A developer, Highland Wind LLC, has submitted a permit application to LURC for approval of the construction of a 48-turbine industrial energy plant along the ridges of Stewart, Witham and Bald mountains, and Burnt and Briggs hills.

If approved, this development will deface eight miles of unspoiled ridgeline. If approved, many miles of roads and transmission corridors will be cut through forests and along vulnerable hillsides. If approved the residents, both wild and human, of a quiet and pristine rural valley will be subjected to the constant whine of turbines and the sound of thrumming blades, the tips of which reach over four hundred feet into the sky and turn at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Those sounds and the low frequency pulsations from these massive mills are the cause of a new phenomenon called “Wind Turbine Syndrome.” There are citizens of Maine who are suffering from this syndrome, and who are willing to tell their stories. There are Mainers who once truly believed that a wind turbine development would be a good thing; patriotic, fiscally responsible and environmentally friendly. There are Mainers who are now living in the vicinity of these plants who wish they had known the realities of life in the shadow of a wind turbine development before it was too late.

Without the subsidies provided by my tax dollars and yours, most industrial wind turbine developers freely admit the placement of such energy production plants would not be financially feasible. And without the passage of LD#2283, the expedited permitting law, these developers would find that obtaining LURC approval for their proposals would be a formidable undertaking.

In my opinion, it should be! Before despoiling Maine’s best and last resources–- our natural ones–- any developer should have to adhere to extremely stringent guidelines. They should be required to prove that their development will not have any adverse affects on the inhabitants who live in the vicinity of the proposed industry, or on the ecosystems which will be encroached upon. Most importantly, I believe they should have the approval of the majority of Maine citizens before being allowed to proceed with a plan that will forever alter our mountaintops and the culture that goes hand-in-hand with living in a wild and unspoiled land.

I am appalled that our legislators passed LD#2283 in 15 short days, without a single objection and without debate. This law removes many of the standard restrictions that protect Maine’s unspoiled and rural lands, and it effectively eliminates the need to consult with or even hear from the residents of this state. Our opinions, our voices and our votes are not wanted, because we might educate ourselves on the truths of these massive developments, and we might offer a resounding “No!”

I think of myself as an environmentally conscientious woman. I am also a woman who likes harmony and craves a peaceful existence without contention or conflict.

But I am angry, and so I am stepping outside my comfort zone and speaking out to make my voice heard. With knowledge comes power, and I have been doing my homework. All is not as it seems on the surface. There is much more involved in this rush to install industrial wind power plants than the government and the developers would have us believe. If Maine citizens will devote just a small amount of time to researching the advent of “Big Wind,” I think they will be surprised and perhaps even shocked by what they learn.

The payoff is well worth the time spent. We can take back our power, and we can make a difference. The first step in doing that is to gain knowledge about the important decisions that are being made without our input and without our permission. The future is at stake; the future of this land, and our own future status as independent thinkers and the shapers of our society.

We should be consulted when important decisions need to be made. This is our home, and we care deeply for it. The citizens of Maine should have a say in its future before irreversible mistakes are made.

Karen Pease is a resident of Lexington Township.