Michigan wind farm opponents look to heliports for help

[UrbScotty]

Some residents of Michigan's rural northwestern Lower Peninsula are applying for permits to establish heliports in their efforts to block rural wind turbine development.

Turbines can't be built near the liftoff and landing pads for helicopters, and observers say the tactic could gain momentum statewide, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported Wednesday.

Benzie County's Joyfield Township once was considered part of a site for a proposed wind farm. The community of 800 now could soon have up to eight licensed, stand-alone public heliports. That comes after Joyfield Township residents last year recalled three township trustees and replaced them with wind farm project opponents.

Heliports could prevent construction of wind turbines or any structure taller than 200 feet within almost a one-mile radius of the landing pads, the state said. According to the township, at least one permit has gone to a resident who wanted to figure out a way to prevent wind turbine development.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/09/michigan_wind_farm_opponents_l.html#incart_river_default

[EC]

1. So why don't they want turbines?

Heliports aren't any better looking than turbines and the turbines take up less land.

[Vincardog]

2. Some people have their a$$Hat$ on all the time

[Demeter]

4. Some people will cut off their noses to spite their faces.

If one considers the wind and the air to be part of the "commons", then instead of having some big, out-of-state power conglomerate confiscating and exploiting the commons for private profits, the deal should be structured so that every neighbor gets a cut of the power pie and profits.

Then there'd be no stupidity, just cupidity.

[caraher]

3. My cousin's husband is one of the eight

They aren't actually going to be flying helicopters in and out all the time - it's strictly a loophole to create a restricted area around their property to keep turbines out. They'll do whatever the minimum is to keep the restrictions on tall structures in place.

The family is pretty RW in the first place. They don't believe in global warming and they argue that wind farms are not at all "green," citing noise, the hazards of "flicker" and low-frequency vibrations. Killing birds and bats yadda yadda yadda. They also mention aesthetics; it's clearly the main driver but they want to push the alleged hazards in making their case.

It sounds like the real spur to much of the opposition was a lack of transparency in the way Duke Energy communicated with the people of the area. Once they got off on the wrong foot people started looking for ways to block them.

Here's the web page of the local anti-wind group