Corps to visit project site

Corps to visit project site

MONTEREY — The question about whether the wind energy facility will impact wetlands might get answered this week.

Vincent Pero of the Army Corps of Engineers spoke with Highland New Wind Development’s
consultant Dr. John Simmers, and a site visit for Pero is planned for Thursday (today). HNWD owner Henry T. “Mac” McBride had previously told Pero he couldn’t visit until after construction had started on the wind turbines.

Pero said a visit could help put the question to rest about whether another wetlands area existed at the site, as asserted by Highland resident Rick Webb, and county landowners downstream from the project, Lucile Miller and McChesney Goodall. HNWD has repeatedly said it will not impact wetlands, that a 2006 Army Corps visit confirmed it, and that no federal permit from the Corps was needed.

In a letter from HNWD attorney John Flora last week to county officials, he said, “I want to (briefly, because it deserves no attention, given the sources) address the repeated and inaccurate
claims that the stream crossing of Laurel Fork impacts wetlands. When (former Corps official) Mr. Brogden visited the site as part of the Joint Permit Application process, he acknowledged the scrutiny being focused on this project by its critics. His personal site visit was unusual, as was his additional work to delineate stream crossings.”

He gave the TRC the map which he said “has been part of the record in this matter at the SCC since 2006” and shows no impact to any wetlands at the Laurel Fork crossing.