Badger Hollow Wind Public Hearing Scheduled for June 24 in Linden

Dear Editor,

I strongly encourage area residents to consider attending the ONLY in-person public hearing on the proposed Badger Hollow Wind project. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will host sessions at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Linden Community Building on June 24.

If this project is approved without an Environmental Impact Statement being required by the PSC, that would set a very dangerous precedent for all of the Driftless Region. There are a combination of hazards in the project area that should concern us all.

First, the proposed project area between Montfort, Rewey and Cobb contains a combination of former lead and zinc mines filled with decades' worth of undisturbed mineral tailings. Combine that mining history with a relatively low water table in the area – many private wells are as shallow as 20-30 feet deep – and a logical person could conclude that there's a risk of groundwater contamination once heavy equipment starts the boring to anchor 650-foot tall wind turbines into the bedrock.

The developer's own geological report filed with the PSC acknowledges the fragile Karst geology of the project area. This report indicates that there is a moderate risk of "long-term ground subsidence or catastrophic collapse of subsurface voids, which may impact wind turbine foundation performance."

I'm not an engineer, but placing a 600-ton wind turbine whose gearbox is filled with over 100 gallons of lubricant on top of unstable geology doesn't sound like the best idea to me. If you agree, please consider expressing your opinion to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on June 24 in Linden.

Pete Moris, Mt. Hope, WI