As reported by NCPR, last Tuesday night the Jefferson County’s Planning and Development Committee opposed unanimously to the Federal Memorandum of Understanding, Governor Cuomo struck with the Obama administration, on building windmills and transmission facilities off the shores of Lake Ontario.
The primary reason for opposing to off-shore wind farms in the area stems from intention to preserve the beautiful views which attract significant number of tourists to the lake on annual basis, in addition to keeping the level of property value at the lakefront homeowners.
In addition, various environmental concerns have been raised by the environment legislators despite the urge of Obama administration to move forward with the generation of green energy, which is claimed to bring employment boost to Upstate New York.
This is not the first time the Jefferson County opposes to offshore wind turbines, since only two years ago, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) proposed an offshore wind turbine project in the Lake Ontario Eastern Basin, which was also voted down.
Barry Ormsby, chairman of the committee stated:
“It doesn’t make any more sense with their backing than it did with NYPA’s efforts to move forward. It’s going to have the same negative impact on our shoreline, on the tourism trade, boating, the fishing, the sailing, access to the ports – I mean, there’s nothing positive about it.”
“We said we don’t want it, give it to the people in Buffalo if they want it. Give it to someone else if they want it. Don’t waste your time or money here. Every time it comes up, we’re going to be opposing it,” Jefferson County Legislator Robert Ferris said.
The Committee proposed passing a resolution opposing that agreement. The resolution should go before the entire Jefferson County Legislature sometime this May.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, April 16, 2012