Schoharie Valley Watch

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. SVW is a 501(C) non-profit corporation.

Schoharie Valley Watch considers education, outreach, citizen activism and legal action to be appropriate and necessary tools to preserve the environmental integrity and quality of life in the beautiful Schoharie Valley.

SVW supports low impact, sustainable growth that enhances the local economy and opportunities for residents while preserving the rural character and values that are so important to those of us who live here.

SVW encourages careful, creative regional planning that prioritizes the concerns and well-being of the residents over that of special interests.

SVW is a member of the NY Planning Federation.

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 Petition (18KB)

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

Important Updates

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

POSITION STATEMENTS:

*SVW supports aggressive revitalization efforts for our downtowns and villages coupled with progressive and comprehensive local zoning that encourages small, local businesses.
*SVW supports a well-defined regional energy policy that highlights the use of solar, small-scale wind generation, geothermal and other environmentally sound technologies.
*SVW supports sound tax policies that encourage existing home rehabilitation, open space and farmland preservation and a reduced burden on senior and fixed-income residents.
*SVW supports the Cobleskill Creek Recreation Path initiative.
*SVW supports the proposed Blenheim Covered Bridge Art Expo.

BREAKING NEWS...

4/6/08 SPECIAL ALERT

Mid-Central Land Services, Inc. of Evansville Indiana has been approaching Richmondville residents who own 100 or more acres and discussing land use "opportunities" that include gas drilling. It is important to note that Mid-Central is not an energy producer but rather a land speculation company and facilitator of right of ways, power line easements and power plant siting, including industrial wind facilities. We urge all residents to conduct discussions with this company carefully and to consult with an attorney before entering into any agreements. SVW has requested a meeting with Mid-Central management in an attempt to better understand their business plan and any impacts that plan may have on the environment of the Valley and/or quality of life of our residents.

4/28/08

The Town of Richmondville continues to operate in the shadows, rejecting open government at every opportunity. The Town's Zoning Rewrite Committee (which includes a land owner interested in leasing land to Reunion Power) has met without notifying the public and is scheduled to meet again but will not disclose when or where. In sharp contrast to the Village of Richmondville which has invited the public to attend Rewrite Committee meetings, the Town has made it clear that they fear public input and prefer to hide their activities. Town officials and Zoning Rewrite Committee members should be ashamed. SVW encourages all residents to express their dissatisfaction to the Town Supervisor and Board members.

4/22/08

SVW continues to investigate what appears to be a second Reunion Power "MET" tower failure in Cherry Valley. Additional details will be posted to this site as they become available.

4/22/08

SVW is in discussion with the Village of Richmondville to help steward a "Tree City" application as part of a Village beatification initiative.

3/24/08

A 164-foot meteorological tower installed by Reunion Power and designed to measure wind strength in Cherry Valley, NY collapsed during the recent strong winds. Schoharie Valley Watch has contacted the Town of Richmondville's Code Enforcement Officer and requested an emergency inspection of Reunion's tower in that town to ensure it does not pose a public safety issue. This latest accident underscores the potential health and safety issues that must be carefully examined before industrial wind facilities are permitted in our rural residential communities.

3/10/08

SVW has joined The Citizen Power Alliance (CPA), a coalition of independent groups organized to promote sound energy and environmental policy. CPA holds public officials and regulators accountable, while seeking the protection of the public interest.

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