Logan County Board hears updated
Sugar Creek One Wind Farm plans
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[September 16, 2016]
LINCOLN
- On Thursday, September 15, 2016, the Logan County Board held their
workshop to hear committee updates and put motions on the agenda for
next Tuesday’s regular meeting. One focus of discussion was
amendments to the permit for the Sugar Creek Wind Farm. There were
also updates on an upcoming Emergency Management Agency exercise,
and in what is happening in workforce development.
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Guests were Sugar Creek Wind Farm project representatives Ken
Kolisky from the Resource Systems Group, Pete Pollet, project
attorney Kyle Barry; American Wind Corporation's Stan Komperda and
Chris Nickell; and Apex Clean Energy’s Dave Wagner. Other guests
were local residents Doug and Laurie Muck, Logan County Zoning
Officer Will D’Andrea, Logan County EMA’s Dan Fulscher and Kendall
Caruthers, Scott Goodman, Steve Goodman, Donna Bishop and Kent
Paulus.
Kyle Barry shared brief updates on the wind farm project and the
need for amendments to the permit due to plans to reduce the number
of turbines and use a new turbine model.
Barry said a new law has required them submit an Agricultural Impact
Mitigation Agreement, but the county’s ordinances follow many of the
same standards.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/16/images/ads/current/modern_brake_sda_daily_fallfest_2015.png) Barry said the Regional Planning Commission voted 8-0 to approve the
amendments and the Zoning Board of Approval passed the amendments
with a 5-2 vote, and now Sugar Creek is asking for the Logan County
Board’s approval.
Dave Wagner gave an overview of Apex Clean Energy, and said the
company has done $3 billion in wind farm projects and investments
around the United States running 1,612 megawatts of energy.
Komperda updated the board about the projection location, which is
planned five miles west of Lincoln bound by Route 10 between New
Holland and the Mason County line, and including an area just north
of Salt Creek and Rocky Ford quarry road. He said they will start
surveying roads next week.
Komperda said 11,524 acres are assigned to the project, but with 40
fewer turbines needed their new layout is smaller. All landowners
have been notified and some turbine locations have been moved.
Komperda said they plan to satisfy all conditions such as a
drainage plan. He shared the additional conditions requested by the
ZBA.
- Revised plans to show compliance to the setbacks based on
turbine size and height.
- Revised plans to remove collector lines and connecting
junction boxes outside of the originally approved project
boundary.
- Revised plans to show how all towers are able to connect.
- Receive FAA approvals determining there would be no hazards
to air navigation.
- Submission of interference studies to the National Weather
Service.
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Vice Chairman Bob Farmers allowed the public time for comments and
questions.
Steve Goodman asked questions about flicker studies, current noise
studies, new turbine sizes, and distance to pipelines.
Komperda said setbacks address the light flicker issue and said
recent noise studies were done using five different turbine models.
Komperda said the turbines are about 492 feet tall and it is the
rotor diameter that is bigger than previous models. All turbines
will be at least 541 feet from pipelines.
Board member Gene Rohlfs asked about sound studies on frequencies
lower than 31.5 Hertz.
Barry said they have not been done for the project, but guidelines
focus on county ordinances and those of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board.
Noise expert Ken Kolisky said most studies are done on frequencies
of 31.5 Hz and infrasound levels are well below perceptible noise
levels.
Donna Bishop said she still has some of the same concerns she
brought at the public hearing about a wind farm negative impacts.
She sees little benefit in the wind farms and finds a disconnect
between the boards and the people in the county.
Pat O’Neill said Tuesday he would make a motion for a resolution for
approval of the amendments to the permit to allow construction of
the wind farm.
[Angela Reiners]
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