LETTER: Clarifying statements made in letter

To the Editor:

Carol Johnson’s letter to the editor, (New Richmond News Aug. 16, 2012), criticizing the Forest Voice and me personally lacked facts and contained misinformation.

Ms. Johnson stated that, “I am a resident who lives just outside of the proposed wind farm footprint.” Actually, her home is inside the project area (source: PSC Docket 2535-CE-100 Appendix K: General Property Maps Figure 4.1-4). Is she unaware of this fact or is she misrepresenting herself to the readers of this newspaper?

Her following statement is also inaccurate: “Recently, I was sent a copy of a letter to the editor published in the local newspaper from Brenda Salseg, (assuming from Tribune Press Reporter, Aug. 1, 2012) the leader of the Forest Voice anti-wind group. She actually states in her letter that the PSC denied the Forest Voice any funding to fight this project—known as Intervener money.”

Actually, press release (published as a letter to the editor) stated: “The PSC has provided $43,000 for one expert (emphasis mine) to Clean Wisconsin, a statewide group with a $2.3 million budget, but has refused to provide expert funding (emphasis mine) to Forest Voice, a local organization with less than $10,000 on hand.”

No funding for expert witnesses was awarded that could have substantiated the claims against industrial wind turbines, which include excessive dBA noise levels above ambient, low frequency and infrasound affects, health issues, electrical pollution, and property devaluation.

Ms. Johnson states the Forest Voice is a “small anti-wind group in the community...that uses misinformation to get people upset about any progress on this project.”

The Forest Voice supports responsible renewable energy that is safe and efficient. If people are upset, they well have the right to be. A majority of Forest residents, whether associated with the Forest Voice or not, oppose living inside a wind generated electrical facility, this fact based on the 2011 recall and general town elections that twice ousted the former town board.

Ms. Johnson wants the Public Service Commission (PSC) to fast track the Highland Wind project. She believes an environmental assessment is good enough. I believe the townspeople of Forest deserve better, especially as recent studies clearly point to problems with Big Wind.

Example, see: http://www.windaction.org/documents/33837. A fast track would hasten the distribution of lease payments (investment income?) to hosting landowners and benefit a private non-utility wind developer. I have not seen any guarantee that permanent jobs would be all local employees. Does a half dozen jobs justify tax subsidies used to create them as well as the property devaluation of all nonparticipating homes in the township?

I respect Ms. Johnson’s right to support the proposed industrial wind project. I understand she has worked for several wind developers. (Tribune Press Reporter article August 31, 2011 “Solar electric system now on-line in Forest Township.”) It appears to me, however, she does not respect my right or other nonparticipating landowners to oppose industrial wind development that a majority believes is not appropriate for our community.

Brenda Salseg

Town of Forest

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion