Quoted in today’s Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News article, wind industry rep. Frank Maisano seems to blame delays to the Roth Rock wind project in Western Maryland on “a local wind farm opposition group called Save Western Maryland.  Maisano accused the group and affiliated groups of using similar tactics to “slow, delay or alter” wind power projects throughout the mid-Atlantic region.”

I suppose it doesn’t matter that the Maryland Department of the Environment agreed with the folks turning in the developer for, not only, “insufficient erosion and sediment controls,” but ignoring specific instruction by the same agency to halt construction until corrections are made.

But I understand Mr. Maisano’s frustration that these wind opponents are “sitting there watching every move waiting to complain.”  The construction folks probably want to do the right thing and turn themselves in, and simply get a little agitated that the “naysayers” consistently beat them to the punch.

In a spin of logic only understood in wind circles, Mr. Maisano seems to think this is all really no big deal because “the fact of the matter is there’s no runoff issues related to that, and no environmental issues whatsoever.” Maisano continued, “there have been no sediment control problems to date because there just hasn’t been any rain or anything like that.”  See, a lot of us uneducated folks might see the lack of rain, coinciding with the potential for serious environmental harm, as simply “dumb luck,” not realizing the wind folks, working with a Higher Authority, actually scheduled that exact weather scenario into their detailed project construction plan.

Well, Eric Robison didn’t see it all quite the same as Mr. Maisano and said,”we had in excess of an inch of rain that occurred on a site that maybe nobody was monitoring.” Robison continued, “they might not be able to see the effects at the site, but that’s because they all ran downhill.”

But where does this Mr. Robison get off piping in … he only lives in the area, has a business in the area, is running for office in the area and belongs to the Save Western Maryland citizen group to insure the environment in the area is protected.  Granted, Mr. Robison seems to have much of his life invested in the area, but doesn’t Mr. Maisano live there too?

Anyway, Mr. Robison said of Mr. Maisano’s concerns, “The only thing I’ve been looking to do as part of Save Western Maryland is look at the regulatory process, look at what they’re supposed to be doing, and when we found that they weren’t doing what they’re required to do by law … we reported them to the proper authorities.”

Geesh!  That’s the problem with these NIMBYS, they want everything done correctly!

Besides, what’s the big deal about erosion anyway?

Please read the entire Cumberland Times-News article here:  Construction of Garrett wind farm at standstill