Sierra Club Response to Proposed Steuben County Wind Farm by Bob Siegel, Energy Committee Chair

The Steuben County Sierra Club group recently filed comments for the controversial Wind Farm Proposal in Prattsburgh in response to the developer Ecogen’s draft scoping document. While acknowledging that Sierra Club supports wind power as a viable and important alternative to fossil fuels, important questions about this particular proposal need to be answered before the club can offer its support. Ecogen and its rival Global Winds, have leases on approximately fifty sites each that they hope to develop.

Steuben County co-chair, Rachel Treichler states that information about the actual turbine size and tower construction needs to be provided. It would be helpful to know why, for instance, a smaller number of larger turbines couldn’t be used. The developers are asking for a less rigorous Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) claiming that impact would be minor.

Opponents feel that given the magnitude of the project, a full scale EIS should be required, one that considers the cumulative impact of these sites on wildlife corridors, as well as quality of life for residents and for the tourists upon whom the area is dependent as a major source of revenue. In a separate statement, Audubon New York pointed out that some of the sites’ proximity to the Hi-Tor Wildlife Management Area is a concern since this site has been designated as an Important Bird Area and as a New York State Bird Conservation Area.