Talk about your daily blasts: Protesters making a last-ditch effort to halt construction of Green Mountain Power’s Kingdom Community Wind Project on Lowell Mountain have launched a daily blog, called “Mountain Talk,” to spread the word about their ongoing “tent-in” and invite newcomers to join them.
As reported in my story this week, “Occupy Lowell Mountain? Despite Court Order, Opponents Camp Near GMP Blasting Zone,” opponents of the 21-turbine, $163 million wind project in the Northeast Kingdom have set up a round-the-clock encampment on land owned by the project’s most vocal critics, Don and Shirley Nelson. The protesters, who have permission from the Nelsons, are set up within GMP’s blasting zone and say they’re prepared to stay on the mountain all winter, if necessary, in order to prevent the project from moving forward.
Last week, GMP offered to buy the Nelsons’ property at their initial asking price of $1.25 million — the land has been for sale for about a decade — but also threatened the couple with a $1 million lawsuit if the campers don’t leave the blast zone and delay construction. The Nelsons said no, then upped their asking price to $2.25 million.
Says Don Nelson, 69, “If they’re gonna sue me for $1 million, I’m gonna add a million to the price tag. It’s high-stakes poker, and I don’t intend to sell out to the enemy if I can help it.”
This article appears in The Winter Preview Issue 2011.
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People who support projects like this have strayed too far from thier connection with this Earth. If people were more in touch with the Earth and thier natural surroundings the idea of blasting a mountain top for “greener power” would never have been thought of. This is about money and greed and smooth talking.When we can live our lives in harmony with Earth and all its existence all will be well, but until then there will be suffering. People must listen to thier natural intuition, instinct, that is telling them to protect this planet, to protect themselves, thier communities, ultimately to survive.
Finn, Vermont’s regulatory process is not consistent. If you want to build a golf course where someone happened to see a black bear forget it. If you want to put wind towers and a chain link fence up in one of the largest black bear crossings in the state well have at it. Moreover, the democratic process you speak of is based in part on stipulations with in the permit. Something GMP hasn’t been too concerned with so far. Not to mention apparently they aren’t even on their own leased property. The Nelsons can support or oppose the wind towers. That’s irrelavent to being able to protect your property and property rights. Interesting article in The Chronicle the other day about another wind project and paying people off.
Jcarter, whether you or I or annette “clean” smith like the turbines or not, or think that the poor fools in Lowell were bought, doesn’t matter. They voted and approved. The project went through the PSB process and was approved. Vermont’s regulatory process is the most inclusive on the planet. Anybody — whackjob or not — can participate in the process and tell the PSB what they think. Annette and the Nelsons and all the protest campers named “moonflower” can argue that they don’t like the final decision, but they should accept the democratic process.
Easy there Murphy. The town of Lowell voted overwhelmingly to accept nearly 500K / year from GMP to have to stare at that those monstrosities. Not because they like or want them. Next you will be telling us that most Kindomites are Democrats too. And yes, the Nelsons are native Vermonters.
Lots of “native” Kingdomites want these wind turbines. The town of Lowell voted overwhelmingly to have them there. Newbies should not be telling the people of Lowell that they are not smart enough to have made this decision.