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Wind of Controversy Blows In Carbon County Over Proposed Turbines

CARBON COUNTY — Residents living in one part of Carbon County are up in arms over proposed wind turbines near their homes. “I’ve worked two an...
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CARBON COUNTY -- Residents living in one part of Carbon County are up in arms over proposed wind turbines near their homes.

"I've worked two and three jobs my whole life to afford to live in this neighborhood where it's peaceful and tranquil and quiet, where I want to grow old and retire and die here,” said Dan Towne of Towamensing Township, who lives in Beltzville Lake Estates.

Atlantic Wind, a division of Iberdrola Renewables, is proposing a plan for 40 wind turbines on a mountain ridge just above the housing development on the Penn Forest Township and Towamensing Township line.

If approved, construction could start in 2018.

"I think they're going to destroy a beautiful place up there. It's gorgeous up there. There's birds that are going to be affected. There's animals' habitats that are going to be affected, and it's going to ruin a beautiful place,” said Andrea Miller, a Beltzville Lakes Estates resident.

Penn Forest Township supervisors heard an earful at their meeting Monday night.

"You guys have every reason in the world to deny this. I hope you guys stop this. You will destroy everything,” said one man.

Another went so far as to build a model of the project to scale and present it to the crowd.

“Almost everyone I speak to comes to the Poconos because they love the beautiful environment here. They did not come here to live underneath a massive industrial complex."

Township supervisors listened to what people had to say.

They won't make any comments until they actually have a decision to make on the proposal.

“I'm all for clean energy, don't get me wrong, but there's probably a thousand other places they could put these things that would be more beneficial to you know where we live and what we do,” said Philip Woolf of Towamensing Township.

The Penn Forest Township zoning board is going to consider granting a special exception that will allow the wind turbine project to move forward. That is scheduled for May 12 at 7 p.m.

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