Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 2010)
FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 11, 2010 Turbines too loud? Here, take $5,000 Editor s Note: The follow ing article was written by William Yardley and was published July 31, 20/0 online at www nytimes.com A version o f this article ap peared in print on August l, 2010, on page A14 o f the New York edition o f The New York Times. IONE- Residents of the* remote high-desert hills near here have had an unusual visitor recently, a fixer working out the kinks in clean energy. Patricia Pilz of Caithness Energy, a big company from New York that is helping make this part of Eastern Oregon one of the fastest-growing wind power regions in the coun try, is making a tempting offer: sign a waiver say ing you will not complain about excessive noise from the turning turbines — the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of the future, advocates say — and she will cut you a check for $5,000. “Shall we call it hush money?” said one longtime farmer, George Griffith, 84. “It was about as easy as easy money can get.” Mr. Griffith hap pily accepted the check, but not everyone is taking the money. Even out here — where the recession has steepened the steady decline of the rural economy, where people have long supported the massive dams that har ness the Columbia River for hydroelectric power, where Oregon has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives to cultivate alternative energy — pockets of resistance are rising with the windmills on the river banks. Residents in small towns are fighting proposed projects, raising concerns about threats to birds and big game, as well as about the way the giant towers and their blinking lights spoil some of the West’s most alluring views. Here, just west of where the Columbia bends north into Washington, some people are fighting turbines that are already up and running. In a region where people often have to holler to be heard over the roar of the wind across the barren hills, they say it is the w indmills that make too much noise. “The only thing we have going for us is the Or egon state noise ordinance," said Mike Eaton, an oppo nent of the turbines. Oregon is one of a growing number of places that have drafted specif ic regulations restricting noise from wind turbines. The Oregon law allows for noise to exceed what is considered an area’s ambi ent noise level by only a certain amount. But what those ambient levels are is sometimes disputed, as is how and where they should be measured. And while state law limits turbine noise, the state office that once enforced industrial noise laws, housed within the De partment of Environmental Quality, was disbanded in 1991, long before wind power became a state pri ority. “We have the regu lations still on the books, and entities are expected to comply with those regula tions,” said William Knight, a spokesman for the De partment of Environmental Quality. “But there really isn’t anybody from D.E.Q. going around to find out if that’s occurring. I’m not sure who you’d call out there in Columbia Gorge.” Local government is one answer. In May, af ter testimony from private acoustic experts, the Mor row County Planning Com mission agreed with Mr. Eaton, his wife, Sherry, and a small group of other op ponents that Willow Creek, a wind farm directly behind the Eatons’ modest house on Highway 74, was indeed exceeding allowable noise levels. The commission ordered the company that operates the site, Invenergy, to come into compliance within six months. Invenergy quickly appealed — and so did the Eatons and their allies. The county’s board of commis sioners also asked the plan ning commission to clarify its decision. A hearing is scheduled for this month. “The appeals were all based on the same ques tions,” said Carla McLane, the county planning director. “What does ‘not in compli ance’ mean, and what does it take to be in compliance in six months?” Opponents say the constant whooshing from the turbines makes them anxious and that the low- level vibrations keep them awake at night. Some say it gives them nausea and headaches. Many other residents say they hear little or nothing at all, and the question of whether wind mill noise can harm health is in dispute. Critics say those complaining about Willow Creek are just angry that they were not able to lease their land to wind develop ers. Some opponents say they would be happy if In venergy just turned certain turbines off at night, but others say they want reim bursement for losing their pastoral way of life. “ What w e’re re ally trying to do is get In venergy to the bargaining table,” said Dan Williams, a builder who is part of the group frustrated with the noise from Willow Creek. While Invenergy is still dealing with the noise issue even after Wil low Creek, which has 48 turbines, has been up and running for more than 18 months, Caithness Energy, the company asking some residents to sign waivers allowing noise to exceed certain limits, hopes it can solve the issue upfront. It also has more at stake. Caithness is build ing a much larger w ind farm adjoining Willow Creek called Shepherd’s Flat. The new farm is expected to have 338 turbines and gen erate more than 900 mega watts when it is completed in 2013, which would make it one of the largest wind facilities in the country. Large farms like Shepherd’s Flat are regulat ed by the state. Tom Stoops, the council secretary for the Oregon Energy Facility Sit ing Council, said that large projects must prove they will comply with the noise ordinance and that noise waivers, or easements, are among the solutions. Asked if it was common for com panies to pay people to sign such easements, Mr. Stoops said, “That’s probably a level of detail that doesn’t come to us.” Ms. Pilz, the local Caithness representative, did not volunteer the in formation that Caithness offers people money to sign noise easements, though she eventually confirmed in an interview that it did. She also would not say how much money it offers, though several property owners said she had offered them $5,000. “ What we don’t do in general is change the market price for a waiver,” Ms. Pilz said. “That’s not fair.” Some people who did not sign said that Ms. Pilz made them feel un comfortable, that she talked about how much Shepherd’s Flat would benefit the strug gling local economy and the nation’s energy goals, and that she suggested they were not thinking of the greater good if they re fused. “The lady that came said everyone else signed,” said Jarrod Ogden, 33, a farmer whose house would be directly opposite several 300-foot turbines once Shepherd’s Flat is completed. “But I know for a fact that some people didn’t. I’m all for wind mills, but I’m not going to let them buy me like that. I think they’re just trying to buy cheap insurance.” Community Lunch Menu Heppner Christian Church members will be serving lunch on Wednes day, August 18, at St. Pat rick’s Senior Center. The menu will include turkey tetrazzini, peas and carrots, mixed melons, hot rolls, and ice cream. Cowboys tuckered after long rodeo weekend Tate Gentry (top photo) and Garrett Robinson (bottom photo) took a break from rodeo festivities this past weekend in Hep pner. -Contributed Photos Parents required to complete sports exam forms Parents of students needing sports physicals are reminded that they must complete a questionnaire and sign the examination form before the physical can be performed. Free sports exams will be conducted at Pio neer Memorial Clinic in Heppner on Tuesday, Au gust 17, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. for girls and on Wednesday, August 18, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. for boys. Irrigon Medical Clinic will hold free sports physicals on Thursday, August 12, and Thursday, August 29, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Exam Forms are available at the clinics. There will a $30 charge for sports exams scheduled outside the free dates listed above. Education First Italy/Switzerland ^ tour schedule announced The Education First Tour to Italy and Switzer land will be held March 17- 28,2011. The tour schedule is as follows: Day 1 - Flight from Port land to Zurich Day 2 - Zurich/Lucerne Region Day 3 - Mount Pilatus Cog Railway tour Day 4 - Italian Lakes Region Day 5 - Venice, Italy: St. Mark’s Square, Grand Canal Day 6 - Transfer to Flor ence, Italy Day 7 - Tour Pisa and the Leaning Tower Day 8 - Transfer to Rome via Assisi Day 9 - Visit to Vatican City: Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica Day 10 - Rome: Colos seum, walking tour of Rome, Sorrento, Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius Day 11 - Sorrento, Rome, Capri Day 12 - Return home to Portland Approximate costs for the trip are: adults $3,400 and students (grade 10 and up) $3,000. Price includes air fare, hotel, breakfast, dinner, and all tour costs. Passports are required. Sign up now for the best rates and tour availability. For more information, visit www.eftours.com tour # 583224 or contact Mary Haguewood, 676-9759. Advertise with the Heppner Gazette-Times The Office Pub and G rill’ will be closed A ugust 15-21 st for annual vacation THE OFFICE PUB t GRILL l 3 2 5 W . M ain Street, lone _■ Call 541-676-922Ô H ost an Exchange Student Today! Make a lifelong friend from abroad. There are many important parts that wear out in your brake system. This is why we don’t just replace your brake pads and shoes. It's also why we can stand behind our brake service with the best brake warranty. FREE REPLACEMENT 2 5 ,0 0 0 M ILES - PARTS & LABOR Les Schw ab Tire C en ter 124 North Main Street Heppner • 541-676-9481 Enrich your family with another culture. Now you can host a high sch<x>l exc hange student (girl or hoy) from France, Germany, Scandinavia. Spain, England. Japan. Brazil. Italy or other countries. Becoming a host to a young international visitor is an experience of a lifetime! Hanna from Norway, 1 6 yrs. Klaus from Germany, 17 yrs. Likes xkiing swimming dancing and art Hanna hopes to join a drama club while in the I SA. lane** c amping and plaving soccer. Klaus dream has been to spend a sc hool year in the I SA. Cathy Halvorsen 541-422-7107 1-800-733-2773 w w w .a s s e .c o m o r e m a il to h o s t in fo @ a s s e .c o m Founded in 19^6 ASSE International Student Exchange Program is a public benefit, non profit organization
