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Important Announcement

Prattsburgh Town Board Special Meeting on the Ecogen Lawsuit

Tuesday Night, March 2, Prattsburgh Town Hall

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION

The following letter and critical information was sent to us by a concerned citizen

Dear Friends,

I hate to sound dramatic, but we have a CRUCIAL situation here, and we need you to tell the Prattsburgh Board to fight Ecogen's ridiculous and frivolous bullying lawsuit. Please contact your neighbors and ask them to attend.

If we can't get huge numbers of you to attend, then our fight against Ecogen is over and they will build turbines with unsafe setbacks and Prattsburgh receiving a fraction of the payment that should be required. Prattsburgh will have no control over the placement of the project. We will be victims of what appears to be the limitless greed of the developers.

The special meeting is at the Town Hall, 19 North Main Street, Prattsburgh at 6:00 Tuesday March 2, 2010 and ONLY if the majority of people tell the Board to FIGHT THE LAWSUIT will they vote to fight.

PLEASE SHOW UP! If you can't be there, then send an email to:

and copy it to

In the past we've sent out letters and had people sign their names. THAT WON'T WORK THIS TIME. You must send your own email or letter and every member of your family must send their own email or letter. You can be brief or you can be lengthy. Tell the Board how much you care about protecting our land. Make sure to write your name and Prattsburgh address and tell the Board to vote in favor of fighting the lawsuit.

Short summary of events: After the election, Ecogen sued the town for holding up their project. THIS WAS A TOTALLY BOGUS LAWSUIT. Instead of fighting it, the old Board signed a resolution basically saying Ecogen could do whatever they want, wherever they want. As soon as the new Board was elected they rescinded the resolution and took steps for a moratorium.

Now Ecogen is suing the town for rescinding the resolution. The Board is taking public comments on Tuesday and if most people tell them to give in to Ecogen, then the Board will feel they have no choice but to drop the whole thing and let Ecogen do whatever they want. Board member Stacy Bottoni – who voted for the sell-out to Ecogen – is getting her cohorts to come and WE MUSTN'T BE OUTNUMBERED.

I know you can do this. You've been doing it for seven years. First Wind is gone. Let's not let Ecogen bully our town!
Prattsburgh Wind Moratorium Public Meeting

February 15, 2010

Prattsburgh Wind Moratorium Public Meeting

Monday’s regularly scheduled monthly Town Board Meeting was preceded by a 6:00 PM Public Meeting at which Town Supervisor Al Wordingham invited public input on whether the Town should enact a local law establishing a six (6) month moratorium on the construction and/or submission of applications for industrial wind energy facilities within the Town of Prattsburgh.

Twenty seven (27) townspeople and area residents spoke. One individual who lives within the village itself said that, while some residents would undoubtedly be negatively impacted by wind turbines near their homes, in light of the state’s fiscal woes and the national need for thinking ‘green’, she felt the Town had a responsibility to fully support wind projects. Another speaker asked that whatever law the Town enacted be written in such a manner that it would not prevent him from being able to move ahead with a personal wind turbine on his property.

Each of the remaining 25 residents and interested parties, 93% of those who signed up to speak, strongly urged the Board to move ahead with a moratorium. Their reasons for supporting the Town’s taking the necessary steps to put wind programs on hold in order that the potential risks can be adequately studied included: setbacks, health and safety considerations, noise and low frequency sound, shadow flicker, property values, decommissioning, and the rights of non-participating land owners – as well as the heavy handed and unethical manner in which the foreign-owned wind companies are trying to steamroller residents as individuals and the Town as a whole.
Crucial Public Hearing
Dear Friends of Prattsburgh,


On Monday, February 15 at 6:00 at the Fire Hall is the crucial public hearing for the Moratorium on Wind Construction in Prattsburgh. We can't stress enough how important it is for a large turnout. After seven years, we finally have a Board that is prepared to listen and to act, and they must have your support. Remember – this meeting is to gather information from "YOU", the public on "Going ahead with a moratorium on Wind Farms." The more of us speak, the easier it will be for the Town Board that you elected to carry out your wishes.

Talking will be limited to two minutes, so you don't have to make a speech. All you have to do is sign in when you get there, and when called upon, say that you are in favor of a moratorium. What follows are examples of what others have said. You can pick one or all, or say something entirely different. You can get as simple or complex as possible with your comments. .

• Simple: Hi my name is ______, I am a (resident, taxpayer, landowner) and I support the moratorium..

• A bit more: Hi my name is ______, I am a (resident, taxpayer, landowner) and I support the moratorium on Wind Farms for these reasons...(see samples and choose) 1. I want to make sure that everyone's health and well being is considered before we do any deal, then do it right..

2. The Board should study turbine noise and its effects on residents..

3. The Board should establish setback distances so the turbines have no negative impact on properties, residences, and the health of our citizens..

4. Please make sure that the benefits and amenities of the project are worth the potential negative impacts..

5. I am concerned about the negative impact on the value of my property. I'm also concerned about the impact on our tax base, which could make my taxes go up..

6. The problems right next door in Cohocton show us that we need to avoid the same mistakes they did..

7. I am concerned about the permanent change in the rural character of Prattsburgh. .

8. The previous Town Board did a deal with the developer for millions less what Italy was offered for roughly the same number of towers in the same project. That stinks and the Town shouldn't get ripped off..

9. Our town voted in November and I am here to support the democratic process and the new town board in their decisions. (I support the board's decisions).

For those who do not have any problem speaking your mind, just express yourself as you have in any letters to judges, papers, or other statements that you have made at other meetings. Remember, "We support the moratorium to make sure the health and well being of the town's citizens are protected, and not negatively effected by bad wind turbine siting"..

The passion expressed in so many of the comments we have heard over the years is in our favor. The Town Board is one that is fair and will listen. Let's all speak in some way regardless of the simplicity or the complexity, and the passion will show through..

If you absolutely cannot be in attendance then please send short letters to:.

Al Wordingham
Supervisor
Prattsburgh Town Hall
19 North Main Street
Prattsburgh, NY 14873
.

We've come a long way. Let's make sure we have proper wind turbine siting in Prattsburgh and protect our citizens. And if we do a deal with a windfarm developer, that it is a deal worth the price..

Advocates for Prattsburgh
Windmill Myths
MYTH # 15: Windfarms make good financial sense. They are more cost-effective than other sources or electricity, because they pay nothing for fuel.
Fact: Factoring in all the costs, wind power is nearly TWICE as expensive as fossil fuel electric power generation. Wind power is made financially viable – and, short term, highly profitable for windfarm developers – through multiple tax incentives, power production credits, power purchase guarantees, and NYSERDA cash transfers, and this financial burden is borne by us, the taxpayers. And the electrical utility can pass on higher prices to us, the ratepayers. The green from this “green” power goes to the developers, who often sell off the projects within two years to large corporations for their value as tax shelters.