thanks, Frank.
I read a bit about Altamont last night. It appears that they have now agreed
to close some of the turbines down at the times of the year when the raptors
are most chopped. It's a huge farm (seems only about one raptor death per
turbine every five years, but I have no idea how that compares with road
kills, effects of habitat loss and other human interventions) - following is
press excerpt from March this year
(http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2005/02/28/daily34.html):
"The turbine owners proposed Thursday that they would turn off half of
Altamont's more than 5000 turbines during November and December, alternating
with the second half being shut down during January and February.
"The goal is to reduce by 35 percent over three years the number of
raptor-type birds that are killed when they fly into the spinning blades or
are electrocuted by power lines.
"The windmill owners also propose permanent relocation or shutdown of
approximately 100 of the highest risk turbines; retrofitting power poles to
prevent bird electrocutions and removal of derelict turbines, towers and
overhead lines.
'"The measures to be implemented under the plan ... will help reduce avian
mortality significantly in the near term, while contributing to clean,
economical wind power production over the long term," said James Walker, CEO
of enXco, another of the power generators, in a statement.
"The Altamont Pass turbine farms experience higher raptor mortality rates
than any other wind project area in the U.S. The Center for Biological
Diversity, which sued the power generators in November over the bird kills,
says between 880 and 1,330 golden eagles, hawks, owls and other protected
raptors have been killed each year for the past 20 years by the power
generating facilities in the Altamont Pass, in violation of California Fish
and Game Code provisions as well as the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act
and the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
"A study published by the California Energy Commission in 2004 supports
replacing the older wind turbines prevalent in the Altamont area with modern
wind turbine technology less dangerous to birds, the owners' group says. The
process of replacing older wind turbines with modern ones, known as
"repowering," is considered the principle long-term solution to reducing
avian mortality in the Altamont.
range of issue there . . . how to help ameliorate the damage from this
important source of energy . . .
cheers
Barbara
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