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Sunday, May 08, 2011

Environment - "Group worries about wind farms' effect on Indiana bat"

Amanda Hamon of the Lafayette Journal Courier reported May 7th in a story that begins:

Noise, health concerns, unsightliness -- all have been reasons some residents of Tippecanoe and surrounding counties have opposed a Chicago-based company's plans to build a local wind farm.

An opposition group is adding another concern to the list.

Julie Peretin, a spokeswoman for the Tippecanoe County group RESITE Now, said members are concerned about the presence of the federally endangered Indiana bat at the southwestern Tippecanoe County site where Invenergy Wind LLC is looking to build a wind farm.

"One of our concerns is the bats' importance in agriculture," Peretin said. According to its website, RESITE Now advocates "responsible siting of industrial wind turbines in Tippecanoe County."

"Bats eat insects that directly impact the health of our crops. If a turbine on my neighbor's land is taking out bats that are helping my crop, I'm losing some rights there to an environmentally friendly pest control."

For background, start with this Dec. 9, 2009 ILB entry headed "Appalachian Wind Turbines Kill Bats, Judge Says."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 8, 2011 11:08 AM
Posted to Environment