I see claims made that don't make sense, it devalues their entire argument.

Or maybe somebody can explain how putting up a windmill muddies an aquifer?

If you recall, Nebraska didn't want the Keystone Pipeline either.

I don't have an answer to your question.

There are a couple of wind farms in SE Montana and NW SD and I haven't heard of any problems. The article was
interesting and if you don't want a wind farm, don't allow it would be my suggestion.

But what do I know?

In fact, I read where they weren't building them any longer, but we still see the fins being hauled down the highway.

 

[mrj]

First, I'm not opposed to wind farms. I am VERY opposed to using eminent domain to put them where people don't want them....to close to private property whose owners don't want to live under one, etc. I believe, as previously stated, that they should be very carefully located to get the power where it is needed, and also to consider that people who have lots of personal power usually don't have things of that nature placed on their property if they don't want it.

Re. fouling wells, I can see that drilling footings where there are shallow aquifers as I believe some are in the Sand Hills, that could pretty easily happen. I read recently where more towers are going in somewhere in Iowa.

I surely do not approve of putting them in when we have such excellent, CLEAN coal available. What Obama is doing to WY and ND is shameful. It is going to raise power costs for so many people with the Cooperative Electric systems, for no good reason. We have cleaned up the emissions to the point there is little but water vapor, while funding China (among others) to begin polluting just a bit less than they have been when there pollutants get clear to the west coast of the USA. Shameful!

We really don't need to approve everything Warren Buffett wants, either. He fights pipelines so he can make money hauling it in his rail tankers. How safe is that???? Modern pipelines logically expose fewer people to risk of fires and other disasters we have seen with rail tanker accidents/spills.

Passive and small scale solar and private wind energy make much more sense to me than putting up huge systems in areas far away from where the power will be used. But, worst thing in this effort is that too many shills for environmentalism are using it to get very wealthy will little personal investment or risk.......all that is on the taxpayers! And there are just too few of us to support those on both ends of the spectrum of government 'generosity' with other peoples' money.

End of rant for the moment.

mrj

 

[Cowpuncher]

I don't for a minute believe that wind farms muddy aquifers. Do you ever see a raging muddy
creek during a heavy storm. But the underground water stays as clean as before. One bad argument
destroys the debate.

Tax money? The government is spending $600 billion more than it takes in and it will never be paid back - just
inflated away. You can look up the national debt on google year by year. Since 1949, the national debt
was reduced in only two years - during Eisenhower's presidency.

In 1935, gold was $20 an ounce - the double eagle. Now the same amount of gold in an American coin is $1405. Which means
one dollar is worth 1/70th of its 1935 or it has lost 98.5% percent of its value.

Isn't the government plan just to inflate the value of the debt away while piling more and more on?
Nothing to get optomistic about.

My run on this earth is getting near the end - the next generations can solve these problems.

CP

 

[Brad S]

Good spot lj, and yes 1 oh $hit undoes undo a dozen attaboys. "Ogallah aquifer" has been politicized in the sand hills and doesn't mean much, but I've seen hay meadows that almost seemed to show waves when you cross them. I don't see stability in the uplands or meadows to support giant windmills in the routine western Nebraska winds. But it's not my money building these subsidized wind mills.......hey just dang minute, it is partly my money.

 

[Soapweed]

I am not a proponent of either corn ethanol or wind farms.

That being said, when I see claims made that don't make sense, it devalues their entire argument.

Or maybe somebody can explain how putting up a windmill muddies an aquifer?

The wind turbines stand about 465 feet in the air. It would require quite lengthy "roots" to stabilize something this tall. There are no guy wires on them, so the foundation would have to be very durable and deep. In a lot of our Sandhills region, the water table is above ground level. Along the sides of our meadows, you hit water with each post hole you dig. So, yes, I do see how erecting a wind turbine could infiltrate and contaminate the water table.

We moved to this ranch in 1986. At that time there was an old cattle back-rubber consisting of two posts with a chain in between them. Gunny sacks would be wrapped around the chain and fly dope applied. At the time it was put in, probably back in the 1960's or '70's, I am sure it was located in a sandy area. When we moved here it was already standing in water, and the water has mostly deepened through these past 30 years. There was only one time it dried completely up to where I could have removed the posts. I didn't do so, because it has been interesting to monitor this as time has passed. Just last year one of the posts fell down, so it is of course submerged by water, but here are a couple photographs of the remaining post, taken a couple weeks ago.

Post in a pond

Pond post up close

 

[littlejoe]

Interesting--and thanks for the response.

I used to work the oilpatch--and still play it. (not a whole lotta fun lately!!)

Different epochs, layers of water, gas , oil, sand , shales etc @ different depths.

Same formation would be higher or lower @ different locations---and often have a different name.

I've read the Ogallala is from hundreds to thousands of feet deep, took thousands of yrs to accumulate water and is very slow to recharge.

Does it come to surface?

Like you, I have 'landmarks'---many go back to when I was a kid. Memories--plus a reference point to monitor.

Have a good 'un~~

 

[Amo]

Yes, the water table is high. The soil will filter any contamination that might occour, like it has done since the begining of time. The whole pipeline debate with the aquaifer was if a leak occoured. With this, they dig a hole and pour concrete. I really don't see much contamination happening from that.

Just like any type of research, you have to remember the people that are satisfied with something aren't going to take the time to go online or to the BBB and complain. Your always going to have a ratio of complaints on a topic of 3 to 1 or more. The opponets of Keystone XL always proclaimed it killed corn growing over the top of the first pipeline. I do crop insurance adjusting & have adjusted over the pipeline. Im wasn't necessarily in favor of the pipeline, maybe....maybe in one minute spot some corn died that was above the pipeline. Id guess it either drowned out or had the wrong herbicide applied or something. Facts have the tendency to get twisted in efforts to prove points. Its good to research things, but you have to have a good bs filter in place too.

The one thing I would consider is the stability of the foundation of the towers due to the water table. There are some south of Ainsworth. They are on higher ground there. I have no clue as to where they are locating them in Grant county. I know on our place you can be going down a fence. Put 2 posts in 50 feet apart, one will have water in it and the other wont. Hopefully if they go do go further into the sandhills, their engineers will select good solid ground. That is my concern. There is no eminate domane for this as far as I know. If you own the ground you can say no.

 

[Amo]

Interesting--and thanks for the response.

I used to work the oilpatch--and still play it. (not a whole lotta fun lately!!)

Different epochs, layers of water, gas , oil, sand , shales etc @ different depths.

Same formation would be higher or lower @ different locations---and often have a different name.

I've read the Ogallala is from hundreds to thousands of feet deep, took thousands of yrs to accumulate water and is very slow to recharge.

Does it come to surface?

Like you, I have 'landmarks'---many go back to when I was a kid. Memories--plus a reference point to monitor.

Have a good 'un~~

I don't know what soap would say, but it depends on your location as to how close it comes to the surface. Id say from the experience in my area, that the soil profile gets saturated. Then if you get a lot of rain, the moisture isn't able to soak away thus making ponds. I sure there is some capulary action (water movement from soil particle to soil particle) in an upward direction from the aquafier. Im not sure at least in my area, that the aquafier would be so high that it would fill a pond.

Its static water level will vary from area to area. For me, we have a fair amount of irrigation. When they pump it pulls the water table down some, then it will come back up after irrigation season is over. I pulled several wells to change leathers in 2012. My closet irrigation well is about 2 miles away. 3 of them there, then 4 of them about the same distance south. My windmill was a hung well & when I started pulling the well to change leathers, I still had water in the casing at about 10' down. Other places closer to irrigation wells would have stock or domestic wells go dry. Obivously there were a good share of irrigation wells that had to get lowered in 2012. Now if your further away from irrigation such as Grant county it could be more "upward force" or water pressure.

 

[Sandhills boy]

I will make no bones about it I don't like the dam things. I could somewhat get around it if they were a benefit. They are not and serve no purpose, but for a few people at the top to take tax dollars from the rest of us. It is one big pyramid scheme made up by the government with tax dollars. If it was also use for my local needs would make a difference. It is not it will all go out of state to people who don't have to look at them or deal with the infrastructure needs. ( Well It is fly over country we will fill it full of windmills not enough people there to stop us), that is how I think most of those so call experts think about it. We were to have the major power line come across us, we went to the meeting to find out the facts. NPPD was asked then if it was for wind chargers and they said no. So we were lied to then about 3-4 years ago. So how many lies are being told now.
I live not far west from those in Ainsworth,( my son plays baseball that way a lot) and you can drive by them about any day you want and half will not be turning, just wonder how that pays, guess they are not wearing out! Ainsworth is totally different soil, they grow crops there not soap weeds. End of my rant. I do feel better you all have good day

 

[littlejoe]

I think I've posted this here before--

I know a wind engineer. He was commissioned to design one--on paper--in Oregon.

over 200,000 acres, 20--or 24" inch nat gas pipeline as backup.

Said it would take 8 of these to meet 'renewable energy' mandated by cal by such and such yr.

Said it would take the area of about every federal acre in the u.s. to meet u.s. electricity needs.

Said he was wind engineer, hoped to retire nicely off of it--and that it was B.S.

ps---when did we quite worrying about migrating birds? Shoot an eagle and see what you get. Pick up a dozen of them around a windmill and oh, well...........

ppss---so, I know another guy. wind engineer, inventor, etc. HIS windmill is verticle axis. Like a merry go round. Maybe 30' tall. 'Sails' that change angles, generate force 3/4 of each revolution. Unobtrusive, low impact, can change out most parts with crescent wrench. 'Wide open' is 8 rpm. Birds perch on them. Now---this kinda stuff does make sense to me.

 

[littlejoe]

And a nother thang: if them lakes are draining into the Ogallala---shouldn't they be getting shallower?

 

[Amo]

I will make no bones about it I don't like the dam things. I could somewhat get around it if they were a benefit. They are not and serve no purpose, but for a few people at the top to take tax dollars from the rest of us. It is one big pyramid scheme made up by the government with tax dollars. If it was also use for my local needs would make a difference. It is not it will all go out of state to people who don't have to look at them or deal with the infrastructure needs. ( Well It is fly over country we will fill it full of windmills not enough people there to stop us), that is how I think most of those so call experts think about it. We were to have the major power line come across us, we went to the meeting to find out the facts. NPPD was asked then if it was for wind chargers and they said no. So we were lied to then about 3-4 years ago. So how many lies are being told now.
I live not far west from those in Ainsworth,( my son plays baseball that way a lot) and you can drive by them about any day you want and half will not be turning, just wonder how that pays, guess they are not wearing out! Ainsworth is totally different soil, they grow crops there not soap weeds. End of my rant. I do feel better you all have good day

Just for clarification, Im not totally in favor of them either. Im not totally against them. Just the initial post dealing with a concrete foundation contaminating the water table just didn't make sense. Them type of comments bug me I guess. I also agree there are certain soil types that wouldn't support certain type of projects. Weather thats a pad to launch a space shuttle or a wind tower. Im not an engineer, so Im not going there. Being through Grant county and Brown county, ya....a few row crops are grown in Brown (Ainsworth), mostly north & east of town. There is some difference, but not much IMHO

As far as the R project....the major power line going across is concerned, the meeting I attended they said the main reason for construction was to diversify the distribution system of getting power from Gerald Gentleman station (coal plant) to help feed the power grid more efficently during peak demand. Lots of irrigation in northeastern Neberaska & the only way to transfer power to eastern Nebraska from Gerald Gentleman was along the I 80 coriador. Plus the major ice storm in 2006 significtantly hindered this distribution system. With 2 distribution systems having significant distance between the 2, would help mediate ice storms & other weather issues. At least at the meeting I attended, they also stated that the R project would also help to facilitate any potential wind development in s.e. Cherry county. Which is basically same place. I distinctly remember that comment thinking what a poor access area to put up a wind farm. Speaker stated that research had been conducted that showed s.e. Cherry county had good wind speed and would have major potential if there was a way to get that power from the farm into the grid.

I agree, the power is going to be sold to the south west power pool. I agree its subsidised to the hilt, but isn't every major project....Hoover dam, all of them on the Missouri river, Three mile island. I visited with someone on facebook a while back. Yes he was in favor of wind power. No clue where he got his numbers, but he stated wind could generate more kilowatts than solar. Weather he got his data from independant research or a pro wind power web site IDK. Im not taking his word as the bible truth, just repeating what he said.

The R project is plotted to go roughly 4 miles south of me. Thing is, if power is short who do you think is going to get it. My money is on Denver, Omaha, Phoenix, etc. not Theadford, Whitman, or Hyanniss. Personally Id rather get an easement payment and let that power go to Phoenix, than be bull headed and some day have to deal with rolling blackouts. Make sure your easement payment is high enough to compensate for any erosion issues from construction that some are worried about etc. From Hwy 281 east in 2012 there were rolling blackouts. If your not in favor of it, ya it kinda sucks. Guess Id rather have a I think a person has to look at the big picture. Just my 2 cents.

 

[littlejoe]

Lots of discussions here

http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=649259&posts=45&highlight=windfarm&highlightmode=1#M5457094

that water deal is still puzzling me--in Montana, they put them on hills---like it's windier there or something....

 

[Cowpuncher]

While we are on the subject of government subsidies, we ought to recall the REA (Rural Electrical AdministratIpn)
from the 1940's (I guess). I grew up in the 1930's and 1940's and I was 10 or 11 years old before we had electricity.
We used kerosene lamps and lanterns to do chores and homework.

We didn't have anyone whining about unsightly power lines or government subsidies then. Just now. How many
folks on Ranchers have the convienence of electricity now as a result of REA?

I understand the economics of wind and solar power, but who can predict the outcome of these projects, say
in 25 or 50 years.

CP

 

[littlejoe]

newagtalk.com has got a lot of discussions under questions for guys with wind turbine leases on crop talk

seems mostly against

this guy sure is

InvEnergy?? There's no way anyone should be signing anything with this company. We were supportive of their project here in Vermilion County, Illinois, and things seemed OK up until they turned on the turbines. We immediately had severe sleep deprivation as soon as the turbines became operational. We only lasted 11 months and abandoned our home. It is still for sale ever since May, 2014. There are 21 families with sleep/health issues from InvEnergy's turbines here. The turbines near my home are 1665' and 2225' away from our house. I suggest you go to the internet and type in "wind turbine home abandonment" and "Shirley Wind Turbines Declared Health Hazard" and "Judge orders shutdown of Falmouth Wind Turbines."
I regret supporting InvEnergy's project here, and now I find myself helping other communities avoid turbines. Livingston County Illinois and Sanilac County Michigan have successfully kicked InvEnergy to the curb. InvEnergy has an ongoing lawsuit in Oregon where the farmer/rancher there cannot sleep in his home. My wife and I have not been able to afford the cost of a lawsuit, yet, being since we now own 2 houses......one to live in and one in InvEnergy's wind project. There are several homes for sale and not going anywhere........perfectly wonderful well-kept and lived-in homes which are unmarketable. I used to think farmers were good neighbors, but now I think they are greedy pigs. I suppose if you hate your current neighbors and if you have a wish to burn in hell, then go ahead. OR, you could carefully research the stuff. I recommend you read the entire submittal from the citizens near Shirley Wisconsin where the Brown County Board of Health declared the turbines to be a human health hazard. I think you are too young to have such a terrible regret for such a long time coming. I am willing to discuss this matter with you in great detail.......217.840.1612 or email [email protected]
In closing, it is obvious many postings here are for the "old" turbines being 350' tall or less. These machines are 500' tall and cause an air pressure pulse when the blades flex at each turn, and the "thumping" that happens causes a rumble noise inside of the homes. Visitors to wind farms don't experience the throbbing rumble heavy bass noise which causes the sleep deprivation and stress for the families who live nearby. This is like touching little girls and boys (my children) in their beds at night, bothering them, keeping them awake, and ruining their ability to be happy/healthy children. I think you will be sued since now you know.............you should seriously read the accounts submitted in Brown County Wisconsin because this issue is replaying everywhere these 500' turbines are placed, affecting about 25% of the residents. If you hold out and never have to deal with a turbine or litigation, you will be very lucky. Now, you should go visit your neighbors so that your home is not ruined like mine.

 

[Sandhills boy]

Speaking on the R project if they shut down all the coal, what good does the R project do, there is no excess. Just confusing for this dumb country boy. They were to cut them back by 30% when they were having the meeting about the project something is not adding up. Can't build any new power plants because of the EPA, but that does not seam to stop any wind projects. :?

 

[Amo]

Speaking on the R project if they shut down all the coal, what good does the R project do, there is no excess. Just confusing for this dumb country boy. They were to cut them back by 30% when they were having the meeting about the project something is not adding up. Can't build any new power plants because of the EPA, but that does not seam to stop any wind projects. :?

You've got a point. If the shut down Gerald Gentleman down it reduces the need for the R project. Do you know how far out the complete shut down of coal is, I don', I'd guess its at least 50 years out, but thats strictly a guess. Then again who would of thought they'd shut down the nuclear plant at Ft. Calhoun. Id guess it will amount to who is POTUS. Also Id guess a lot of it will depend on the court hearing in Theadford tomorrow.

For those who don't know...NPPD the public power company in Nebraska is putting this power line up. All power companies in Nebraska are publicly owned. Also the public service commision, or some other orginization basicly ordered the R project to be put in. If NPPD didn't put it in, a private company would of. NPPD needed to do some surveying. They hired the local county surveyer to do it. My information comes from facebook posts against the power line, so I only have one side of the story. Well the surveyer opened a paddle locked gate. The sheriff said that they had to let them cross because he was the county surveyor. The thing is they were doing work for NPPD, thus trespassing. So land owner is sueing. If judge finds in favor of the land owners, it will hinder the R project, thus hindering the wind farm. It will be interesting to find out what happens.

Ive talked to some people in Antolope & Boone counties where these towers are. They say, they do make some noise. The ones Ive talked to say they got use to it. Im sure some get use to it, some don't. Just like rail road tracks, highways, airports, etc. Nothing is perfect. I wonder how old the towers are the guy on the New Ag Talk thread are. I know they put 3 of them up at Springview. The first ones they had some issues dealing with static on the phone lines. They corrected it.

Guess here is my 2 cents on some of this. OK, so the main family in this area fighting the R project is claiming erosion that will never heal will happen with construction. I can kinda see that, even though they are putting poles in with helacoptors, some truck traffic will do a little damage. I don't think as much as the opposition is leading on, but its possible. Another thing they complain about is going through a shelter belt. That sucks loosing a shelter belt. At the meeting NPPD gave numbers of corners, poles, miles of line, & total cost of production to the 3 prefered routes. The chosen route of the 3 was the most expensive & had the most corners. Weather that was to try and avoid the most opposition or the route to cause the least amount of problems to land owners is open to inturpertation. They had meeting with each land owner in the coreadoor. Then they wanted to go on the land and survey. Well these people Im sure lawyered up early. Won't let them on their land. Guess Im of the impression that if you would work with NPPD, they would work with you. Maybe they could of worked together. With google earth and everything they shouldn't of needed access to the land, but bull headedness hinders progress. Just my opinion. Of course the power line is ugly. It ruins the natural beauty of the sandhills. It was never here, it shouldn't be hear. That shelterbelt wasn't there in 1876 either. Now yes it provides protection etc, but my point is its not a natural part of the sandhills. Then the good one is their family is married into the plant that manufactures Rowse Rakes. NPPD built a power line 40 some miles to provide enough power to supply their plant....in the middle of said precious sandhills. Now this power line isn't as big as the towers on the R project, but its still a power line through the sandhills, that ruins the "natural beauty" if we are going to be picky. Of course they said well its in the highway right of way, which most of it is...some isn't. Cattle can rub and destroy sod around the poles just like the things they are using to argue against the R project. Just whinning stuff like this is kinda annoying. Just like the origional post here saying digging a hole for a concrete foundation will contaminate the water table. How many concrete foundations have been in water? I know my house foundation/basement gets submerged with the water table. Now if while digging the foundation you spill fuel, chemicals, etc then yes. End of rant

 

[Amo]

And a nother thang: if them lakes are draining into the Ogallala---shouldn't they be getting shallower?

IDK about where others live, but the water holes around here go up and down. Dry years it evaporates or soaks away. Big rains it fills up. You have water springs in places, so I guess thats the Ogallala coming out of the ground.