Edgar Co. (ECWd) –
A petition to the Edgar County Board has been created and is being circulated regarding the potential Wind Farm operations in Edgar County. During a past board meeting, the board amended the WECS ordinance regarding setbacks to 3,250 feet.
We understand at least one board member is wanting to greatly reduce the setback figure from what was adopted before.
One of the most important matters for a County to consider in a WECS ordinance is property values. We have yet to find a single location where wind farms were installed and property values were not impacted negatively. It’s a well-established fact, the closer wind farms are to residents the greater the negative impact of one’s property value.
While we understand some are for and others are against, no matter what type of setback is established, the landowner retains the right to waive the setbacks if they want a wind farm in their backyard. That fact supports establishing minimum setbacks of 3,250 feet. That distance has been identified as a minimum distance to prevent the known and documented health issues created from wind turbine operations. Considering ensuring public safety is yet another major obligation of the County Board, it appears the petition is well focused on the primary concerns of citizens living in these affected areas of the County, property values and health & safety.
For those interested in circulating the petition, a copy can be downloaded at this link. It is requested the completed petitions be mailed to:
Edgar County Wind Farm Committee
P.O. Box 33
Brocton, IL 61917
We urge the completed petitions be mailed no later than June 5, 2021, due to rumblings the County Board is rushing the WECS ordinance through for a possible vote on June 9th, 2021.
5.24.21 Wind Farm Petition (002)
3 Comments
PK
Posted at 00:30h, 01 JuneThe amended WECS ordinance puts Edgar County in a leadership position…keep the set back figure!
Joel Stireik
Posted at 16:07h, 26 MayLet us go back a generation or two. I knew a man once a while back. He was a “treasured” member of the longstanding Republican majority, A fine upstanding member of this conservative community and a ;lifetime farmer. Now he told me once about electricity and how he finally got his hooked up on the farm. In 1946, I am sure it made his life better, easier and more profitable.
jannie
Posted at 13:14h, 26 MayThe point isn’t so much that the leaseholder can waive the distance, it’s more like when they we in our county – and the wind company sales guy who finally got the woman to think about leasing the area. Who husband (who had been opposed to signing) died. The sales guy kept telling her – preying on her fear- ‘ the lease will be income for you now & we’ll put the turbine over in this far corner. Which (just happened to be in the area close to the neighbors home).
The idea is to get these things up, make money, take the subsidies and who cares about what happens to the property owners.
I’m wondering if this distance isn’t good enough, why? what’s in it for him/her.