Welcome to Schoharie Valley Watch


A not-for-profit citizen's advocacy group dedicated to working for open local government that is responsive to the residents of the Valley. 501(C)(3) non-profit status pending.

Legal Defense Fund Established



SVW has issued an urgent request for donations to the Schoharie Valley Watch Legal Defense Fund established in preparation for a potential Article 78 legal challenge of local laws passed to accommodate industrial wind developers.

The fund will be used exclusively for legal actions. Contributions are absolutely vital but because of applicable regulations, are not tax deductible. The fund will be carefully managed, issue monthly statements and be subject to quarterly audits by an independent accounting firm.

Please mail your contributions to:

Schoharie Valley Watch Legal Defense Fund
PO Box 193
Richmondville, NY 12149

or call 518-294-6066


You can now contribute to the SVW Legal Defense
Fund electronically and securely using PayPal.




Our Email: SchoharieValleyWatch@gmail.com
SVW appreciates the very generous donations it has received to date.



Download, print and sign the petition:
"Richmondville Community Against Industrial Wind Turbines"

Download PDF File Download Petition (18KB)



TO OBTAIN A "NO INDUSTRIAL WIND TURBINES" SIGN FOR YOUR LAWN EMAIL US WITH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.

Call for Volunteers, Interns and Grant Writers



SVW is increasingly being approached by individuals seeking guidance on issues such as a failure to enforce local laws and regulations, secretive local government process that exclude residents and conflicts of interest that impair the ability of elected officials to govern fairly and effectively. SVW has been providing that assistance and making referrals where appropriate, within the limitations of our resources.

We desperately need volunteers and interns with legal, environmental, zoning and planning expertise willing to help their neighbors. If you can donate a few hours a month or more to being part of community outreach and assistance initiatives please contact us as soon as possible.

Thank you!

SVW to Sponsor 2009 Blenheim Bridge Art Walk



We are pleased to announce that SVW will be sponsoring the first Blenheim Bridge Art Walk on July 19, 2009. The event is made possible, in part, with public funds from the Decentralized Program of the New York Council on the Arts, administered through the TriCounty Arts Council. Additional assistance is being provided by the NY Power Authority, Schoharie County and the Town of Blenheim.

Our goal is to highlight the work of local artists as well as the historical treasures and natural beauty of the Schoharie Valley. Artists will display and sell their work within the magnificent structure of the world's largest single span wooden bridge, creating a wonderful venue in which to view art, the beautiful Schoharie Creek and the bridge itself. Musicians will perform and refreshments will be available. Admission and parking are free.

Please mark the date and plan on attending what we hope will become an important annual event. Additional information, artists registration and a call for volunteers will be posted on this site in the very near future.

Important Updates



Press Release- SVW files ethics complaint againt Albany County legislator
March 26, 2009

On January 27, 2009 Schoharie Valley Watch (SVW) filed a ten-point complaint with the Albany County Legislature Ethics Committee concerning the activities of Alexander "Sandy" Gordon, Albany County Legislator and Employee of Reunion Power, a Vermont-based industrial wind developer.

It had been SVW's intention to allow the Ethics Committee to investigate the complaint fully and to allow Mr. Gordon to defend his activities before making the complaint public. We have, however, been contacted by the press and as a result felt it important to confirm that we have filed a complaint. We are confident the Ethics Committee will exercise due diligence, thoroughly investigate all relevant issues and take the appropriate action(s).

SVW will not comment further on the complaint until such time as the Ethics Committee has rendered a decision and we have had an opportunity to review any decision with our legal council.

An investigation by the NY State Attorney General's office into conflicts of interest and influence on local elected officials by wind developers lead to the publication of a Code of Ethics for wind developers. We are deeply concerned that most of the developers speculating in the Schoharie Valley and Hilltowns have not signed that Code of Ethics and continue to engage in questionable activities while cultivating close relationships with some elected officials. SVW is committed to shining the light of day on those activities in defense of residents fighting to protect the health and safety of their families and the rural character of their communities.

Press Release- SVW announces alliance with Albany County group
March 24, 2009

Schoharie Valley Watch (SVW) announces a strategic alliance with Helderberg Community Watch (HCW) of Albany County, NY. The two organizations have reached a “mutual aid” agreement that will leverage joint research as well as strategic, organizational and legal resources in the shared fight to prevent the ill-conceived and dangerous siting of industrial wind turbine projects in rural residential areas. SVW is also committed to working collaboratively with Advocates for Cherry Valley, Otsego 2000 and other groups fighting to preserve the rural character of Upstate towns and villages.

The alliance with HCW is the latest step in a concerted effort to protect the health, safety and quality of life of area residents, who in many cases have been left defenseless by local officials responding to the heavy-handed influence of developers rather than the best interests of the public.

SVW also continues to partner with national environmental groups through the NY Gas Coordination Group, in an effort to prevent contamination of area aquifers by chemically-intense, horizontal gas drilling.

SVW will actively explore future alliances with citizen advocacy groups across the region that are similarly dedicated to responsive and open local government, progressive, environmentally-sound land use planning and a sustainable regional energy policy.

February 11, 2009

Wind Turbine Fails on Ohio School Grounds Sending Blade Fragments Into Parking Lot and Football Field

Saturday’s failure of a wind turbine installed only three weeks ago on the grounds of a high school in Perkins Township, Ohio send blade fragments crashing into the school parking lot as well as the end zone of the football field. It is important to note that the turbine that failed (one of three on the school grounds) was of modest size, considerably smaller than those being proposed for our area, yet the blade failure result in a debris field that extended more than 120 feet from the turbine.

The installation of industrial wind turbines close to school buildings and homes represents an extremely dangerous practice and one that is prohibited in European countries where wind turbines have been in operation for decades and failures have been occurring at an alarming rate.

SVW strongly urges all permitting authorities to require significant (2500’+) minimum setbacks from property lines, roads, wetlands and transmission lines as a recognition of the potential dangers associated with turbine technology.

The following is a link to the turbine failure story as reported in the Ohio Morning Journal: http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/02/10/news/mj594813.txt


February 11, 2009

Update on Gas Drilling

State and Local officials are continuing their investigation into the well explosion and the contamination of residential drinking water in the vicinity of Cobot Oil and Gas's drilling operation in Dimock, Pennsylvania. The latest theory suggests that natural gas was released by the hydrafracing operation and migrated upward through the Devonian shale formation that lies above the target Marcellus formation and then entered the aquifer. This is precisely the kind of event that gas drillers and some landowner coalitions have contended could not happen. Astoundingly, the Penn Department of DEP spokesman referred to gas drilling in the Marcellus shale as "one big experiment in the field." Given the potential catastrophic harm to water supplies such experiments should not be conducted in residential areas.

It is important to note that Dimock, PA is just 15 miles south of the Broome County, NY border which contains similar geological formations. Gas drilling companies have been actively scouting drilling sites in Broome County since early 2008. Two companies XTO Energy and Chesapeake Energy already hold mineral rights in that area and are awaiting updated regulations from the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. Through the NY Gas Coordination Group (NYGCG), Schoharie Valley Watch is providing comment on the proposed regulations.

In a bit of "good" news Dow Jones yesterday projected a 5.1% decline in demand for natural gas in 2009. The price for natural gas is expected to average $5.01/Mcf in 2009 which is expected to reduce to attractiveness of horizontal gas drilling in NY State where profitability appears to hinge on a price closer to $8.00/Mcf. The reduction in demand could allow the State and local departments of health breathing room to enact the regulatory constraints necessary to protect drinking water supplies.

Bob Nied

February 10, 2009

SVW HAS SENT THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO THE COBLESKILL, NY TIMES JOURNAL:

It is difficult to know where to begin in response to Richmondville Councilman Vern Hall’s recent letter to the Editor since it careened from misrepresentation to absurd contention. While Mr. Hall correctly admits on one hand that industrial wind facilities will not eliminate the problem of global climate change he then insists it is a “contributor” to that solution, ignoring the very science he touts. Mr. Hall conveniently disregards the fact that after thousands of wind turbines have been built in the United States, not a single coal fired power plant has come off-line and there has been no tangible impact on either foreign oil dependence or greenhouse gas emissions. The reason is simple: industrial wind energy is inefficient, unreliable and dependent on technology and production systems that have a heavy environmental footprint and an enormous impact on the people forced to live with them.

While calling Schoharie Valley Watch selfish for opposing a bad idea that will negatively impact the region Mr. Hall then defends the few large landowners who want to make money from industrial wind, insisting that they have a right to do what they want with their land and that their neighbors should have nothing to say about it. He also implies that residents should have no expectation (his words: “Nothing. Nada. Zip”) that their community not be despoiled and that their safety and health not be jeopardized. Ironically, the philosophy Mr. Hall expounds is the epitome of selfishness. Mr. Hall also misses the point. While individual deeds may carry no guarantee that a rural residential area can not be transformed an industrial site, zoning and land use regulations do provide that protection. Something he should certainly know as a Councilman. Mr. Hall contends that SVW has influenced committees, apparently referring to the Setback Committee that returned recommendations on the health and safety of the Town’s residents. Mr. Hall has apparently not actually looked at the documents that were reviews by the committee or he would have known that the vast majority were supplied by the Schoharie County Planning and Development Agency not SVW.

Mr. Hall goes on to make a series of ridiculous claims that have been long debunked including the tired assertion that when towns exempt multi-million dollar wind facilities from paying taxes while absorbing the cost of community services resulting from wind facility construction and infrastructure the Towns will somehow still reap a windfall (no pun intended) and their economic woes will disappear. Either Mr. Hall has not done his homework and does not understand that industrial wind projects in the Northeast benefit only a few landowners and Mr. Hall’s friends in the industry, or he rather the readers didn’t.

Mr. Hall is at his most inexplicable when he contends that the recent Richmondville election was a mandate for his views on industrial wind development and then makes an inflammatory reference to SVW’s “candidates” in that election. While Mr. Hall may view everything through the lens of politics the reality is that SVW is a non-profit advocacy group representing the concerns of many of his neighbors and has never and will never endorse a political candidate. Implying that SVW has acted in a way prohibited by both their charter and the law is a wildly irresponsible assertion by a public official. But his claims are not surprising for a man who is angry that residents attend town meetings, viewing their participation in local government as “intimidation.” I guess I can understand how an elected official who displays an advertisement for an energy developer on his vehicle could be more comfortable with government driven by special interest than by the will and participation of the public. Given that the same developer has been lobbying for the adoption of ordinances on which Mr. Hall will now have a vote, he has created an undeniable appearance of impropriety.

Apparently Mr. Hall’s inflammatory assertions were not enough because he goes on to dismiss his neighbors who have a genuine concern for issues of health, safety and quality of life as “Bushites” an apparent attempt at an insult that is ignorant of the philosophical and political diversity of those neighbors who regardless of political affiliation, oppose the industrialization of the area’s rural residential communities. Mr. Hall’s insults of his neighbors, local candidates, members of opposing political parties and committee volunteers says much about who he is and they should not be ignored nor should his irresponsive and defamatory allegation against a non-profit citizen group.

February 9, 2009

Update on Gas Drilling Issues

SVW continues to actively participate in the NY Gas Coordination Group and at the same time is evaluating mounting evidence that horizontal hydrafracing carries a potentially high-level of risk for Upstate communities. Incidents of drinking water contamination are following drilling operations eastward. Previously dismissed as a consequence of a “different kind of drilling” in the western states, water contamination has now been reported in wells in Pennsylvania where drilling companies are using the same technology as is proposed for our region. We are beginning to see public officials taking notice of this danger and there have been several bills proposed to end the exemption that the drilling industry currently enjoys from the Clean Water Act. The most tangible movement we are seeing is a groundswell of public support for legislation to protect NY City’s watershed from the effects of hydrafracing. While SVW fully supports the protection of the City’s water supply we see a danger in focusing on just that resource. We have taken the position within NYGCG that the most prudent course of action is to support full protections for the water supplies of all New Yorkers, Upstate and Downstate alike.

While there are currently more than 40,000 acres already under lease for gas drilling in Otsego County, it is important to note that leases are held by less than 10% of the County’s population. That fact presents an opportunity for the vast majority of County residents to lobby assertively for drinking water protections. In Schoharie County less than 2500 acres are currently under lease. The low price of natural gas and the potentially less productive shale formations of the County have had a dampening effect on activity by the drilling companies. An increase in gas prices, however, could renew leasing efforts in the County.

SVW continues to urge area residents to actively work to end Clean Water Act exemptions for gas drilling companies and to urge County and local Health Departments to look at the potential risks associated with the activity and move to mitigate those risks within their respective areas of responsibilities.



THE FOLLOWING ALERT HAS BEEN SENT TO SVW SUPPORTERS:

It is becoming clear that we will soon be engaged in round two of our fight against industrial wind turbines in the Town of Richmondville. Newly elected Councilman Hall is telling everyone who will listen that he intends to spearhead an effort to reverse the Town Board's decision to accept the recommendations of the Setback Committee. Reunion Power's Sandy Gordon has once again become a fixture at Town meetings, as has primarily lease holder David Huse. We also continue to witness increasingly close relationships between Town officials and Mr. Gordon.

If the Board attempts to reverse the Setback Committee's recommendations and pass a permissive wind law, the time for debate and heartfelt pleas is over. The only appropriate response to such an attempt to ignore the clear voice of the residents should and will take place in the courts.

The New York Supreme Court ruled on January 5th 2009, that a permissive wind law passed in the Town of Hamlin, NY should be "set aside and annulled." The courts found that the Town ignored the reasonable recommendations of their Wind Tower (setback) Committee (which recommended setbacks of 1500') and by doing so failed to take a "hard look" at the impacts of industrial wind turbines. This ruling, thanks to the hard work of a citizen group much like SVW, establishes a clear path of challenge that we will use, among others, to fight any similar attempt by the Town of Richmondville. To be perfectly clear- SVW will promptly file an Article 78 law suit against the Town of Richmondville if they attempt to disregard the will of the residents and the recommendations of the Setback Committee.

We strongly urge all concerned residents to resume their vigilance and begin attending Town Meetings in mass, contact their elected officials and contribute what they can to the SVW Legal Defense Fund. Only with your support can we successfully protect the safety and health of you and your family, the value of your home and the rural quality of life in our region.

Thank you for your continued support.

Bob Nied
Don Airey
Co-Directors

January 5, 2009
PRESS RELEASE- Gas drilling companies pushing into region

Press Release

1/5/09

Schoharie Valley Watch (SVW) has been receiving an increasing number of inquires into the activities of gas drilling companies and their potential interest in the Schoharie Valley. SVW has conducted research on the issue both independently and as a member of the New York Gas Coordination Group (NYGCG). We know that the drilling companies have been concentrating primarily on areas west of our region but are quickly moving east in an attempt to locate landowners willing to lease their land for drilling. Otsego County has been heavily lobbied by the drilling companies and their associated "landsmen." To date there have been more than 40,000 acres leased in Otsego County for drilling, including in towns as close as Worcester. There are at least six companies pursuing leases with the bulk of the leases being signed with Elexco and Whitmar.

At the same time we are seeing increased activity from drilling companies we are noting reports of environmental problems associated with horizontal hydrafracing, the method drilling companies intend to employ in our area. Those problems center primarily on the toxic mixture of chemicals injected into the ground to lubricate and/or shatter the shale. While the drilling companies refuse to disclose which chemicals are used (and are currently permitted to conceal those chemicals as "proprietary" under the law) independent reports have been produced that point to a noxious mixture of substances including formaldehyde, 2 butoxythanol (2-BE), caustic acids, a variety of petroleum compounds and pesticides as components of customarily used "fracing" fluid. Several environmental organizations have produced studies showing more than 200 separate chemicals found in "fracing" waste water. Many of those chemicals have been shown to be carcinogenic or human endocrine system suppressants. Recently, a well head leak and subsequent gas explosion at a horizontal fracing site in Pennsylvania has attracted the media's attention because the technology employed at that site is identical to that being proposed for our region.

SVW is concerned that this poorly regulated industry will conduct its activities in our area with little regard for safety of resident's drinking water supplies and, with the tacit approval of landowners seeking quick lease payouts, dramatically increase the potential for an environmental and/or human tragedy. Fortunately, economic factors, including the recent drop in natural gas prices, have slowed this latest perceived "gold rush" to invade our rural communities. But economic factors can change quickly and the onslaught of drilling companies could increase at any time. The promise of "easy money" may encourage some landowners to ignore the risks associated with hydrafracing.

SVW urges everyone concerned about the health and safety of their families and their neighbors to closely examine all of the scientific data available and to consult legal experts before agreeing to expose their land and their water supply to hydrafraing. We also urge all area residents to contact the Governor, their State representatives and all stakeholder agencies and demand regulations that place the safety of drinking wells and aquifers above the profits of gas and oil companies and a few large landowners.

SVW finds itself in the frustrating position of understanding the need for both new sources of domestic energy and for alternative energy technologies while simultaneously witnessing a disturbing tendency to cloak questionable technologies and practices in the guise of "energy opportunity." Even worse, we see companies and even government officials anxious to embrace these questionable technologies as long as they are used in rural Upstate NY where residents have historically been less resistant and less vocal and where same residents are desperate for new sources of income in a depressed and difficult economy. We hope that Schoharie Valley residents and their representatives will take the lead and be as assertive as those in Downstate Counties and demand that their homes, health and safety be treated with dignity and respect.

December 15, 2008

Fight to protect Schoharie County’s residential ridges from industrial wind development likely to intensify after New Year.

SVW has noted a renewed level of marketing and lobbying by Reunion Power and other wind interests in the region and anticipates a renewed effort by those attempting to financially gain from industrial wind development to push, once again, for permissive wind laws in the New Year. Sensing an opportunity to exploit changes in the composition of town boards, industrial wind companies and supporters are preparing to take another “shot” at our region. SVW urges all residents to attend town meetings and actively and vocally advocate for turbine siting controls that place the well-being of residents above that of wind companies and a few large-landowners. Be diligent, the wind companies have not gone away and have been regrouping in preparation for the next phase of their assault on our hills.


November 20, 2008
SVW PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO NEW CITIZEN'S GROUP IN ALBANY COUNTY

SVW has begun providing guidance and knowledge transfer to the newly formed citizen's group Helderberg Community Watch as it rapidly gets up to speed on the issue of industrial wind development in and near the rural communities of Berne and Knox, NY. The group has quickly developed a thorough understanding of the environmental, economic and cultural impacts of industrial wind when sited in densely populated rural areas. SVW applauds the enthusiastic and well focused efforts of the groups leaders and supporters as they fight to ensure that the health, safety and quality of life of area residents is not threatened by ill-conceived industrial wind projects.

November 11, 2008
SVW attends NYSERDA summit

SVW Co-Director Don Airey attended a NYSERDA summit of environmental groups in Albany yesterday and presented an overview of impacts of industrial wind development of the hill towns of Upstate NY while clarifying the negligible impact of industrial wind development on the over all national and international carbon footprint. Mr. Airey underscored the primary imperative for industrial wind development in the Northeast- production tax credits and other Federal, State and local subsidies that have given rise to an industry more akin to land speculation than energy production.

SVW continues to support a sound energy policy with an emphasis on conservation and appropriate and efficient technology, while identifying those “solutions” such as industrial wind, that are neither compatible with the context and environment of rural communities nor efficient sources of viable alternative energy production.

November 6, 2008
SVW INVITED TO JOIN GAS DRILLING COORDINATION GROUP

Schoharie Valley Watch has received and accepted an invitation to be part of the New York Gas Coordination Group. SVW, joined by the Sierra Club, the National Resource Defense Council, the Otsego County Conservation Association, Environmental Advocates of New York and other activist organizations, will participate in weekly strategy sessions intended to increase the understanding of potential environmental and community impacts of natural gas drilling in our region and to advocate for appropriate controls and oversight to mitigate those impacts.

SVW welcomes the opportunity of being part of this coalition and is committed to the development of a sound gas drilling policy, which is mindful of the unique characteristics of our region and serves to fully protect the critical drinking water supply on which our residents depend.


October 24, 2008
PRESS RELEASE

Schoharie Valley Watch (SVW) has been contacted by both residents and members of the press in Greene, Albany and Schenectady counties requesting information concerning the activities of a company called ERM which has been making inquires throughout the region as to local zoning and permitting requirements. In response, SVW requested, and then participated in, a conference call with a representative of ERM on Thursday, October 23, 2008. During that call, ERM explained that it was gathering information to assist its clients in "understanding the environmental and regulatory issues" in areas in which those clients had an interest in developing unspecified projects.

ERM declined to identify companies with whom it had contracts but did confirm that it had a large client base within the wind energy industry. (ERM has been active within the same communities recently contacted by Shell Wind Energy.) ERM, a multi-national consulting firm based in Houston, Texas, also declined to discuss the details of any of its client's proposed projects or particular communities being explored.

SVW provided ERM with an historical summary of the contentious debate surrounding wind development in Schoharie County while offering to engage in a non-adversarial and proactive dialog with ERM in an effort to avoid future conflicts over wind facility siting in Schoharie, Albany and surrounding counties. SVW encouraged ERM to work with transparency and a genuine appreciation for the concerns of residents as they attempt to locate potential industrial wind facilities. SVW emphasized the importance of realistic setbacks and other strategies to mitigate impacts on the health, safety and the quality of life of area residents. SVW stressed the importance of acknowledging the "human factor" while evaluating environmental impacts as they are potentially as, or more significant, than those related to wildlife, water quality, flora, etc.

SVW has learned that representatives from a large wind energy company have been contacting residents in western Albany county as well as eastern Schoharie County and suggesting that if residents resist signing wind turbine leases they could be forced to surrender their land under eminent domain. It has also been alleged by residents that the company erroneously stated that a deal had already been reached with the State of New York to construct a wind facility within Partridge Run State Park. SVW has been unable to find any indication that the later is true or that the former is in any way likely, certainly without a protracted fight in which SVW would surely participate.

SVW strongly denounces the use of misinformation and implied threats by project developers to coerce or frighten residents into signing wind leases and suggests that residents who are recipients of such threats, misrepresentations or other forms of pressure from wind development companies contact their local and state representatives as well as the office of the State Attorney General.

October 10, 2008

RICHMONDVILLE TOWN BOARD VOTES TO ADOPT SETBACK COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

Richmondville Town Councilman Larry Zaba presented a motion at last night’s Town Board meeting to accept the recommendations of the Setback Committee. That motion was seconded by Councilman Dick Lape and supported by Roy Bilby. The motion passed over the opposition of Dennis Handy and Supervisor John Barlow. Those recommendations include the requirement that industrial wind turbines be sited no closer than 1500’ from property lines, roads and wetlands as well as a provision to increase setbacks if noise levels exceed an established threshold. While these provisions, particularly the setback distances, are certainly not perfect, they represent a considerable improvement over those initially proposed and pushed by the wind power company and small minority of Town and County officials.

Despite relentless lobbying by Reunion Power and a few landowners who hoped to benefit financially from wind turbine leases, Mr. Zaba, who also recommended the formation of a Setback Committee, acted to reaffirm as a priority, the health and safety of the residents of Richmondville and surrounding communities. Mr. Zaba, Mr. Lape and Mr. Bilby seemed to signal a very positive shift in the course of the Town Board that includes a heightened willingness to listen to and support the people they represent.

SVW commends the responsible leadership demonstrated by Mr. Zaba and the even-handed and thoughtful actions of Mr. Lape and Bilby in this matter, as well as the careful considerations of the Setback Committee.

There remains considerable work to do on the language and content of the proposed wind law in Richmondville but if last night’s deliberations were any indication, the Town Board may have a new resolve to do that work diligently and in a way that is ultimately in the best interest of the residents.

In the interim, Richmondville residents are fortunate to have zoning laws in place that prohibit the industrialization of residential zones and should continue to demand that those laws be consistently and actively acknowledged and enforced.

October 6, 2008

SHELL OIL SUBSIDIARY COMES TO OUR AREA LOOKING FOR WIND TURBINE LEASES

The fight to prevent industrial wind facilities in our area is intensifying on many levels. SVW has learned that Shell Wind Energy, a subsidiary of giant petrochemical company Shell Oil, has begun approaching landowners in Rensselaerville in Albany County and in the Town of Broome in Schoharie County, looking for leases for wind turbine sites. Shell Wind, which has concentrated its efforts previously in the UK and the Netherlands has identified North America as the focus of its business expansion strategy.

SVW has been contacted by alarmed landowners asking for assistance in opposing the industrialization of their ridges. While we have been able thus far to resist Reunion Power's efforts at constructing an industrial wind project in our area, a company like Shell can potentially throw considerably more resources at a push into the region and be a far more formidable opponent than Reunion Power. We urge everyone to increase their efforts to convince elected officials to work to preserve the rural character of our area, resist efforts to pass wind ordinances intended to simply accommodate the wind industry and to be vigilant in identifying and fighting conflicts of interest between elected and appointed officials and the wind power companies.

This new challenge only increases the already considerable pressure on our organization and significantly broadens the landscape of our fight. We are asking once again for volunteers to help with such tasks as para-legal research, community outreach and administrative assistance. We are also issuing a new appeal for contributions in support of our legal fund which could very well become the principal line of defense for the entire region against the ill-conceived and destructive placement of industrial wind facilities in rural residential areas.

September 25, 2008

SVW ISSUES PRESS RELEASE ON GAS DRILLING

Schoharie Valley Watch (SVW) has joined the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA), Riverkeeper, the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society and the Catskill Mountainkeeper in calling for an immediate moratorium on all gas drilling permits issued by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation until such time as State regulators and local governments can assess the risks of horizontal drilling and chemical-related hydrofracing on rural Upstate New York communities and complete a comprehensive environmental impact study. SVW has sent a letter to Governor Paterson asking for his support of a moratorium.

SVW is also calling on local municipalities to evaluate drilling requests with scrutiny and carefully review all issues of permitting, site plan review, zoning compliance and to seek expert assistance when conducting a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) analysis of drilling impacts.

SVW understands that gas drilling may represent an economic opportunity for Upstate landowners, but since neither the resources nor the demand are likely to disappear any time soon, a delay in drilling will not diminish the opportunity for landowners and is prudent and necessary to ensure that sufficient oversight is in place to protect the critical drinking water supplies of Valley residents. A moratorium would also provide the time necessary to ensure the protection of ecologically sensitive resources such as the Schoharie Creek, Susquehanna River, the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, the New York City Watershed and the Catskill Park.

The types of technologies being considered for gas drilling in our area have been used elsewhere and have been associated with drinking water contamination and must be closely examined before placing Schoharie Valley residents at risk. Additionally, issues of pipelines, truck traffic and gas transportation, water consumption, drilling and pumping noise, erosion and wildlife habitat impacts should be carefully identified and mitigation strategies developed before drilling begins.

In addition to supporting strong government oversight of drilling activity, SVW urges all landowners considering signing drilling leases to seek qualified legal advice from an Oil and Gas and Mineral Rights Attorney and to insist that enforceable, best-practice protections for their drinking water supplies and that of their neighbors be included as part of contractual language.

August 16, 2008

SVW PICNIC A SUCCESS

SVW held its first annual outdoor get-together for supporters on a beautiful hillside overlooking "ground zero" for Reunion's proposed industrial wind turbine facility. Despite a day of thunderstorms and threatening weather the event drew many individuals anxious to socialize and discuss the ongoing fight to preserve the quality of life in the valley. SVW would like to thank the many wonderful people who attended, those who generously volunteered to help the organization going forward and especially Jack Gosslink for the generous use of his home and land.

July 18, 2008

PRO-WIND GROUP ATTEMPTS TO USE POLICE TO PREVENT SVW FROM DISTRIBUTING INDUSTRIAL WIND INFORMATION.

A wind "info-mercial" presented at SUNY Cobleskill last evening by a group called Citizen's Campaign for the Environment (CCE) featured a presentation by group representative Emmett Pepper in which he essentially rehashed outdated wind-industry propaganda and, at one point, bizarrely stated that turbine flicker does not exist and is a simply a myth originating with a "Pokeman Cartoon." Even the pro-wind members of the audience feel silent at that assertion.

Representatives of Reunion Power and CCE attempted to prevent SVW supporters from distributing a brochure prepared for the event and aggressively attempted to prevent SVW from entering the auditorium for the public meeting. SUNY Police arrived and reminded the event sponsors that the SVW had a right to both attend the meeting and to distribute literature. Assemblyman Pete Lopez also intervened on behalf of SVW and encouraged the event sponsors to allow SVW to participate in the public dialog. SVW appreciates Assemblyman Lopez' support.

Citizen's Campaign for the Environment is heavily supported by the industrial wind industry and has connections to wind developers including Reunion Power. CCE lists among their alliances a relationship with the Wind Action Group whose finance Director is Loren Pruzkowski. Mr. Pruzkowsi is a partner in Heldeberg Community Wind along with Sandy Gordon of Reunion Power.

July 7, 2008

The following press release was issued today by SVW:

SVW encourages all area landowners as well as the Four Partners and other groups to proceed cautiously with any decisions related to gas and oil drilling leases. SVW has met with representatives of a company pursuing leases in the area and has researched similar activity in other areas of the country. While we understand the interest being expressed by some landowners and the potential for financial return we are also aware of potential environmental and quality of life impacts that have been documented as a result of similar gas and oil drilling elsewhere in the country. SVW is particularly concerned about protecting the quality of aquifers and local drinking water supplies as well as the possible effect of large-scale oil and gas exploration activates on the rural quality of life in the Schoharie Valley.

While SVW does not endorse the candidacy of Donald Barber or any other political candidate, we do support his proposal for a twelve month moratorium on gas and oil drilling in the area, to allow a careful study of the potential impacts of such activity. Given that the process of hydraulic fracturing customarily used to extract gas from shale has been associated with ground water contamination in multiple states from Colorado to Alabama, a temporary delay in drilling is necessary to conduct the type of comprehensive environmental assessment required to reduce the risk of such occurrences in our area. The gas and oil deposits are not going anywhere and the demand for such resources is not likely to diminish. It is unlikely landowners would be harmed by such a delay but without such a prudent step, the rush to drill may preclude the kinds of reasonable controls and protections necessary to avoid irreparable harm to our Valley’s drinking water supply and overall environmental quality.

June 12, 2008

SVW has consulted with legal counsel is preparing to file a formal request for opinion with the NY State Committee on Open Government in response to the Town of Richmondville's continued efforts to keep the date, time and minutes of the Zoning Rewrite Committee secret. The Town has been sanctioned previously for failure to comply with the NY State Open Meetings Law. SVW believes this latest deceptive practice will also result in a sanction from the NY Department of State. SVW continues to consult with legal counsel and is exploring all options for addressing the failure of Richmondville officials to follow the law.

June 12, 2008

Reunion Power representative Sandy Gordon met recently with Richmondville Village Mayor Kevin Neary and Bruce Stevens, Superintendent of Richmondville Power and Light in an attempt to lobby for an agreement with the Village Power Company. In what appears to be an attempt by Reunion Power to counter the criticism that any electricity produced by an industrial wind facility in the area will not directly benefit Richmondville residents, Mr. Gordon offered to sell electricity directly to the Village. Mayor Neary informed Reunion that the Village already had agreements in place to purchase reduced rate hydroelectric and other power and that wind did likely not present a reliable electricity source for the Village because of the intermittent nature of wind production and the absence of a method to store electricity during periods of low or no production. Mayor Neary did agree to discuss the issue further, both with external parties and internally with the Village Board. SVW views Reunion's lobbying effort as nothing more than a public relations campaign in response to wide-spread public opposition to there proposal to site industrial wind facilities in Richmondville and Fulton.

June 6, 2008

The Town of Richmondville Supervisor, John Barlow has not responded to a certified letter send by SVW requesting the dates for future meetings of the Zoning Rewrite Committee. Town Attorney JR Parshall and Committee Chair Harold Loder have also failed to respond to copies of that letter. Apparently the Town continues to feel it necessary to block residents from observing this important process. SVW is consulting with legal counsel to determine what action is appropriate in response to the Town's insistence on yet more secret meetings.

June 6, 2008

The Schoharie County Planning Commission (CPC) met on Monday 6/2/08 to review a referral from the Town of Richmondville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). They were asked to provide a recommendation relative to a request for a temporary building permit extension for a 197’ tall meteorological test tower by David Huse and Reunion Power. SVW attended as an interested party and requested that the CPC return the issue to the ZBA without a recommendation so that the ZBA could first address the outstanding issue of local zoning compliance. SVW contends that the original permit issued for the tower was invalid and inconsistent with local zoning requirements and any extension that that permit should also be deemed invalid. SVW further contends that any recommendation to extend the permit would be premature on the part of the CPC and potentially prejudice the ZBA process and the integrity of local zoning and home rule law.

Despite procedural guidance by the Schoharie County Planning and Development Agency facilitator the Commission extended discussion to issues outside of local zoning and the appropriateness of the original permit, making references to wind power and the potential for wind development in other municipalities. The CPC ultimately decided that the permit extension has county-wide impacts and voted to recommend approval of an extension.

SVW is disappointed that the CPC went beyond its charge and charter and failed to support home rule and the integrity of Richmondville zoning. SVW is also disappointed that there was not substantive debate and discussion by a committee that seemed predisposed to their decision, disregarding or unfamiliar with many of the facts presented.

SVW does look forward however, to moving the issue back to the ZBA and underscoring the need to uphold local zoning regulations designed to protect the interests of residents. SVW remains committed to availing itself of all processes, procedures and remedies available to ensure compliance with established zoning requirements.


May 28, 2008

Peter Barber of Murphy, Burns, Barber & Murphy, Albany, NY has joined the SVW Legal Defense Team. Mr. Barber is a leading litigator specializing in land use and zoning law. Mr. Barber will help SVW monitor the application and enforcement of local zoning laws in Schoharie County. Mr. Barber's expertise is made possible by the generous contribution of SVW supporters.

May 28, 2008

The Town of Richmondville continues to ignore the principles of open and responsive government by refusing to disclose to SVW or the general public when the Zoning Rewrite Committee will meet. Letters sent to Supervisor Barlow, Committee Chair Harold Loder and Town Attorney J.R. Parshall have gone unanswered. These "secret" meetings deny residents the opportunity of observing this working committee in its effort to align the local zoning law with the Comprehensive Plan, increasing the skepticism felt by many about the integrity of this process. SVW condemns this disregard for the rights of Richmondville residents and also calls for the resignation of David Huse from the Rewrite Committee. Mr. Huse's financial interest in a zoning law change favorable to the wind turbine lease he has been negotiating with Vermont-based Reunion Power represents an unacceptable conflict of interest. New zoning regulations have the potential of significantly impacting the quality of life and property values of Richmondville residents. The rewriting of those regulations is a process that should be conducted in the light of day and without the influence of special interests.

May 21, 2008

SVW is preparing a presentation to the Schoharie County Planning Commission (CPC) to be delivered to that body on June 2, 2008 in response to a referral from the Town of Richmondville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). That referral requests a recommendation from the CPC on the request by David Huse/Reunion Power for an extension to a "temporary" building permit for a meteorological test tower on Warnerville Hill. SVW adamantly opposes any extension to a permit we believe was flawed from the start and inconsistent with local zoning regulations. SVW has retained legal counsel to assist with this effort. That legal counsel has been made possible by the many generous donations of local residents and concerned citizens who view the integrity of local zoning as a critical element of rural governance worth fighting for.

May 2, 2008

Reunion Power has request an extension to their permit for a 197' meteorological test tower in the R1 zone on Warnerville Hill in the Town of Richmondville. This follows the Town's rejection of SVW's complaint that the original permit issued to landowner David Huse on behalf of Reunion was not consistent with local zoning laws. SVW has retained environmental and open government attorney Peter Henner of Clarksville to challenge Reunion's request for an extension before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). A meeting to hear both Reunion's request and SVW's challenge is scheduled for May, 13, 2008 at the Radez Elementary School cafeteria at 5:30 PM. SVW is asking everyone to attend this very critical hearing to show support for the fight to prevent the industrialization of our rural residential areas.


April 22, 2008

SVW has submitted to the Town of Richmondville Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) a formal request to revoke the Building Permit for the Reunion Power "MET" tower on the Huse property on Warnerville Hill and a further request to issue a dismantling order for that tower, to be effective no later than May 1, 2008. SVW has reviewed the original application for the tower after obtaining the documents through the NY Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and has identified multiple areas in which we believe the tower violates local zoning law. SVW is currently awaiting a response from the CEO.

April 3, 2008

The Town of Richmondville Setback Committee has agreed to recommend wind turbine setbacks of 1500'from property lines, roads and wetlands. SVW has issued the following position statement in response to that recommendation:

Schoharie Valley Watch Position Statement and Update

April 2, 2008

The Town of Richmondville Setback Committee demonstrated at last evenings meeting that the more information becomes available the more obvious and troubling the potential impacts of industrial wind facilities on communities like Richmondville become. The Committee members should be commended for being receptive to a large volume of technically complex data and responding with a set of recommendations that departed substantially from those originally conceived by within the County sponsored model wind law. All residents of Richmondville should, however, resist the temptation to experience a sense of relief and instead should stop to consider the current realities:

Industrial wind turbines, regardless of setbacks, are inconsistent with the recommendations found in the Town of Richmondville's Comprehensive Plan.
The Town is still pursuing a wind law that, unlike current zoning requirements, would permit forty-story industrial towers in residential areas.
Setback Committee recommendations may not be adopted in full or in part by the Town Board.
Reunion Power or other wind energy companies may very well submit an application tomorrow, next week or next year to build industrial wind turbines on Warnerville Hill or elsewhere using a smaller scale development plan that would be possible despite the recommended 1500' setbacks.
Other areas in Town may more easily accommodate wind facility development, regardless of the proposed 1500' setbacks.
Multiple land owners may agree to waivers that would circumvent the proposed 1500' setbacks.
The Planning Board could waive wind law requirements in a way that would permit wind projects in one or more areas of the Town.
R-Ville has a Zoning Law that should be enforced, not circumvented. If we agree to this, we agree to accept a dangerous precedent.

At very least, we should ask the Town to finalize a Wind Law, only after further consideration of potential Health risks that include, but are not limited to, Wind Turbine Syndrome, Vibro-Acoustic Disorder, Sleep Disorders, etc, are fully addressed in terms of additional protections and remedies. These are complex issues that do not miraculously disappear because you make an educated guess on how far industrial turbines are setback from property lines. Much work remains to be done before residents can be expected to support a wind law.

It is absolutely critical that everyone remain vigilant and not lose sight of the fact that industrial wind development is made exponentially more likely with a passage of a wind law, even if the setbacks exceed the distances "preferred" by Reunion and other Wind Power Developers. If adopted, the recommendations of the Setback Committee may essentially preclude 40-60 Turbine projects in Town but they may, in conjunction with waivers and other circumstances, allow 10-12 tower projects. Smaller scale industrial wind projects still bring many of the environmental and economic impacts of larger projects, are expandable over time and remain entirely incompatible with our rural community.

SVW urges all residents to keep the pressure on your elected officials and remind them of the health, safety, economic, environmental and quality of life issues that are just as important now as they were when we started this fight to protect or home. That fight is far from over, it has only entered a new phase.

Bob Nied, Co-Director
Don Airey, Co-Director