Suit says wind farm is lethal to birds
In a green-on-green battle, environmentalists filed a lawsuit last week against renewable energy companies over propeller deaths of birds at Altamont Pass near Livermore, Calif.
Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity seeks safer, new equipment and improved habitat for hawks, owls and eagles. The group calls the pass “the most lethal wind farm in North America for raptors,†estimating up to 1,300 raptors are killed per year.
“Everyone agrees that something needs to be done,†says Steve Stengel of Florida-based FPL Energy, one of 12 windmill operators named in the lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court.
Stengel says the company insulated utility poles to prevent electrocution, closed more than 250 turbines, replacing some with tall blades that turn more slowly. The company promotes a new plan for further safety measures, but Richard Wiebe, attorney for the environmental group, called it “very weak.â€
About 5,400 turbines dot the pass, which straddles a migratory bird route.
-- Christopher Reynolds
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