Source: https://www.scribd.com/doc/310035802/An-Open-Letter-to-the-Citizens-and-Town-Board-of-Enfield-about-the-Black-Oak-Wind-Project
Timestamp: 2017-01-16 19:51:40
Document Index: 632839634

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 84', '§ 617', '§87', '§89', '§ 617', '§\n617', '§ 617', '§ 617', '§ 617', '§ 617', '§ 617', '§ 617', '§ 617']

An Open Letter to the Citizens and Town Board of Enfield about the Black Oak Wind Project | Wound
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To the Enfield Town Board and the Citizens of Enfield:
This letter serves two purposes. It presents my comments on the Black Oak
Wind Farm (“BOWF”) draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (“SEIS”) to
the Town Board as lead agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act
(“SEQR”). It also describes an expanding list of irregularities regarding the Town’s
review of this modified wind farm application (the “Project”).
It is apparent that BOWF’s owners are anxious to begin construction immediately
because Congress is phasing out financial incentives (tax credits) for wind generators
over the next five years, beginning in December 2016. The owner of the Project must
begin construction this year to receive the full credits. Black Oak, however, not the
Town, has been the sole cause of its delays. In fact, our Town Government has gone to
ridiculous lengths to accommodate BOWF, by rescinding a much more protective Wind
Law and then enacting a completely toothless version (as described further below)
based on BOWF’s complaints that the more protective law would halt the Project. The
Board then approved the Project and also approved its expansion with taller towers and
greater electrical capacity without any further meaningful assessment of the
environmental consequences of doing so.
Certain Town Board members and their hired consultants and attorneys have
showed an eagerness to accommodate Black Oak that is beyond belief. What is
worse, the Town’s handling of this Project has been cloaked in secrecy, which
calls into question the ability of our Town Government and its paid contractors to
Many aspects of this Project are still unclear. It is not yet known exactly where
all the turbine towers and other infrastructure will be located, and it certainly is not clear
that this proposal is the final expansion of the Project’s footprint. Many hard questions
need to be asked by the Town Board as lead agency under SEQR. I raise some of
{33667/30473/TJF/01194513.DOCX}
I am a lawyer by occupation. I became a resident of the Town of Enfield in July
2015, having moved to the Ithaca area from California. The Town of Enfield is beautiful
and my neighbors are great. I was thrilled about my new home, a former Bed and
Breakfast known as “Noble House.” It is a beautiful “Queen Anne” style structure built in
1883 that is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
I purchased my home without knowledge that a large wind farm was planned in
the immediate vicinity of my property. Four wind towers are proposed in close proximity
to my home and it appears that all or most of the seven towers will be visible from my
home. From a safety standpoint, a large portion of my yard will be within the area that
even the wind industry considers a possible safety threat, as described further below.
Having lived in California which is known for various forms of alternative energy, I
am well acquainted with large scale wind development. I know that wind power sounds
good in theory, but in practice it has many drawbacks. I know that because of those
drawbacks, wind farms must be closely scrutinized and carefully regulated.
After the initial shock of hearing about the Black Oak Project, I started
researching the Project. It was originally approved in January 2015 when the Town
Board issued its SEQR “Findings.” SEQR is an important law in New York which
requires government agencies to assess the anticipated adverse environmental impacts
from a proposed action, before they may fund, approve or undertake that action. SEQR
establishes strict procedural requirements and also the substantive obligation to identify
and avoid or mitigate impacts.
I believe that the Town of Enfield has failed to make Black Oak comply with
the substantive and procedural requirements of SEQR. Additionally, I believe it is
clear that a majority of the Town Board has placed the economic interests of
Black Oak ahead of the safety of its citizens.
Further review of this Project is needed before any approval of the modification is
The Project and the SEQR Review Is Shrouded in Secrecy in Violation of Law
The Town’s files and its communications with BOWF concerning this Project
should be open and readily available for examination. New York’s Freedom of
Information Law (“FOIL”) requires broad access to the inner workings of government to
ensure transparency and to hold leaders accountable for their actions. The legislative
declaration when FOIL was enacted says it all:
with its citizenry, the greater the understanding and participation of the
public in government. NYS Public Officer’s Law, § 84.
FOIL’s expansive scope has been confirmed repeatedly by judicial decisions and
the opinions of New York’s Committee on Open Government. They instruct that FOIL is
intended to ensure maximum access to government records and any exception which
acts to limit access must be very narrowly construed. The burden is on government
agencies that seek to limit disclosure of public records to justify denial of access to
SEQR also requires public disclosure of information arising during the
environmental review of an action. According to the SEQR regulations enacted by
[a]ll SEQR documents and notices, including but not limited to
[Environmental Assessment Forms], negative declarations, positive
declarations, scopes, notices of completion of an [Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS)], EISs, notices of hearing and findings must be
maintained in files that are readily accessible to the public and made
available on request. 6 NYCRR § 617.12(b)(3).
After learning of the existence of the wind farm and of Black Oak’s intention to
modify the proposal, I attempted to review the paper trail to learn what had happened
previously and what is proposed now. I found out that was no easy task. Black Oak’s
dealings with the Town of Enfield and its lawyers and contractors were not documented
in any formal record that I was able to review. In fact, based on their public comments,
it is clear that some Board Members have also been kept in the dark about many
First, it is clear that the Town of Enfield, the lead agency, maintains no document
depository or website to provide immediate access to SEQR documents and
correspondence. Instead, the public must visit BOWF’s very incomplete website, or
make specific requests to the Town Clerk. In other words, you must know what to look
for and ask for it specifically. Black Oak’s website contains only the most basic SEQR
documents: Draft Supplemental EIS; Supplemental SEQR Findings dated July 2015;
Final Findings Statement dated January 2015; Final Environmental Impact Statement
dated November 2014; Draft Environmental Impact Statement dated 2013; and Final
SEQRA Scope dated 2010. No other SEQR documents are available on that website;
there are no notices of hearing, notices of completion of DEIS and SEIS, nor any
correspondence or drafts of documents which have been exchanged between Black
Oak and the Town.
Throughout the fall and winter of 2015/2016, I had heard rumors and comments
by Board Members that Black Oak intended to modify its Project further and relocate
certain components including towers and the electrical substation. Later, a BOWF
representative admitted at a Wind Advisory Committee meeting that the Town’s
consultant had already received a draft of the SEIS (although a copy was not available
to the public). I requested a copy of that document from the Town Clerk under FOIL. In
response, I was told that BOWF claimed that it was a “draft” so it was not available to
the public until the Town Board determined that it was “complete.”
I was also told that Town Attorney, Guy Krogh, agreed with this opinion, so the
Town Clerk could not release it to me.
I spoke with my attorney, who indicated that this was not a “grey” area of law with
various interpretations. The issue had been repeatedly addressed by legal authorities
and the answer was so clear that he was surprised that the Town was actually taking
this position. On March 2, my attorney emailed Mr. Krogh with respect to this denial of
Guy, this rationale has been expressly rejected by the Department of
State’s Committee on Open Government on several different occasions.
Even though the Town has not yet determined that the EIS is complete,
once an EIS has been received by a municipal agency from an applicant,
it is a public document which is subject to FOIL. Attached is an
advisory opinion from the Committee that is right on point. In fact, there
are numerous Opinions by the Committee based upon similar facts.
Completeness for purposes of SEQRA is separate and distinct from
access for purposes of the New York State Freedom of Information Law.
Please contact me to discuss this at your earliest convenience. This is a
highly unusual response by the Town which violates FOIL. There is no
legitimate reason not to give the public access to these documents while
the Town Board considers whether to require additional information from
the applicant under SEQRA (emphasis as in original email).
Mr. Krogh responded that he “neither fully agree[d] nor fully disagree[d] with” the
position (never explaining his reason), but he said the issue was moot because a
decision had been made to release the draft. I received the SEIS (and only the SEIS)
Unfortunately, the damage was already done. On March 9, the Town Board
voted to accept the draft SEIS as “complete and adequate for public review.” The
Board was delivered copies of the SEIS that very same night by Marguerite Wells of
The importance of this point might not be obvious, but the public should have a
right to review draft SEQR documents that were received from third parties, so they may
express an opinion as to whether they are “complete.” After the Town Board declares
the SEIS to be “complete,” there is a right to submit further public comments, but the
decision as to completeness will have already been made. Further revisions or
additions resulting from the public comments are extremely unlikely even if the Town
Board were to agree with the comments that the document is missing important
My concern for this violation of FOIL is heightened because of the apparent
relationship between Mr. Krogh and the original principal of the Project, John
Rancich. According to a May 4, 2007 on-line article in National Wind Watch which
was attributed to a reporter from ithacajournal.com, Guy Krogh was originally
introduced to the Town Board by John Rancich, to “help answer questions”
posed by residents.
Finally, on April 9 (just 13 days before the close of the public comment period), I
received copies of emails and comments exchanged between and among the Town’s
consultant, LaBella, its SEQR attorney Frank Pavia, and representatives of BOWF and
its consultant (Haley & Aldrich), about various drafts of the SEIS that were not available
The emails establish that the draft SEIS was first submitted to the Town’s
representatives as early as January 16, 2016, and there had been no opportunity for the
public to review that document. LaBella submitted comments back to BOWF on
February 1, and again on February 8, 2016, concerning the January SEIS draft. Many
of LaBella’s comments were not adequately addressed by BOWF, which is discussed
Recently, we had a further dispute with the Town about its failure to adhere to
FOIL with respect to information concerning the Project. I have retained a noise expert
to review noise modeling and monitoring that had been done by Black Oak’s consultant
as part of the DEIS and SEIS. My consultant needed the Town’s data so he could run it
through his own software and verify the results. I asked the Town to provide me with
such data in a usable electronic format and I was informed that the Town’s SEQRA
attorney, Frank Pavia, had denied that request and was only willing to provide the data
in paper form (a stack of over 100 pages that was useless to my consultant).
Again, I was forced to have my own lawyer (at my expense) point out to Mr.
Pavia that the express language of FOIL applies to the request:
“Per Public Officers Law §87(5)(a), `An agency shall provide records on
the medium requested by a person, if the agency can reasonably make
such copy or have such copy made by engaging an outside professional
service. Records provided in a computer format shall not be encrypted’
(emphasis added). Moreover, Public Officers Law §89(3)(a) provides, in
`When an agency has the ability to retrieve or extract a
record or data maintained in a computer storage system with
reasonable effort, it shall be required to do so. When doing
so requires less employee time than engaging in manual
retrieval or redactions from non-electronic records, the
agency shall be required to retrieve or extract such record or
data electronically. Any programming necessary to retrieve a
record maintained in a computer storage system and to
transfer that record to the medium requested by a person or
to allow the transferred record to be read or printed shall not
be deemed to be the preparation or creation of a new
The email to the Town also pointed out that the Committee on Open Government
has already determined and stated on its website in response to “Frequently Asked
Questions”, that a government agency is required to produce records in the form
requested, if it has the reasonable means to do so.
In response, we were advised that Frank Pavia had determined that the Town
“has [already] responded to the FOIL request and that [we] will be receiving a more
complete response” directly from him. Once again, the Town’s position to withhold such
basic and important information from its own citizens is inexplicable.
Instead of generally making all SEQR correspondence and documentation
“readily available”, I have had to submit numerous separate FOIL requests to the Town,
many of which have not yet been finally responded to. The comment period for the
SEIS will most likely be long over with by the time I receive requested documents or
worse, a denial of access.
Among the important information that I have been trying to obtain from the Town
and only recently received, is information exchanged between the Town’s consultant,
LaBella, and Black Oak or its consultant, as well as correspondence exchanged
between LaBella and the Town. The reason I requested this information is because
three members of the Town Board voted to declare the SEIS “complete” and ready for
public review, purportedly based upon the recommendation of LaBella, even though
Board Member Mike Carpenter stated on the record that the SEIS had just been
received by the Town that very same day, and that Board Members had not even had a
chance to review it yet. That means that 3 Board members (Ann Rider, Henry
Hansteen and Virginia Bryant) voted to accept the SEIS as complete, WITHOUT EVEN
LOOKING AT IT. The only other explanation is that they reviewed the materials outside
of the public process, and without the knowledge of the other Board members.
There has been no transparency with regard to the processing of this
application. It has been handled in secrecy, between Black Oak and one or two
members of the Town Board, including the Supervisor and its consultant and
Who Controlled this SEQR Review?
As previously stated, I recently learned that representatives of BOWF and the
Town’s paid consultants have been in constant communication about the draft SEIS
since as early as January 21, 2016 when BOWF first forwarded the SEIS to LaBella. It
is now clear that from that time forward, BOWF pressured LaBella to expedite its
review, and both sets of consultants acted to ensure that the public was not
For example, by email dated January 21, 2016, James Pippin (“Pippin”), project
manager for BOWF’s consultant Haley & Aldrich, forwarded the Draft SEIS (without
attachments). His email directed:
[p]lease begin your review. If you are available either tomorrow or
Monday, I would like to have a call to go over the schedule for your
review. We anticipate that this should not take more than 1 week to
complete (emphasis added).
In other words, BOWF’s consultant told LaBella how long the Town’s review should
On February 1, 2016, Kathy Spencer of Haley & Aldrich advised Pippen by email,
with a copy to the Town’s SEQR lawyer Frank Pavia (“Pavia”), that LaBella had already
submitted “preliminary comments to Haley & Aldrich about the SEIS, and that such
comments should not be leaked to the public:
Jim, as we discussed, here is preliminary comments from LaBella on the
SEIS dated January 2016 for the Black Oak Wind Project. These
comments are an informal communication between our offices and
should not be made public (emphasis added).
On February 3, Pippen posted the following email, again pushing LaBella to
complete its SEQR review quickly:
Attached is the Visual section and supplemental visual report for your
review. I will send the supplemental shadow flicker report separately. If
possible, please complete your review by Friday afternoon (emphasis
On February 8, 2016, Kathy Spencer (“Spencer”) of LaBella forwarded
“preliminary” comments to Pippen and again confirmed that such comments should not
be made available to the public:
Jim, here are our preliminary comments on the Black Oak Wind Farm
Visual Section and reports that you sent last week. These comments are
an informal communication between our offices and should not be
made public. Let me know if you have any questions (emphasis added).
On February 29, 2016, Pippen sent Spencer an email acknowledging that
LaBella had concerns about the draft SEIS:
I understand you had some concerns or comments on the SEIS prior to
the scheduled Town Board meeting. Can you join us on a call this
afternoon to discuss? I am available until 5PM today. Let me know a
convenient time and I will send you a call in number. Thanks.
On March 1 Pippen emailed Spencer asking whether they could meet the
following day. Enfield Supervisor Ann Rider and Pavia were copied on the email.
Spencer scheduled the meeting for March 1 at LaBella’s office in Rochester. No public
information has been made available with respect to the specific matters discussed
On March 7, Pippen sent Spencer a revised Draft SEIS along with a “memo
outlining the changes” made in response to LaBella’s previous comments. I have still
not received that memo from the Town, despite my FOIL request for copies of all
communications between BOWF and LaBella. The email asked Labella to “[p]lease
review and let me know ASAP if there is anything substantive that needs revision
or clarification in the SEIS prior to Wednesday evening’s meeting” (during which
the SEIS was accepted by the Town Board) (emphasis added).
On March 8, 2016, LaBella emailed Pippen advising him that LaBella would
recommend acceptance of the draft SEIS as “complete.” despite continuing
reservations about the document:
Jim, I have reviewed the Draft SEIS dated 3-7-16, and am in agreement
that the most critical changes to the Draft SEIS have been made in the
latest set of revisions. I have indicated in a memo to Frank Pavia that the
document can be accepted as adequate for public review.
Although I am prepared to conclude that the document is complete
for the purpose of commencing public review, some of the issues
identified during the review process remain a concern, and I would
expect that the project sponsor will address such issues as part of the
Final SEIS before that later document is accepted (emphasis added).
In fact, notwithstanding this confidential and expedited review by the Town’s
consultant, many of LaBella’s comments and concerns that were communicated to
BOWF as early as February 1 and February 8, 2016, were still ignored by BOWF in the
“final” version of the Draft SEIS provided to the Town Board on March 9. Exhibit 1
(attached to this letter) describes specific comments by LaBella that were ignored or
inadequately addressed by BOWF.
It is clear that the Town of Enfield and its consultants bent over backwards to
accommodate BOWF. It is equally clear that the Draft SEIS document was determined
to be “complete” by the Town Board despite LaBella’s unequivocal opinion that certain
issues it had identified remained unresolved by BOWF.
Although this list of issues was forwarded to Pavia by LaBella (as indicated in an
email), there is no indication that the presence of unresolved issues was ever
communicated to the Town Board by the attorney. The discussion among the Town
Board members in open session during the March 9 meeting only indicated that LaBella
had informed them that the Draft SEIS was complete.
The Draft SEIS remains deficient. Those deficiencies cannot be addressed on
faith, as part of a Final SEIS, which involves no further opportunity for public input.
Once an FEIS is accepted as complete, the lead agency need only await the requisite
time period before issuing Findings. Deficiencies in an SEIS, should be resolved at the
EIS stage of review.
The Town Board should direct BOWF to revise the Draft SEIS now to
address the deficiencies described in the memo from LaBella to Pavia, and the
additional concerns described in this letter.
Enactment of the Wind Law and the Need to Change the Law Again
There can be little dispute that setbacks provide a basic and proven form of
mitigation of many of the adverse impacts caused by wind turbines including noise, icethrow, and mechanical failure.
The Town of Enfield initially adopted its Wind Law in December 2007 which at
that time required setbacks of 1,250 feet or 1.5 times the height of the turbine whichever
is greater, from property lines, communication and electrical lines, transmission facilities
such as substations, inhabitable structures, public roads, the Robert Tremain State Park
and neighboring municipal boundaries.
Although that law took many months to adopt, the Ithaca Journal reported that
BOWF contended that the law was hastily enacted and it threatened to take legal action
to nullify the law. Less than a month later, a new majority of the Town Board began
their terms and voted to repeal the Wind Law. In November 2008, they enacted a new,
vastly diluted version of the Wind Law, a version which was obviously much more
suitable to Black Oak. It reduced the setbacks considerably to structures and property
lines of non-participating landowners.
In California according to a study prepared for the California Energy Commission
in 2006, setbacks are commonly established at a distance of three times the total height
of a wind turbine, measured to the nearest property line. Although that study did not
recommend uniform setback distances, it confirmed that turbine tower failures occur
often enough that larger more protective set-backs are necessary. According to the
report, the dispersal of fragments caused by blade failures presents a potential hazard
to the public a significant distance away from each turbine, based upon disparate
factors such as blade tip speed upon failure and weather conditions.
In fact, as recently as February 2016 in the Madison County Town of Fenner, it
was reported that a 113 foot long turbine blade detached from its hub and fell over 200
feet to the ground. I spoke with a man who lives across the street from that turbine. He
told me he personally measured how far the blade was thrown as a result of that
incident. He said it landed 323 feet from the turbine and then bounced another 148 feet
for a total distance of 471 feet. This is a recent example of why Enfield’s setbacks
are not adequate to protect its citizens.
“Ice throw” is also a significant safety concern for wind farms in the northeast.
Attached is a portion of a document found on the Internet, authored by GE Energy, the
manufacturer of the turbines proposed by Black Oak. The GE document discusses
important setback safety considerations relating to “ice throw.” It expressly states: “[i]ce
shedding/ice throw, and other hazards can create risk in the vicinity of the wind turbine
To mitigate these hazards, even GE recommends safety guidelines that are
more protective than those contained in the Town of Enfield’s Wind Law. GE’s
policy recommends the following setbacks [i]f icing is likely at the wind turbine site: . . .
1.5 times (Hub Height + rotor diameter)”, to residences and public use areas. GE also
recommends a setback of 1.1 times the total height of the turbine to remote property
boundaries not owned or controlled by the project sponsor. The setback in the Town’s
Wind Law is only 1.1 times the total height of the tower to occupied structures, and only
100 feet or 1.1 times the blade radius, whichever is larger, to any property line not
controlled by the project sponsor. The law provides greater protection to other turbines
(450’) than it does to the property lines of nearby owners.
The paltry set-backs in the Town of Enfield’s Wind Law were adopted despite the
recommendation of the Tompkins County Department of Planning that set-backs should
be “tied to property lines and public road right-of-ways at a distance of no less than 1.5
times total height including the rotor blade height, unless easements are obtained from
property owners.” The County Planning Department’s recommendation indicated that it
was based on the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority’s
(“NYSERDA”) document entitled “Wind Energy – Model Ordinance Options (the “Model
Wind Ordinance”).
Monumentally Inadequate Noise Limits
In addition to setbacks, enforceable noise limits are necessary to address
unforeseen noise impacts that arise during the operation of any wind farm.
The Town’s Local Law establishes a noise limit of “60 decibels above ambient
sound levels measured at the nearest Off-Site Residence.” This provision was
enacted despite Tompkins County Planning Department’s recommendation to adopt
much more protective limits of 55 dBA, measured at the boundary of the closest parcel
not controlled by the project sponsor, and 50 dBA, measured at any residence. Again,
the County Planning Department’s recommendation was based upon NYSERDA’s
Model Wind Ordinance.
NYSDEC’s policy document entitled “Assessing and Mitigating Noise Impacts,”
dated October 6, 2000, addresses consideration of noise impacts under SEQR. It
provides generally that “[sound pressure level] increases approaching 10 dB result in a
perceived doubling of [sound pressure level]” (pg. 14). “An increase of 10 dB(A)
deserves consideration of avoidance and mitigation measures in most cases” (pg. 14).
“In non-industrial settings the [sound pressure level] should probably not exceed
ambient noise by more than 6 dB(A) at the receptor . . . [and a]n increase of 6 dB(A)
may cause complaints” (pg. 14). Increases of 5-10 dB are described by DEC’s policy to
be “intrusive” and increases of 10-15 are “very noticeable.” Increases of 15-20 are
termed “objectionable” and over 20, “very objectionable to intolerable” (pg. 15).
Most likely, the ambient noise level in the very rural area of the project is under
40 dB. Even if you use 30 dB as “ambient”, Enfield’s limit would be 90 dB (30
ambient plus 60). According to DEC’s policy, a subway station or heavy truck at 50
feet away would exhibit noise levels of 90 dB(A).
In contrast, the following limits in wind laws in other communities in New York
were found on the Internet:
Town of Hammond (St. Lawrence County) - background (ambient) plus 5 dBA;
Town of Eden (Erie County) - background plus 3 dBA;
Town of Jefferson (Schoharie County) - 50 dBA at the nearest residence (5 less
in the event of a pure tone such as a whine or screech);
Cherry Valley (Otsego County) - ambient plus 6 dBA; ambient plus 5 dBA in the
event of a steady or pure tone;
Cohocton (Steuben County) - 45 dBA at any existing residence and 50 dBA at a
non-project property line (45 at property line and 40 at residence in the event of a
pure tone); and
Homer (Cortland County) - daytime limit of 45 dBA and 63 (C weighted);
nighttime limit of 40 (A weighted) and 58 (C weighted). 5 less in the event of a
steady pure tone.
Clearly Enfield’s noise limits are completely out of touch with accepted standards
The Need for a Moratorium While the Wind Law is Modified
My noise expert has indicated that he has never heard of a noise limit that is
even close to as high as Enfield’s limit, anywhere in the Country. While I have heard
Enfield’s limit referred to as a mistake by some, the Town Board has never made any
attempt to modify the Wind Law to provide a noise limit that is even reasonably
protective of its citizens.
I have already asked individual members of the Town Board to enact a
moratorium in order to prevent Black Oak from starting construction while the Board
modifies the Wind Law and imposes reasonable and protective noise limits and setbacks. Consistently, certain Board members have responded that they are afraid to be
sued by Black Oak, or more curiously, that it would be “unfair” to enact new limits that
apply retroactively to Black Oak, because the facility was already approved.
My attorney provided the Town with strong legal precedent demonstrating that a
municipality has every right to enact legislation related to health and safety (police
powers), and make such legislation apply retroactively, as long as the owner has not
already acquired “vested rights.” In New York, a landowner acquires “vested rights”
when it has already undertaken “substantial construction and made substantial
expenditures prior to the effective date of the amendment.” Even if BOWF has already
begun ordering turbine infrastructure (there is absolutely no evidence indicating that it
has), that would not be considered a “substantial expenditure” if it can recoup its cost by
reselling the equipment in the market. Additionally, the concept of “substantial
expenditures” is not even relevant unless the landowner has also already undertaken
“substantial construction.” Obviously BOWF has not.
The only construction that has taken place on the Project is an excavation for an
apparent foundation that was begun several years ago, apparently to allow BOWF to
claim tax credits which were about to expire (they have since been extended). That
excavation, however, was undertaken in violation of the SEQR regulations which state:
“[a] project sponsor may not commence any physical alteration related to an action until
the provisions of SEQR have been complied with” (6 NYCRR § 617.3(a)).
BOWF has no “vested rights.” In fact, it has asked the Tompkins County IDA to
extend certain deadlines in its agreements precisely because BOWF has been unable
to begin the Project. The Town should modify its Wind Law before any approval of the
modification is granted.
Unfortunately, Town Board members, including Henry
Hansteen, continue to bow to BOWF’s threats to bring litigation and to accept its weak
claims that it has vested rights. Apparently, the Town Board is more concerned about
fairness to Black Oak than to the health and well-being of its citizens.
Procedural Violations of SEQR and the Town of Enfield Wind Law
The Town of Enfield Wind Law requires a “complaint resolution process to
address complaints from Persons who live in nearby Residences. . . [and t]he process
may use an independent mediator or arbitrator and shall include a time limit for acting
upon any complaint” (Wind Law Article III Section 1.A.11).
Article III, Section 2.F. of the Town’s Wind Law requires that at least one public
hearing be scheduled for each application under the Wind Law. The pending
modification is an application requiring approval under the Wind Law. That same
provision requires the notice of the public hearing be given by first class mail to all
property owners within 500’ of the boundary of each proposed Wind Turbine Generator
(each tower), at least 7 days in advance of the public hearing. If such notice is sent by
first class mail it must be mailed at least 10 days before the public hearing.
The SEQR regulations provide a very low threshold for requiring a hearing. In
determining whether to schedule a hearing, the lead agency should consider the degree
of interest shown in the project by the public and involved agencies (it is high), whether
substantive and significant adverse environmental impacts have been identified (they
have), the adequacy of the mitigation measures and alternatives proposed (they are
inadequate) and the extent to which a public hearing can aid the lead agency’s
decision-making process (obviously it can as the Town scheduled two hearings for the
SEIS). SEQR hearings should be combined with any other hearing required. The
SEQR regulations further provide that if such a hearing is held, notice of hearing must
be published at least 14 calendar days in advance of a public hearing, in a newspaper
of general circulation in the area of the potential impacts of the action (6 NYCRR §
617.9(a)(4)(i)).
No proper notice under either the Wind Law or SEQR was provided before the
March 28, 2016 public hearing for the Draft SEIS. When I brought that to the Town’s
attention, I was told no such notice was necessary. Nonetheless, an additional hearing
was quickly scheduled by the Town Board for April 12, obviously to remedy the notice
defect. I have not seen any indication whether that hearing was properly published in a
newspaper of general circulation, as required by SEQR.
Violation of SEQR Procedures Involving the Turbine Located in Newfield
Although BOWF has not yet committed to any actual location for placement of
the two turbines that will be relocated (it has merely identified possible combinations of
locations), one of the potential sites is located in the Town of Newfield. This has
important ramifications under SEQR.
First, there is no indication in the SEIS that BOWF has applied for any approval
to construct any turbine in the Town of Newfield. Further, there is no indication in the
SEIS or in any resolution of the Town of Enfield as to which agency will conduct the
SEQR review for the turbine in the Town of Newfield or whether review will be
coordinated. Because the Newfield turbine is identified in the SEIS, it appears that
BOWF intends to assess its impacts along with those caused by the Enfield turbines, as
part of Enfield’s pending SEQR review of the Project. If true, BOWF and Enfield have
violated several of SEQR’s procedural requirements. The SEQR regulations provide
that “[n]o agency may undertake, fund or approve the action until it has complied with
the provisions of SEQR” (6 NYCRR § 617.3(a)).
The BOWF project is clearly a Type I action for purposes of SEQR (it is
“deemed” a Type I action under the Enfield Wind Law). Presumably, Newfield has
discretionary approval authority over construction of the turbine, either under its own
wind law, or under a typical site plan review law. That “discretionary approval” authority
makes Newfield an “involved agency” for purposes of SEQR (defined as “an agency
[state or local] that has jurisdiction by law to fund, approve or directly undertake an
action” (6 NYCRR § 617.2(s)). That same definition also provides: “[i]f an agency will
ultimately make a discretionary decision to fund, approve or undertake an action then it
is an `involved agency’ notwithstanding that it has not received an application for
funding or approval at the time the SEQR process is commenced.” Any agency that
does not have a “discretionary” approval authority over an action is merely an
“interested agency” under SEQR (6 NYCRR § 617.2(t)). In this case, Newfield was an
“interested agency” rather than an “involved agency” because until this Project
expanded into Newfield, that Town had no jurisdiction over the Project. The first
mention of any part of the Project in Newfield was the Draft SEIS which was received by
the Town Board on March 9.
For all Type I actions, SEQR requires the lead agency to “coordinate review” with
any other involved agency (6 NYCRR § 617.6(b)(2)). The lead agency must do so by
transmitting a copy of the Environmental Assessment Form or an EIS if no EAF was
received, to other involved agencies, along with a copy of the application for the
proposed action (6 NYCRR § 617.6(3). Lead agency status must be agreed to among
the involved agencies and if such agencies are unable to agree, a procedure exists for
enabling the Commissioner of DEC to resolve the dispute.
Here, Newfield was not an involved agency for the original review, but it is clearly
an involved agency for the review of the SEIS relating to the Project modification. It was
provided no “application” for any modification under the Wind Law, and it was given no
opportunity to act as lead agency for the modified Project. Newfield has not agreed to
allow Enfield to act as lead agency for the portion of the Project that is located in
Newfield and it has never been given the opportunity by Enfield to do so.
Having not properly coordinated review by giving Newfield proper notice and the
opportunity to act as lead agency, Enfield (and BOWF) cannot assert the benefits of
coordinating review (involved agencies may not later require the preparation of an EIS
or issue a determination of significance - a finding that the project may have a
significant adverse environmental impact as per § 617.6(3)(iii)). Moreover, allowing
Newfield to conduct its own review is may also not be a proper remedy. As previously
stated, “uncoordinated review” of Type I actions is not authorized by the SEQR
regulations, and allowing a separate SEQR review by Newfield would result in an
improperly “segmented” review (dividing the environmental review of an action into
various segments as though they were independent activities) which is also prohibited
by SEQR (“[c]onsidering only a part or segment of an action is contrary to the intent of
SEQR”), unless the lead agency states in its determination of significance and any
subsequent EIS, the supporting reasons, and demonstrates “that such review is no less
protective of the environment” (6 NYCRR § 617.3(g)(1)).
There is no indication in the SEIS that a segmented review is warranted or how it
will be no less protective of the environment. The Town of Enfield, as lead agency,
should properly coordinate with Newfield concerning the SEIS, and ensure that all
adverse environmental impacts relating to the proposed turbine in Newfield are properly
addressed before any approval is issued in Enfield.
What Exactly does the Project Entail and Who are its Owners?
At this point in the process, more than a year after the initial SEQR Findings
approving the Project were issued, it is still impossible to know exactly what the Project
entails, where the components will be located, and who the applicant even is.
The Project has already changed several times and there was no adequate
assessment of the environmental impacts from the most recent changes. We are now
told that further changes are forthcoming. The FEIS related to a Project with seven 1.7
MW turbines, with a total generating capacity of 11.9 MW. In July, the Project was
modified and the height of each turbine was increased by eight feet and the capacity of
each was increased to 2.3 MW for a total of 16.1 MW. In addition, the location of the
electrical substation was moved from the location that was the subject of the SEQRA
review. The Town Board resolved in June that further SEQRA review of that change
was not necessary because the changes would not cause new, significant potential
adverse environmental impacts from those that were already adequately addressed in
the Findings Statement.
Apart from the expansion in the capacity of the facility that was previously
proposed, it is believed that the changes to the configuration and location of the
electrical substation will result in significantly more “cut and fill” of land. The owner of
the parcel’s continued participation in the Project may also be unclear which might
cause further design changes.
There is still uncertainty concerning the very basic issue of the height of the
towers which is relevant to several different anticipated environmental impacts. For
example, according to LaBella’s February 1, 2016 comments on the January 2016 draft
SEIS (a version that was never made public):
In the Acoustic Study Update (Appendix E) it is indicated that hub height
of the proposed turbines is 94 meters – is this correct? (Based on our
records, the hub height of the former turbine model in the FEIS/Findings
statement was 96 meters or 315 feet. In June 2015, the use of the
currently proposed model turbines was approved, which involved an
increase in hub height of 8 feet, resulting in a total hub height of 323 ft or
98 meters.) Is the Acoustic Study accurate given this anomaly in hub
height (sic).
Similarly, in its February 8 comments, LaBella continued to question BOWF as to
the height of its towers in a comment on the issue of shadow flicker:
There remains confusion with regard to the heights of the turbine which
has been indicated to be 94 m . . . . More explanation is needed of the
heights in the following statement in 2.8.2.1.3:
`These changes are due to shifting the Project layout,
changes in turbine specifications including a net increase in
overall structure height of 5 m (from 196 m to 201 m) and
increase in rotor diameter (from 100 m to 107 m), which
affects the intersection of the sun, turbine and receptor.’
BOWF’s current draft at page 32 creates yet a third conflicting description of the
height of the turbines:
These changes are due to shifting the layout, changes in turbine
specifications including a net increase in overall structure height of 1.5
meters (from 146 meters to 147.5 meters) and increase in rotor diameter
(from 100 meters to 107 meters), which affects the intersection of the sun,
turbine and receptor.
With respect to the ownership of the Project, by letter dated September 17, 2015,
Black Oak Wind Farm, LLC requested a transfer of Black Oak’s Payment-In-Lieu of
Taxes (“PILOT”) and tax abatement to a “new owner” called Onyx Black Oak Wind,
LLC, of 126 E.56th St., New York, NY. Nothing in the SEIS indicates a change in
ownership. According to a September 17, 2015 email from Marguerite Wells of Black
Oak Wind Farm, LLC to Heather McDaniel of Tompkins County Area Development
concerning the status of local investors:
The investors will still be members of the Black Oak LLC, which doesn’t go
away. only (sic) the assets of the company are being sold. They’ll get
their eventual payments as distributions according to their shares.
The matter was scheduled to be considered by the Tompkins County IDA at its
September 2015 meeting. On September 19, Black Oak requested that the “revision”
be put off until the Board’s October meeting:
After conferring a bit further with my board and Onyx, I think it would be
better to put our PILOT revision off until the October meeting if possible,
as we have been holding off making the info public (even to our investors)
until after the deal closes on the 29th. I had forgotten how public the IDA
meeting agenda would be. It’s no matter that we’re listed on the agenda
on the website, if it stays that’s ok, we can still forego actual public
discussion of the details until after deal closure. Is that workable?
The matter was not heard at the October 2015 meeting. It was put off until November
and then December and apparently it has still not been returned to the agenda.
Substantive Deficiencies and Violations of SEQR
Exhibit 1 contains a list of comments from LaBella to BOWF about
deficiencies in the Draft SEIS, which BOWF has failed to address.
At a minimum, BOWF’s failure to address those comments indicates that
the Draft SEIS is not complete, and it should be sent back to BOWF for further
modification. Waiting for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (“FEIS”) is
not an adequate solution because it provides the public with no further
opportunity to respond to the adequacy of any response by BOWF.
In addition, the following additional substantive deficiencies are noted.
I will submit a separate suite of comments that address noise impacts as will my
noise expert, Les Blomberg. In short, it is clear that BOWF’s SEIS does not adequately
assess, avoid and/or mitigate the anticipated noise impacts from the modification of the
Project. It contains no discussion of the impacts from low frequency noise and/or
infrasound. Similarly, there is no adequate discussion as to mitigation of noise related
impacts. Finally, there is no enforceable mechanism including realistic decibel limits to
address actual noise impacts that arise during the operation of the wind farm.
LaBella’s February 8 comments to BOWF direct it to “[i]nclude text and a table
summarizing the information in Section 5 of the Shadow Flicker Analysis regarding the
general timing (time of year, time of day) of the shadow flicker effects for each
alternative combination.” The comments provide an example for BOWF to use but no
such language is contained in the March 2016 draft SEIS.
With respect to proposed “mitigation” of shadow flicker, LaBella states “[g]iven
that some new residences will now experience shadow flicker hours approaching the 30
hour threshold (26 and 27 hours), it is recommended that the Mitigation Section refer to
the Complaint Resolution Procedure should unanticipated shadow flicker effects arise”
(LaBella February 8, 2016 comments, No. 72). The source of this arbitrary 30 hour
threshold is not stated except BOWF claims it is “a common standard for assessing
significance of impacts” (SEIS, pg. 32).
With respect to LaBella’s half-hearted attempt to mitigate shadow flicker impacts
by referring to a vague “Complaint Resolution Procedure,” BOWF’s latest version of the
draft SEIS states it “will implement a Community Outreach and Communications Plan
(see DEIS Appendix U)” which will purportedly establish a “Complaint Resolution
Procedure that could be used if complaints regarding shadow flicker arise” (draft SEIS,
pg. 33, emphasis added). A review of Appendix U demonstrates that the procedure is
palpably deficient as mitigation.
The one-page Community Outreach and
Communication Plan” requires BOWF to do no more than “set up a toll-free number for
use by the local residents . . . [and u]pon receipt of a question or a concern, the Project
Manager will contact the individual and work with them in good faith to resolve the
issue” (DEIS, Exhibit U). The Plan contains no mandatory or enforceable process other
than BOWF’s own questionable notion of acting in “good faith.” Furthermore, it is clear
that Appendix U is only intended to apply during the construction phase of the wind farm
– not after the wind farm becomes operational. Therefore, it fails to mitigate impacts
from shadow flicker.
The SEIS acknowledges that “mitigation measures such as plantings to provide
screenings or installation of window treatments are often considered” to mitigate
shadow flicker, but because “shadow flicker from the Modified Project will not exceed
the 30 hour/year threshold at any residential structures . . . no mitigation for shadow
flicker effects is warranted and none is proposed” (Draft SEIS, pg. 33-34 (emphasis
In light of the foregoing, the draft SEIS does not sufficiently mitigate the adverse
impacts from shadow flicker either for the modified turbines or for any others.
Substantially more analysis of the anticipated impacts are warranted in the SEIS to
confirm that the arbitrary threshold of 30 hours per year is warranted, as compared to
26 or 27 hours per year (or any lesser number) experienced by residences in the area
of the Project who will be impacted by the effect. At the very least, the SEIS must
require mandatory mitigation if, after operation begins, shadow flicker becomes a
problem for receptors near the Project.
The modification of the Project involves new locations for two towers and the
substation, and construction of an intrusive MET tower, as well as a significant amount
of clearing and grubbing of mature trees and land for the installation of electrical lines.
Although not indicated anywhere in the SEIS narrative, it also appears clear that BOWF
is moving the location of turbine 6 (that is evident from reviewing the very last page of
Exhibit E of the SEIS, entitled “Project Layout Comparison” which shows that the
footprint of turbine 6 has slightly changed). The movement of turbine 6 is not even
mentioned in the Draft SEIS; the impact of such movement has clearly not been
Even as it relates to turbine locations A, B and C, the Draft SEIS provides no
credible analysis of visual impacts from the Project. It relies primarily on very small
scale Figures which divide the surrounding community into a patchwork of colors and
shapes which supposedly identify the number of turbines which can be seen from each
location. Such Figures are completely unusable, however, because of their small scale.
Although I know where my home is located, I cannot tell from the Figure how many
turbines I will actually be able to see from my home. Nowhere in the report is there a
narrative I can refer to in order to determine how many turbines I will see.
In addition, there is no discussion as to the relationship between the number of
turbines that can be seen and the significance of the visual impacts I will suffer.
LaBella agrees. In its February 8, 2016 comments, LaBella tells BOWF’s consultant
that the Draft SEIS “needs to include more information than just the percentages of the
area with views of the turbines” (LaBella Comments, No. 61, pg. 1).
Finally, there are very few photosimulations generally concerning the new
proposed facilities and there are none depicting the view from my home or property,
even though my home is eligible for inclusion on the Register of Historic Places and
therefore is a resource of significant local importance.
The SEIS should be significantly supplemented.
Impacts to the Future Use of My Property and Valuation
I own a large (41.067 acre), flag-shaped parcel which begins at the intersection
of Griffin Hill Road and Connecticut Hill Road in Enfield. The tax map number is 18-24.3. Although my parcel and my home are outside of the Town of Enfield’s very meager
setbacks for residences and property lines, it is important to note that GE Energy, the
manufacturer of the proposed turbines, recommends a setback distance of 1.5 x (hub
height + rotor diameter), “if icing is likely at the wind turbine site. The distance of that
setback based upon the Project turbines is 994 feet. Much of my property is located
within that GE recommended setback.
Figure 5 in the SEIS plots purported setbacks, including the GE recommended
setback. It has been erroneously stated by BOWF that the 994 foot GE setback only
applies to residential structures, and a much smaller GE recommended setback of 1.1 x
blade length applies to the rest of my property.
recommendation for the full 994 feet applies “if icing is likely at the wind turbine site.”
Objects of concern include “residences” and other public areas, but it does not state
“residential structures,” it says “residences.” My residence is located on that same
property. This is not isolated land. By comparison, the smaller setback applies to
“[r]emote boundaries to property not owned by wind farm participants”. GE provides
additional guidance as to what it considers “remote” with the following language:
“Property boundaries to vacant areas where there is a remote chance of any future
development or inhabitance during the life of the wind farm” (emphasis added).
My property is not vacant, it is inhabited. Moreover, I use my property and I
certainly want to maintain my right to further develop it with structures. But most likely, I
will never be able to develop over half of my land which is located within the 994 foot
recommended setback. It is like a restrictive covenant or easement which I will never
be compensated for. I have been told that once the wind farm is approved, I will most
likely never be given approval to build any structure on the portion of my land which is
located within that recommended protective zone.
BOWF should be required to compensate me for what is essentially a “taking” of
my land without compensation. It should also compensate me for my proximity to this
proposed facility, and the impact it will surely have on my property values. Currently,
there is no required mitigation in the SEIS for the devaluation of my property. Other
communities, such as the Town of Hammond, New York, require mandatory guarantees
of property values as part of any wind farm approval. I have seen a copy of the
guarantee agreement in Hammond which is a condition of any wind permit issued by
Section 2.6.1.2 of the Draft SEIS acknowledges that future development on
certain properties such as mine will be curtailed due to the proximity of turbines from the
Project to the property lines. That impact must be mitigated in the SEIS.
Impacts on Area Roads
Roads in the area of the Project area are already crumbling, reportedly because
the Town has delayed maintenance for over nine years in anticipation of the Project.
Those delays were apparently suggested or requested by John Rancich, the Project’s
initial sponsor, who indicated at the January 3, 2007 Town Planning meeting that the
Project would degrade the condition of the road so it was better to wait.
The Town’s Highway Supervisor has repeatedly expressed concerns that heavy
truck traffic during construction of the Project will permanently damage the road bed.
No “Road Use Agreement” has been made public yet, and the Highway Supervisor has
indicated that he has yet to see any draft. The Draft SEIS should identify impacts on
roads during construction and provide clear, specific and enforceable standards for
mitigating impacts to such roads, not just a general and unenforceable promise that
standards will be developed and adhered to. The SEIS needs to describe how BOWF
will shore up the roads before construction, ensure safety during construction, and
repair damage following construction.
The Highway Supervisor has acknowledged that he has not been consulted by
the Town Board in over a year concerning this important issue.
For the reasons stated in this letter, the SEQR review of the proposed
modification of the Black Oak Wind Farm has been deeply flawed. The public has been
improperly excluded from participation in the process, as has certain Town Board
The Town and its consultants and attorneys have wrongly attempted to expedite
the handling of this modification at BOWF’s direction, and they have failed to follow
through and require BOWF to provide the most basic responses to the obvious
deficiencies in the SEIS document.
The SEIS does not adequately assess the anticipated environmental impacts of
the modification. In fact, there is no way to determine what BOWF intends to build and
exactly where it intends to build it. The document is wholly conclusory as to impacts,
and it requires no meaningful avoidance or mitigation of the impacts as required by
SEQR. Instead, it relies on vague promises of mitigation later, or baseless conclusions
that impacts are not significant.
The “acceptance” of the document by the Town Board should be annulled and
the SEIS must be sent back to BOWF for further modification, to address the
deficiencies described by LaBella and members of the public.
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An Open Letter to the Citizens and Town Board of Enfield about the Black Oak Wind Project by Michael Smith1.6K viewsEmbedDownloadDescriptionA letter by Enfield resident Jude Lemke regarding the Black Oak Wind Farm, submitted to the Enfield Town Board.A letter by Enfield resident Jude Lemke regarding the Black Oak Wind Farm, submitted to the Enfield Town Board.Read on Scribd mobile: iPhone, iPad and Android.Copyright: © All Rights ReservedDownload as PDF, TXT or read online from ScribdFlag for inappropriate contentShow moreShow less
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