Hello everyone,
The hearings on the Redington/Black Nubble wind plant application will be held during the first week of August, on Wednesday the 2nd, Thursday the 3rd, and Friday the 4th at the Sugarloaf Grand Summit Conference Center on the mountain (5092 Access Road) in Carrabassett Valley.
There is a powerful coalition opposing this project--the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Audubon, Western Maine Audubon, Friends of Bigelow, Friends of the Boundary Mountains, and the Friends of the Western Mountains. We have great lawyers and a great cause. Many, many of you have already done a great deal to help. Please turn out on August 2nd and 3rd to help in this final step of the process. This is the battle that has been building for the past three or four years!
There will be two opportunities for the general public to offer testimony: Wednesday from 6 to 10 pm; and Thursday from 6 to 10 pm. The rest of the hearings--Thursday and Friday from 8.30 am to 5 pm--will be restricted to testimony and cross examination by intervenors, the applicant, and their sworn witnesses. Members of the public are welcome to attend these sessions as observers, but cannot participate except on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. On those evenings, however, it is VERY IMPORTANT that we have a strong turn-out. We need lots of people to get up and express their opposition on both nights, and lots of others who may not wish to speak but who can nonetheless offer support to the speakers in various ways. (I leave those ways to your imaginations; we want to be well-behaved, but good behavior does not preclude spontaneous expressions of enthusiasm!)
Those who wish to speak on Wednesday or Thursday need not prepare a statement in writing. Your time to speak will probably be limited to a few minutes, but you can submit a longer statement in writing to the Commissioners after you speak. Some of you may be inspired to speak by something you hear at the hearings--perhaps as a rebuttal to remarks by a supporter of the project. If you do that, you can then write up your thoughts afterwards and submit them to the Commissioners up to the 14th of August (Monday)--ten days after the close of the hearings). Moreover, anyone--whether he or she speaks or not--can submit written comments to the Commissioners at any time between now and the 14th of August. Comments may be sent by U.S. mail to the Commissioners, Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0022, or by email to [email protected]. Don't be shy. You can write again if you have already written; you can write more than once up to the 14th!
Finally, your written statements do not have to be long, nor do you have to prove that you are a scientist or an expert on wind power. However, you should try to go beyond simply saying you don't like the project. Explain briefly WHY you think this plant will be a bad thing for our region. Your reasons may strictly be personal, but give some reasons. The applicant has to show that his plant will provide a public benefit. We, the public, have to tell the Commissioners as convincingly as we can that we don't think so.
Anyone who is interested in speaking or just attending the hearings is welcome to camp out at my place and use the bathroom/kitchen facilities. I am located about 15 minutes from Sugarloaf. Please pm me if you would like a place to stay during the hearings.
go
The hearings on the Redington/Black Nubble wind plant application will be held during the first week of August, on Wednesday the 2nd, Thursday the 3rd, and Friday the 4th at the Sugarloaf Grand Summit Conference Center on the mountain (5092 Access Road) in Carrabassett Valley.
There is a powerful coalition opposing this project--the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Audubon, Western Maine Audubon, Friends of Bigelow, Friends of the Boundary Mountains, and the Friends of the Western Mountains. We have great lawyers and a great cause. Many, many of you have already done a great deal to help. Please turn out on August 2nd and 3rd to help in this final step of the process. This is the battle that has been building for the past three or four years!
There will be two opportunities for the general public to offer testimony: Wednesday from 6 to 10 pm; and Thursday from 6 to 10 pm. The rest of the hearings--Thursday and Friday from 8.30 am to 5 pm--will be restricted to testimony and cross examination by intervenors, the applicant, and their sworn witnesses. Members of the public are welcome to attend these sessions as observers, but cannot participate except on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. On those evenings, however, it is VERY IMPORTANT that we have a strong turn-out. We need lots of people to get up and express their opposition on both nights, and lots of others who may not wish to speak but who can nonetheless offer support to the speakers in various ways. (I leave those ways to your imaginations; we want to be well-behaved, but good behavior does not preclude spontaneous expressions of enthusiasm!)
Those who wish to speak on Wednesday or Thursday need not prepare a statement in writing. Your time to speak will probably be limited to a few minutes, but you can submit a longer statement in writing to the Commissioners after you speak. Some of you may be inspired to speak by something you hear at the hearings--perhaps as a rebuttal to remarks by a supporter of the project. If you do that, you can then write up your thoughts afterwards and submit them to the Commissioners up to the 14th of August (Monday)--ten days after the close of the hearings). Moreover, anyone--whether he or she speaks or not--can submit written comments to the Commissioners at any time between now and the 14th of August. Comments may be sent by U.S. mail to the Commissioners, Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0022, or by email to [email protected]. Don't be shy. You can write again if you have already written; you can write more than once up to the 14th!
Finally, your written statements do not have to be long, nor do you have to prove that you are a scientist or an expert on wind power. However, you should try to go beyond simply saying you don't like the project. Explain briefly WHY you think this plant will be a bad thing for our region. Your reasons may strictly be personal, but give some reasons. The applicant has to show that his plant will provide a public benefit. We, the public, have to tell the Commissioners as convincingly as we can that we don't think so.
Anyone who is interested in speaking or just attending the hearings is welcome to camp out at my place and use the bathroom/kitchen facilities. I am located about 15 minutes from Sugarloaf. Please pm me if you would like a place to stay during the hearings.
go
