ATTENTION CITIZENS OF TAZEWELL COUNTY

British Petroleum, Invenergy and other business interests have their sights set on ridgelines all across Tazewell County. East River Mountain are set to have 60 to 80 gigantic wind turbines built from Bluefield, VA to Tazewell. Phase-1 of the project also includes 60 to 80 turbines around the ridges of Burke’s Garden! Eventually, one company official tells us that more than 500 wind turbines will cover ridges all across Tazewell County.

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors has drafted a RIDGELINE PROTECTION ORDINANCE to protect the Mountain Ridges of Tazewell County from development of these turbines. We need to support this ordinance.

PUBLIC HEARING ON FEB 3 AT 8:00PM AT TAZEWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL

Let your opposition to the wind turbines be heard!!!! Come and speak up if only to say,“PASS THE PROTECTIVE ORDINANCE!”

Failure of this ordinance means:

DESTRUCTION OF OUR MOUNTAINS:

Blasting away of mountain tops in order to place 50’ x 50’ platforms that are 10’ deep for each turbine and access roads as big as Rt. 460 across our ridgetops.

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY VALUES:

	Based on research, homes within visual range have decreased in value an average of 30% to 65% AND
	Home Sales have decreased or stopped entirely in some areas with these turbines on scenic mountaintops.

DESTRUCTION OF PEACE AND SERENITY:

	Constant noise, described by some as a “revving jet engine” – Goodbye Peace and Quiet!!!
	The strobe and flicker effect - another major annoyance and health problem, not to mention the high-powered red and white blinking lights that will accompany each turbine – Our rural night skies lit up like a big city skyline
	Forget the Tourist Industry – with no scenic beauty, who wants to come to Tazewell County??

DAMAGE TO HUNTING AND WILDLIFE HABITATS:

Wildlife disappears in areas with wind turbines and birds, bats and raptors are killed in large numbers.

LARGE ACCESS ROADS AND TURBINE PLATFORMS ON THE TOPS OF RIDGES WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH WATER

	Possible flooding – a danger for everyone who lives below the ridges across the county
	Damage to springs and wells and pollution of water sources with herbicides and other industrial run-off

And after we lose our mountains, watch our homes depreciate and endure the loss of our serenity, what do we get???

	NO NEW JOBS— Outside workers during construction. Only a few permanent minimum wage jobs.
	NO NEW TAXES—Initially, the County will receive taxes on the turbine equipment, but as their values depreciate (over a few years to $0) the County will receive $0 in taxes, and no severance taxes on power leaving the county.
	NO LOWER POWER BILLS— Power generated is not for local consumption, but sold on the open market. We will not see a decrease in our power bills; in fact, they will probably increase as with the 765kv powerline.
	NO REAL BENEFIT IN OUR DEPENDENCY ON FOREIGN OIL AND EASING GLOBAL WARMING- Proper site selection is important. Locating wind turbines in mountainous areas in the east produces little energy and does massive damage to the environment and the communities living nearby. Other countries have backed away from Wind Power due to minimal benefit and maximum environmental damage.