By Curt Brown
cbrown@s-t.com
January 08, 2010 12:00 AM
DARTMOUTH — The Federal Aviation Administration has ruled that one of two wind turbines proposed for town-owned land off Chase Road is a hazard to air traffic and must be lowered.
The FAA's review found that the height of the north turbine — which measures 462 feet from the tip of the blade to the ground — "exceeds obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference" upon air traffic. The north turbine would be located 5½ miles south of the New Bedford Regional Airport.
The FAA recommends lowering the height to 417 feet.
However, the FAA suggests the town could hire an engineering firm to do ground elevations and, if the findings meet with their satisfaction, they would allow a height of 428 feet.
Dr. Ronald DiPippo, chairman of the town's Alternative Energy Committee, said the height of the pole to the hub would have to be reduced to 293 feet from 328 feet to achieve a maximum height of 428 feet, or to 282 feet for a maximum height of 417 feet.
The ruling only applies to the north turbine. The town's application for the south turbine is pending with the FAA.
Select Board Chairman Joseph L. Michaud said the town will conduct a site survey and attempt to win FAA approval for a height of 428 feet.
Michaud said he is confident the FAA will approve the south turbine at a height of 462 feet because it would be located farther from the airport than the north turbine.
The ruling, which is expected to reduce the project's economic benefits because the stronger winds are at higher elevations, was greeted with some disappointment but also acceptance.
"I can certainly live with 428 (feet). The economics are still certainly excellent," DiPippo said. "One hundred or 90 (meters) is a small difference. The project is still stupendous."
"I'm disappointed, but they made a decision for safety reasons," said Select Board member Lara H. Stone. "What are you going to do? They are doing their job."
"I'm not surprised. We figured there would be some adjustments to the project," Michaud said. "It's not a major adjustment and it should be more favorable with the people who have concerns about the height."
DiPippo said the savings to the town on electricity would be $510,000 in the first year if the FAA allows two turbines with 293-foot hubs. He said the benefit would have been about $100,000 higher with 328-foot hubs.
David Costa, one of a group of neighbors who are opposed to the project, was pleased with the news, saying he prefers smaller turbines.
However, he said his main concern was the location of the turbines and he believes there should be a larger buffer zone between the structures and homes.
The FAA's ruling does not change the location of the turbines.
The announcement of the FAA's decision comes on the heels of the unanimous approval Monday night by the Select Board of a special permit for two 100-meter (328-foot hub) turbines.
Town officials said they will not have to refile the permit application, explaining the motion to approve the turbines was for any height up to a maximum approved by the FAA.
Michaud and Stone said the FAA's decision will also not affect the Select Board's decision to seek borrowing authority at a special Town Meeting on Jan. 26 to finance the purchase of the turbines. They said they will proceed with the town's request for Town Meeting approval to borrow the money for the turbines.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Community Wind
Startup gets funding for new kind of wind turbine
By Scott Duke Harris
From mercurynews.com
sdharris@mercurynews.com
Posted: 01/06/2010 05:44:24 PM PST
Updated: 01/06/2010 08:33:26 PM PST
Jan 6:
HP, Yahoo to share in stimulus planClean tech: Venture capital firms invest at least $5.6 billion in 2009A drive through Altamont Pass, where one of the world's largest wind farms sprouted in the 1980s, is a consistent source of wonder. The sight of nearly 5,000 wind turbines still seems like an otherworldly invasion of robots performing an oddly static technological ballet.
But why are so many of the three-bladed turbines not turning? On the plus side, they aren't killing birds — but is this really any way to harvest electrons?
Now what's as old as the wind seems new again. Energy economics and concern over climate change have made wind a candidate for "Next Big Thing" status, with a Berkeley-based startup called Nordic Windpower angling to play a leading role. Within a few years, Nordic Windpower CEO Tom Carbone says, Californians may expect to see vistas altered by the erection of 300-foot-tall turbines equipped with two enormous blades that rotate more slowly than their three-bladed cousins.
Just one of Nordic Windpower's 1-megawatt turbines, Carbone said, can do the work of 8 to 10 of the Altamont models — and produce enough power for 250 to 300 households. Nordic also claims that its technology is more durable and reliable than rival two-blade turbines.
Aesthetically, opinions are sure to vary. But Union City, Ind., staged a parade to welcome two of the 1-megawatt turbines to generate electricity for its local school district and community.
The "community wind sector," Carbone said, represents a huge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
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market opportunity. Many municipalities, school districts and large businesses, he said, are considering tax-incentivized investments in turbines that would generate electricity close to the users. "Community wind," Carbone said, "should grow by 2,000 to 2,500 megawatts per year over the next three to five years, and we would like to lead that sector."
Nordic this week announced $38 million in a third-round of funding led by Khosla Ventures, with participation by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and other investors. Its total funding has not been disclosed.
The company is hardly typical of Silicon Valley. Founders Steve Taber and Jim Walker are renewable energy veterans who, recognizing the global demand for more turbines, did a global search that found a Swedish technology that included a flexible "teeter" hub and other advances that enabled the turbine to function more smoothly than rigid turbines.
"The Swedes really found an elegant solution to optimize the performance of the two-bladed turbine," he said.
Nordic's founders initially were interested in licensing the technology, Carbone said, but ultimately raised money from London-based Goldman Sachs International to acquire it. To date, Nordic has shipped five of its turbines, including three to a utility in Uruguay. It has orders for 14 more. They are built in Pocatello, Idaho. Khosla partner Jim Kim joined Nordic's board with the investment.
NEA raises a whopper: For NEA, one of valley's biggest venture firms, the Nordic investment might have seemed like pocket change in light of its announcement Wednesday that it had raised a new $2.5 billion fund, burnishing its top-tier status.
That's a remarkable 17 percent of all venture dollars raised in recession-racked 2009, according to the firm, a period when many other venture firms chose to postpone fundraising efforts.
It may also represent more proof that strong firms are flexing their power in the Darwinian struggle for venture dollars.
The fund, the 13th in NEA's history, is expected to be deployed primarily in clean tech, information technology and health care.
Contact Scott Duke Harris at sdharris@mercurynews.com or 408-920-2704.
By Scott Duke Harris
From mercurynews.com
sdharris@mercurynews.com
Posted: 01/06/2010 05:44:24 PM PST
Updated: 01/06/2010 08:33:26 PM PST
Jan 6:
HP, Yahoo to share in stimulus planClean tech: Venture capital firms invest at least $5.6 billion in 2009A drive through Altamont Pass, where one of the world's largest wind farms sprouted in the 1980s, is a consistent source of wonder. The sight of nearly 5,000 wind turbines still seems like an otherworldly invasion of robots performing an oddly static technological ballet.
But why are so many of the three-bladed turbines not turning? On the plus side, they aren't killing birds — but is this really any way to harvest electrons?
Now what's as old as the wind seems new again. Energy economics and concern over climate change have made wind a candidate for "Next Big Thing" status, with a Berkeley-based startup called Nordic Windpower angling to play a leading role. Within a few years, Nordic Windpower CEO Tom Carbone says, Californians may expect to see vistas altered by the erection of 300-foot-tall turbines equipped with two enormous blades that rotate more slowly than their three-bladed cousins.
Just one of Nordic Windpower's 1-megawatt turbines, Carbone said, can do the work of 8 to 10 of the Altamont models — and produce enough power for 250 to 300 households. Nordic also claims that its technology is more durable and reliable than rival two-blade turbines.
Aesthetically, opinions are sure to vary. But Union City, Ind., staged a parade to welcome two of the 1-megawatt turbines to generate electricity for its local school district and community.
The "community wind sector," Carbone said, represents a huge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
market opportunity. Many municipalities, school districts and large businesses, he said, are considering tax-incentivized investments in turbines that would generate electricity close to the users. "Community wind," Carbone said, "should grow by 2,000 to 2,500 megawatts per year over the next three to five years, and we would like to lead that sector."
Nordic this week announced $38 million in a third-round of funding led by Khosla Ventures, with participation by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and other investors. Its total funding has not been disclosed.
The company is hardly typical of Silicon Valley. Founders Steve Taber and Jim Walker are renewable energy veterans who, recognizing the global demand for more turbines, did a global search that found a Swedish technology that included a flexible "teeter" hub and other advances that enabled the turbine to function more smoothly than rigid turbines.
"The Swedes really found an elegant solution to optimize the performance of the two-bladed turbine," he said.
Nordic's founders initially were interested in licensing the technology, Carbone said, but ultimately raised money from London-based Goldman Sachs International to acquire it. To date, Nordic has shipped five of its turbines, including three to a utility in Uruguay. It has orders for 14 more. They are built in Pocatello, Idaho. Khosla partner Jim Kim joined Nordic's board with the investment.
NEA raises a whopper: For NEA, one of valley's biggest venture firms, the Nordic investment might have seemed like pocket change in light of its announcement Wednesday that it had raised a new $2.5 billion fund, burnishing its top-tier status.
That's a remarkable 17 percent of all venture dollars raised in recession-racked 2009, according to the firm, a period when many other venture firms chose to postpone fundraising efforts.
It may also represent more proof that strong firms are flexing their power in the Darwinian struggle for venture dollars.
The fund, the 13th in NEA's history, is expected to be deployed primarily in clean tech, information technology and health care.
Contact Scott Duke Harris at sdharris@mercurynews.com or 408-920-2704.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wind Turbines on Eco-Sensitive Ridge
Somerset wind turbines seen as aviation hazard
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Federal Aviation Administration says that half of the 30 windmills proposed by Gamesa Energy USA for a controversial wind power project on an ecologically sensitive ridge area in Somerset County are a hazard to aviation.
Opponents of the wind turbine project hope the FAA's preliminary finding will shut it down, but FAA officials say even a final determination would not stop the development.
The project would be located in the watershed of two of the state's highest quality trout streams and along the Allegheny Front ridge, a major bird and bat migratory route, of Shaffer Mountain in the northeastern part of the county.
"It should be the end of the project, but I think Gamesa will call in some of its political clout to get the FAA to back off," said Jack Buchan, a member of Sensible Wind Solutions, which opposes the development.
Gamesa said the FAA findings won't affect the proposed project, which experienced delays in securing state permits for the 22,000-acre site. The state Department of Environmental Protection rejected Gamesa's first three permit applications as incomplete and is considering a fourth submission.
The FAA said that 15 of the 404-foot-tall wind turbines exceed "obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect" on the airspace above ridge or nearby airports and flight routes.
But Laura Brown, an FAA spokeswoman, said the presumed hazard determination is the first step in a give-and-take process between the FAA and the developer that could alter the height and location of the turbines.
Even a final FAA determination that a project is a hazard to aviation doesn't mean it won't be built because the FAA has no legal authority to stop any development, Ms. Brown said. But such a determination can make it hard for a development to get insurance coverage.
Gamesa was invited to the state by Gov. Ed Rendell in 2004 as part of a green jobs initiative. The company manufactures turbines in Ebensburg, Cambria County.
If all 30 turbines planned for the Shaffer Mountain project are built, they would have a maximum electric power generation capacity of 66 megawatts, enough to power 30,000 homes.
Don Hopey can be reached at dhopey@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1983.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Federal Aviation Administration says that half of the 30 windmills proposed by Gamesa Energy USA for a controversial wind power project on an ecologically sensitive ridge area in Somerset County are a hazard to aviation.
Opponents of the wind turbine project hope the FAA's preliminary finding will shut it down, but FAA officials say even a final determination would not stop the development.
The project would be located in the watershed of two of the state's highest quality trout streams and along the Allegheny Front ridge, a major bird and bat migratory route, of Shaffer Mountain in the northeastern part of the county.
"It should be the end of the project, but I think Gamesa will call in some of its political clout to get the FAA to back off," said Jack Buchan, a member of Sensible Wind Solutions, which opposes the development.
Gamesa said the FAA findings won't affect the proposed project, which experienced delays in securing state permits for the 22,000-acre site. The state Department of Environmental Protection rejected Gamesa's first three permit applications as incomplete and is considering a fourth submission.
The FAA said that 15 of the 404-foot-tall wind turbines exceed "obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect" on the airspace above ridge or nearby airports and flight routes.
But Laura Brown, an FAA spokeswoman, said the presumed hazard determination is the first step in a give-and-take process between the FAA and the developer that could alter the height and location of the turbines.
Even a final FAA determination that a project is a hazard to aviation doesn't mean it won't be built because the FAA has no legal authority to stop any development, Ms. Brown said. But such a determination can make it hard for a development to get insurance coverage.
Gamesa was invited to the state by Gov. Ed Rendell in 2004 as part of a green jobs initiative. The company manufactures turbines in Ebensburg, Cambria County.
If all 30 turbines planned for the Shaffer Mountain project are built, they would have a maximum electric power generation capacity of 66 megawatts, enough to power 30,000 homes.
Don Hopey can be reached at dhopey@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1983.
Turbines Still New, in Manufacturing Infancy
New Knowledge about Materials to Increase Wind Turbine Reliability
Summary posted by Meridian on 1/5/2010
Source: Nanowerk
Author: n/a
The Danish Council for Strategic Research’s Programme Commission on Energy and Environment, Denmark, has granted funding for a new center at Risø Technical University of Denmark (DTU), to be called the Danish Centre for Composite Structures and Materials (DCCSM). The new center will conduct research to increase the operating reliability of wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually made from composite materials and are designed to last for at least 20 years, but during this period they are exposed to harsh weather, and are often located in areas that make servicing the machines expensive and challenging. Reliability, and minimizing stoppages, is paramount. The DCCSM will look to improve its understanding of what makes a nanoscale defect morph into a major fracture that can cause a wind turbine to stop completely. Sensors that detect damage as early as possible, at the nanoscale level, will need to be developed in order to repair and replace blades before the turbine suffers a stoppage. The DCCSM will also conduct research on best materials, design and manufacture of wind turbine blades. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=14215.php
Summary posted by Meridian on 1/5/2010
Source: Nanowerk
Author: n/a
The Danish Council for Strategic Research’s Programme Commission on Energy and Environment, Denmark, has granted funding for a new center at Risø Technical University of Denmark (DTU), to be called the Danish Centre for Composite Structures and Materials (DCCSM). The new center will conduct research to increase the operating reliability of wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually made from composite materials and are designed to last for at least 20 years, but during this period they are exposed to harsh weather, and are often located in areas that make servicing the machines expensive and challenging. Reliability, and minimizing stoppages, is paramount. The DCCSM will look to improve its understanding of what makes a nanoscale defect morph into a major fracture that can cause a wind turbine to stop completely. Sensors that detect damage as early as possible, at the nanoscale level, will need to be developed in order to repair and replace blades before the turbine suffers a stoppage. The DCCSM will also conduct research on best materials, design and manufacture of wind turbine blades. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=14215.php
Natives Fight Cape Cod Wind Farm
From The Independent World
Native tribes fight Cape Cod wind farm
Ten-year battle to build US's biggest wind turbines approaches endgame
By David Usborne in New York
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
AP
The unspoilt view east from Popponesset beach in Mashpee, Massachusetts
The plan to build an enormous wind farm in Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, has seen off a string of formidable enemies. They include the Kennedy clan, and others among the old money families of the coast, and Bill Koch, the billionaire oil and coal tycoon, the main financial force behind the opposition. The struggle to obtain the necessary permits has been under way for almost a decade.
The installation would, if constructed, be the biggest offshore wind farm in the US by far and would lend a much-needed shot of credibility to President Barack Obama's efforts to boost the renewable energy industry.
Last year, the battle appeared to have turned in the favour of the project, named Cape Wind, after a long-awaited environmental impact assessment concluded that the proposed wind turbines – 130 of them, each one 440ft high, spread over an area the size of Manhattan – would present negligible ecological problems.
But all bets were off again after complaints from two Indian tribes on Martha's Vineyard, the Mashpee Wampanoag and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. Wampanoag means "people of the first light", and the tribes maintain that Nantucket Sound is integral to their spiritual traditions of watching the sun rise in the east.
Their worship requires unrestricted views, they claim. And the project would also disturb their ancestral burial grounds. The National Park Service has heeded their plea, and the entire area of ocean has been listed for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
It is not necessarily the death knell for Cape Wind. Supporters of the project say the Wampanoag's land is on the western side of Martha's Vineyard, which does not face Nantucket Sound. But it is certain to lend new hope to its opponents.
The Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, has summoned all the parties involved in the debate to meet in Washington DC next week with a view to settling the issue by 1 March. "After several years of review, it is now time to move the Cape Wind proposal to a final decision point," Mr Salazar said in a statement.
The talks would, he added, "discuss how we might find a common-sense agreement on actions that could be taken to minimise and mitigate Cape Wind's potential impacts on historic and cultural resources."
That Washington is now expressing a fresh urgency about resolving the stand-off drew a tentative welcome from Cape Wind. "While we found the National Park Service decision disappointing, far more important is that Secretary Salazar has signalled the beginning of his personal involvement in bringing the Cape Wind permitting process to a speedy conclusion," a spokesman for the project, Mark Rodgers, commented.
The late Senator Kennedy was part of a coalition of Cape Cod residents and sailors who argue that the turbines, which would be clearly visible from shore on a clear day, would do grave damage to the area's tourism industry and spoil its natural beauty.
But they in turn were bitterly criticised by environmentalists who saw the coalition as having entered an unholy alliance with the coal industry, one of America's dirtiest industries, and of being guilty of stark hypocrisy over the affair.
The farm, first proposed in 2001, would cost at least $1bn to build. It would be visible from Nantucket itself and from Martha's Vineyard. Both islands are important magnets for prosperous summer visitors.
Mr Obama, who spent his summer holiday last year on the Cape Cod coast, has been careful not to take sides publicly on the controversy.
Native tribes fight Cape Cod wind farm
Ten-year battle to build US's biggest wind turbines approaches endgame
By David Usborne in New York
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
AP
The unspoilt view east from Popponesset beach in Mashpee, Massachusetts
The plan to build an enormous wind farm in Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, has seen off a string of formidable enemies. They include the Kennedy clan, and others among the old money families of the coast, and Bill Koch, the billionaire oil and coal tycoon, the main financial force behind the opposition. The struggle to obtain the necessary permits has been under way for almost a decade.
The installation would, if constructed, be the biggest offshore wind farm in the US by far and would lend a much-needed shot of credibility to President Barack Obama's efforts to boost the renewable energy industry.
Last year, the battle appeared to have turned in the favour of the project, named Cape Wind, after a long-awaited environmental impact assessment concluded that the proposed wind turbines – 130 of them, each one 440ft high, spread over an area the size of Manhattan – would present negligible ecological problems.
But all bets were off again after complaints from two Indian tribes on Martha's Vineyard, the Mashpee Wampanoag and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. Wampanoag means "people of the first light", and the tribes maintain that Nantucket Sound is integral to their spiritual traditions of watching the sun rise in the east.
Their worship requires unrestricted views, they claim. And the project would also disturb their ancestral burial grounds. The National Park Service has heeded their plea, and the entire area of ocean has been listed for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
It is not necessarily the death knell for Cape Wind. Supporters of the project say the Wampanoag's land is on the western side of Martha's Vineyard, which does not face Nantucket Sound. But it is certain to lend new hope to its opponents.
The Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, has summoned all the parties involved in the debate to meet in Washington DC next week with a view to settling the issue by 1 March. "After several years of review, it is now time to move the Cape Wind proposal to a final decision point," Mr Salazar said in a statement.
The talks would, he added, "discuss how we might find a common-sense agreement on actions that could be taken to minimise and mitigate Cape Wind's potential impacts on historic and cultural resources."
That Washington is now expressing a fresh urgency about resolving the stand-off drew a tentative welcome from Cape Wind. "While we found the National Park Service decision disappointing, far more important is that Secretary Salazar has signalled the beginning of his personal involvement in bringing the Cape Wind permitting process to a speedy conclusion," a spokesman for the project, Mark Rodgers, commented.
The late Senator Kennedy was part of a coalition of Cape Cod residents and sailors who argue that the turbines, which would be clearly visible from shore on a clear day, would do grave damage to the area's tourism industry and spoil its natural beauty.
But they in turn were bitterly criticised by environmentalists who saw the coalition as having entered an unholy alliance with the coal industry, one of America's dirtiest industries, and of being guilty of stark hypocrisy over the affair.
The farm, first proposed in 2001, would cost at least $1bn to build. It would be visible from Nantucket itself and from Martha's Vineyard. Both islands are important magnets for prosperous summer visitors.
Mr Obama, who spent his summer holiday last year on the Cape Cod coast, has been careful not to take sides publicly on the controversy.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Bear River Health Clinic Updates
Acupuncture – Traditional Chinese Acupuncture by Joe Kubinec is available on Wednesdays unless otherwise posted. This treatment is good for back pain, arthritis, menopause, headaches, insomnia, stop smoking and many other conditions. Appointments are booked through the Clinic. Note: Joe will not be in from January 20 to the end of February. He returns to our Clinic on March 3. Enjoy your well-deserved vacation, Joe!
Audiology – Neil Hackett is in every other Friday to help with your hearing needs. Please call 1-866-299-2016 to book appointment. Coupons available at the Clinic for a free hearing test.
Electrolysis – Ronda Best is in once a month for all your hair removal needs. Call 1-902-791-0953 for more information or to book your appointment.
Esthetics –Charlene Decker is in monthly for waxing, manicures and pedicures. To book an appointment or for more information, call 1-902-362-2137.
Juniper House Outreach –You can book an appointment to see Lori at our Clinic by phoning 245-4789.
Massage Therapy – We are still working on getting a massage therapist in place as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience during this transition.
Physician Services – Dr. Roy Harding is seeing patients by appointment only. At this time, Dr. Harding is not able to take on any patients that he has not already seen at our Clinic.
Senior Services – Nurse Practitioner, Dianne Corbett, RN specializes in concerns specific to the elderly, such as memory loss, complicated medical conditions and poor coordination/balance. For more information or to book an appointment, call the Clinic.
Note: Times and dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Relay For Life
We are still looking for a few more people to be on our Clinic’s team for the 2010 Relay for Life events.
If you are interested, please call 467-3611 and leave your name and phone number.
The Board and staff of
the Bear River & Area Community Health Clinic
wish to send warm greetings to everyone who
visited or worked at our Clinic during the past year.
We look forward to another year of health and happiness!
Note: There will be no Board Meeting in January
Next Board Meeting – Tuesday, February 2 at 7:00 pm at the Clinic. All members of the public welcome!
Note: The Clinic will reopen on Monday, January 4 at 8:30 am.
Audiology – Neil Hackett is in every other Friday to help with your hearing needs. Please call 1-866-299-2016 to book appointment. Coupons available at the Clinic for a free hearing test.
Electrolysis – Ronda Best is in once a month for all your hair removal needs. Call 1-902-791-0953 for more information or to book your appointment.
Esthetics –Charlene Decker is in monthly for waxing, manicures and pedicures. To book an appointment or for more information, call 1-902-362-2137.
Juniper House Outreach –You can book an appointment to see Lori at our Clinic by phoning 245-4789.
Massage Therapy – We are still working on getting a massage therapist in place as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience during this transition.
Physician Services – Dr. Roy Harding is seeing patients by appointment only. At this time, Dr. Harding is not able to take on any patients that he has not already seen at our Clinic.
Senior Services – Nurse Practitioner, Dianne Corbett, RN specializes in concerns specific to the elderly, such as memory loss, complicated medical conditions and poor coordination/balance. For more information or to book an appointment, call the Clinic.
Note: Times and dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Relay For Life
We are still looking for a few more people to be on our Clinic’s team for the 2010 Relay for Life events.
If you are interested, please call 467-3611 and leave your name and phone number.
The Board and staff of
the Bear River & Area Community Health Clinic
wish to send warm greetings to everyone who
visited or worked at our Clinic during the past year.
We look forward to another year of health and happiness!
Note: There will be no Board Meeting in January
Next Board Meeting – Tuesday, February 2 at 7:00 pm at the Clinic. All members of the public welcome!
Note: The Clinic will reopen on Monday, January 4 at 8:30 am.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Ensure Properly Built Turbines
From Utica od .com
Our view: Ensure turbines built properly
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Jan 02, 2010 @ 09:00 PM
Two wind turbines have collapsed in New York state in the past year.
One fell on Dec. 27, in the Madison County town of Fenner, the other last winter near Plattsburgh.
Fortunately, no one was injured in either instance, but it is disquieting to imagine nearly 190 tons of metal, plastic and other materials tumbling down onto farm fields and hillsides.
It turns out that the state Public Service Commission oversees only larger wind farms, not those as small as in Fenner.
That’s troubling.
Wind turbines are among the largest structures on the Upstate New York landscape. They need to be subject to stringent building standards and to occasional inspections. These are tasks far beyond the capabilities of the typical rural town.
State legislators including Assemblyman William Magee, who represents Madison County, need to step up in the next legislative session and make wind turbine safety a state responsibility.
Our view: Ensure turbines built properly
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Jan 02, 2010 @ 09:00 PM
Two wind turbines have collapsed in New York state in the past year.
One fell on Dec. 27, in the Madison County town of Fenner, the other last winter near Plattsburgh.
Fortunately, no one was injured in either instance, but it is disquieting to imagine nearly 190 tons of metal, plastic and other materials tumbling down onto farm fields and hillsides.
It turns out that the state Public Service Commission oversees only larger wind farms, not those as small as in Fenner.
That’s troubling.
Wind turbines are among the largest structures on the Upstate New York landscape. They need to be subject to stringent building standards and to occasional inspections. These are tasks far beyond the capabilities of the typical rural town.
State legislators including Assemblyman William Magee, who represents Madison County, need to step up in the next legislative session and make wind turbine safety a state responsibility.
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