GRAND FALLS TOWNSHIP, Maine — The Maine Department of Environment Protection has denied a 14-turbine industrial wind site atop Passadumkeag Mountain.
Passadumkeag Wind Park LLC was sent a 45-page decision signed by DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho on Thursday that detailed the department’s decision.
It is the first wind turbine project to be denied a permit by the DEP, said spokeswoman Samantha DePoy-Warren.
“Commissioner Patricia Aho’s denial is consistent with our staff’s recommendation because the applicant has not made adequate provisions for fitting the generating facility of the development harmoniously into the existing natural environment,” DePoy-Warren said in a statement.
DePoy-Warren was quick to point out that the department’s decision was specific to this project, and not necessarily a precedent being set.
“The views from Saponac Pond are one-of-a-kind,” she said. “These turbines would be visible from the majority of the pond. We shouldn’t be reading into this bigger than this project.”
However, the decision echoes a verdict reached by the Land Use Regulation Commission when it rejected a First Wind of Massachusetts proposal to build 27 turbines atop nearby Bowers Mountain in April, Depoy-Warren told the Bangor Daily News last week. In both cases, officials felt the windmills’ effect on mountain and lake views and businesses that profit from them would be too great.
Attempts to contact Passadumkeag Mountain project developer Quantum Utility Generation, an alternative energy company based in Houston, were not immediately successful.
The DEP decision said the developer did meet the majority of the department’s criteria for the project, including that it would not unreasonably harm any significant wildlife habitat, interfere with natural water flow, violate any state water quality laws or unreasonably cause or increase flooding to adjacent areas.
However, the ruling indicated the wind turbines would have a negative effect on the scenic nature of the lake.
“In that the proposed activity would significantly compromise views from a [Scenic Resource of State or National Significance] and would have an unreasonable adverse effect on the scenic character and existing uses related to the scenic character of the resources, the applicant has not made adequate provision for fitting the generating facility portion of the development harmoniously into the existing natural environment,” reads a selection from the 45-page finding. “The development would have an unreasonable adverse effect on the existing uses and scenic character of Saponac Pond.”
The decision by the DEP was welcomed by the Passadumkeag Mountain Friends.
“Our organization’s judgment was that what benefits the project might have brought to Maine would have been more than offset by harms to the area’s ecosystem and economy,” the organization said in a statement. “Maine’s ‘quality of place’ has long been recognized as unique and special, and Passadumkeag Mountain and its surrounding lakes and hills are part of that legacy. Visitors and property owners do not come to the area to see giant machines in operation; they come for the unspoiled views, for peace and quiet, and for the chance to commune with nature. We are deeply thankful that Maine’s DEP recognized that and upheld its mandate to protect what is special about Maine.”
DePoy-Warren said the department’s rejection was likely not the end of the issue.
“I do expect them to appeal the decision,” she said.
Quantum Energy Partners has two courses of action to appeal, said DePoy-Warren.
“The applicant may now appeal the department’s decision within 30 days to either the Board of Environmental Protection or to the Superior Court,” she said.
Passadumkeag Mountain is 1,463 feet tall and located southwest of Saponac Pond directly east of Greenbush in Penobscot County. Bowers Mountain is 1,127 feet tall and east of Lee and southeast of Springfield near Route 6, about 30 miles northeast of Passadumkeag Mountain. It overlooks seven lakes — including Bottle, Keg, Duck, Junior and Scraggly lakes — near the western Washington and eastern Penobscot county lines.
BDN writer Nick Sambides contributed to this report.
“It is the first wind turbine project to be denied a permit.”
PERFECT!! LET’S HOPE IT IS THE FIRST OF MANY DENIALS.
Hopefully Not!
Quick Fact Check.
The article says “Bowers Mountain… overlooks seven lakes”.
I’m afraid it’s far worse than that.
First Wind’s Bowers Project would be:
— within eight miles of 21 major lakes and dozens of smaller ponds!
— at the head of a network of 14 interconnected lakes, many of which are undeveloped!
— within eight miles of an incredible 14 lakes that the state has designated
as “Scenic Resources of State or National Significance”!
Thank you, Commissioner Aho! Instead of turbines on Passadumkeag, we ought to put a plaque up there with your name on it that says, “THANK YOU!”
Thank You DEP for protecting some of Maine’s special places!!!
“Visitors and property owners do not come to the area to see giant machines in operation; they come for the unspoiled views, for peace and quiet, and for the chance to commune with nature.”
I could not have said it better.
Is Maine willing to lose its Natural Beauty and Tourism jobs by having thousands of inefficient and massive tax payer subsidized 500 foot tall wind turbines placed all over its mountains?
It is the most basic common sense that we protect the natural beauty that is Maine’s core essence. This core essence not only is vitally linked to our lead industry, tourism, but is also the reason many of us choose to stay here and the reason for much of Maine’s in-migration. When wealthy retirees move to our ridge lands, farm lands or coastal areas, pay taxes but not burden the school system, it can be a net positive for the economy.
The real cumulative scenic impact is more wind projects and their required new mammoth transmission lines. Hopefully, the new legislature, with many new members who have now perhaps had a chance to realize wind power is very problematic, will revamp the 2008 expedited wind law. That law was written by the industry and never debated in the legislature. We all know a lot better now. Not just here, but all over the world, e.g., Britain is now banning new wind projects, except offshore. Similar situation in Denmark.
People have a right to the pursuit of health and happiness. The new legislature needs to rein in this reckless proliferation of unsightly, out of scale, unhealthy and totally ineffective industrialization the state over.
Well Spoken Pete..thank you..we definitely do need to take a hard look at the wind law and update it based on our experience. Count on me to be on that with you!!!
Sadly, the DEP does not care about you and the laws do not protect you/us. They are formulated for the corporation. Aho is most willing/already has sacrificed Waldo County/the midcoast to BIG OIL in the form of DCP LLC’s 23 million gallon megatank. There must not have been enough lobbying or pressure or enough at stake for her to be combative with you all on this issue. We are glad for you, but make no mistake about it, the “laws” are not being applied fairly or evenly. Aho was a former lobbyist for oil, petroleum and plastic before being appointed by LePage. She sold out last winter to the multinational corporation and approved DCP’s permit in a flash without discussion w/ the public. DCP will clear cut 24 acres to build this tank that will stand 181 feet above sea level, have a 75′ torch w/ a 7′ flare, a 1 mile pipeline coming in thru the bay and snaking through the already hazardous tank farm. Aho does not care about your view or economy. There just was not enough to lose, or make, in your case. Help us in Waldo County. DCP’s LPG Megatank is a regional issue. Today it’s us, tomorrow, it could be you all over again.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has proposed and permitted the construction of FIFTY 500 foot tall wind turbines overlooking 2 of Maines wilderness lakes in the Oakfield and Island Falls area of Aroostook county. This decision is being appealed to the Maine Supreme Court by Protect-Our-Lakes.org. Please help us before its too late. One 500 foot tall wind turbine overlooking a wilderness lake is one too many. FIFTY is outrageous!
Maineprotector..so why was this not applied on the Oakfield Island Falls lakes? Because there are no residences on its shores? Is that the difference? Local owner? Why do you think a different standard applied in your area? What do you think needs to be changed (or created) about existing standards?
A welcome breath of common sense in the turbulent whirl of wind power exploitation in Maine. DEP heard the appeals of the folks who can see the state’s Expedited Wind law for its industry bias and long term negative impacts for our state. Thank you to all who were involved, and to our DEP for listening and learning.
Encouraging news! Hopefully, it signals a shift to a better awareness of this technology’s paltry benefits relative to its negative impacts.
It’s especially significant since it was the first case on which the DEP has ruled in an unorganized township – formerly LURC’s jurisdiction. Residents in the UTs cannot write ordinances to protect their communities from wind development as quite a few Maine municipalities have already done. (The western Maine town of Peru became the latest to do this just this week.) So, it’s nice to see that one of these vulnerable communities has been protected by the DEP. Hopefully, it won’t be the last.
This is truly the essence of what the DEP was put in place for! Thank you for doing a great job for the citizens and property owners of the state of Maine!
An appeasing “Bone” hss been thrown to the Maine “peons” by her majesty and RGGI supporter AHO!
The DEP process is a legislated farce, based the heinous legislation PL-661 ,that denied citizens their full legal rights of appeal in the courts .
This decision is a “bone ” thrown to the populace.They hope the citizen dogs will go away, as they (DEP) approve other wind abominations soon, without public hearings. Their “meetings” are a process to appease the peon masses, who have no rights concerning these projects.
All of these projects have untoward environmental impacts in Maine. They are being constructed because wind scoundrels and self-serving politicians like senator elect Angus King have their hands in the public’s pockets, confiscating their money ,environment and rights .
Give the citizens back their appeal rights by expunging PL661 , then all these abhorrent projects would be denied in Maine as well.
Thank you, DEP, and all Mainers who fought and are fighting to protect Maine’s mountains, which are NOT a renewable resource!
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who spoke up, wrote letters and sent e-mails opposing the project. And thanks to the DEP for this sensible denial decision and for making it crystal clear that Maine’s scenic quality is worth saving from industrial development that scars the landscape and drives tourists away.
Some will argue that opponents of industrial-scale wind are NIMBYs, and that we’re not “green,” but think about what kind of energy investment would really benefit Maine. Certainly not these behemoth projects. We’d be better off training more energy auditors, and then helping retrofit Maine’s huge stock of older, poorly insulated homes. It will create more jobs than industrial wind can, reduce the use of fossil fuel, and lower people’s heating bills all at the same time. And it won’t wreck our best natural places. Win, win, win, win…not wind.
Thank you for this wisdom DEP and may it be upheld in any challenge.
We do need to move 100% away from petroleum and non renewable energy sources, and we have to fast track that but we don’t have to sacrifice and compromise so much else we value to do that.
Thank you DEP.
It looks like people are finally waking up to the horrific impacts caused by
the wind industry.
All this would have happened much sooner if conservation groups like the Sierra
Club did not sell-out their causes. As it is, these groups end up in the mitigation process and get paid off for ridiculous solutions that do not work. So in the end these hypocrites get loads of money while claiming to protect the environment and the millions of birds killed from wind turbines.
But not a negative word can be heard from any of these groups except the
American Bird Conservancy. All this seems incredible since wind farms are nothing but death traps to birds, much like the La Brea Tar Pits were to prehistoric animals.
But AHO approves a 137’/14 story tall Liquefied Petroleum Gas Tank in Searsport on a wetland where 24 acres will be clear-cut and there is no exclusion zone, and tourism is the primary economy. So, where is the justice. Regarding the wind turbine project, she’s worried about the “ecosystem of the pond and the economy.” And she should be. But how about the economy of the Midcoast and the health of Penobscott Bay? How can DCP’s 23 million gallon LPG tank be good/safe/right for Mack Point and the local county economy and safety? Once again, sold out to whom?