Lincolnview Superintendent Jeff Snyder wrote an article published on cleveland.com which highlighted the “benefits” of Blue Creek Wind Farm in an attempt to create support for Dog Creek Wind Farm. I find Mr. Snyder’s article misleading for the following reasons:
• Mr. Snyder failed to mention that Blue Creek cost the American taxpayer $172 million. He also failed to mention PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) which allows the owner, Iberdrola, to make payments that are significantly less than the taxes they should be paying. Iberdrola is the “largest recipient” of U.S. federal grant and tax credits in that it has received $2.1 billion from the American Taxpayer. It has been calledd the biggest recipient of U.S. “corporate welfare.”
• Mr. Snyder supports HB190, which if passed, would allow county commissioners to disregard current wind turbine setback requirements and revert back to previous setbacks. State Reps. Tim Brown and Tony Burkley co-sponsored HB190.
• Mr. Snyder failed to mention that the current setback law (Ohio Code 4906.20) allows “all owners of property adjacent to the wind farm property waive application of the setback to that property…” This means that property owners can waive current setback requirements if they so choose. Passage of HB190 would take this right away from property owners and give it to county commissioners.
— Mark A. Wilson, Delphos and Van Wert County resident
