Maine Department of Environmental Protection To Hold Second Public Meeting On Proposed 18-Turbine Hancock Wind Project
May 31, 2013
Contact: Chris Swain, Maine DEP, (207) 287-7831
-The meeting is the second of two DEP is hosting to inform the public and invite comment on an 18-turbine wind farm being proposed in Hancock County by First Wind-
AURORA ? The Maine Department of Environmental Protection will host a public meeting on Thursday, June 6 to get feedback on its draft analysis regarding an 18-turbine wind farm proposed in Hancock County.
The meeting on First Wind?s Hancock Wind proposal will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Airline Community School at 26 Great Pond Road in Aurora. Several DEP representatives will attend, including Commissioner Patricia Aho, project manager Maria Eggett, as well as DEP?s noise and visual consultants involved with the agency?s review of the project?s Site Law and Natural Resources Protection Act permit applications.
While this is the second public meeting on the project, it?s the second time the DEP has held two public meetings on an application to the agency as part of an internal review process established by Commissioner Aho in 2011 that requires two public meetings be held on all proposed grid scale wind power projects in Maine.
Developed to ensure adequate opportunity for public comment and a transparent, inclusive review of often controversial wind power projects, the new process also requires the presence of the DEP?s Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner at that second meeting to hear the public?s comments on DEP?s draft analysis, which for the Hancock proposal is available at http://www.maine.gov/dep/land/sitelaw/selected-developments/index.html
DEP will take the comments voiced at the second public meeting into consideration as its review moves forward before a final decision is issued this summer.
First Wind is proposing to begin construction this year on the 54-megawatt wind power generation facility on Schoppe Ridge in T22 MD and an unnamed ridge in T16 MD with an operations and maintenance building in Aurora. In addition to the 512-foot tall turbines, the project includes up to five 344-foot meteorological towers.
The power generated would flow to an expanded substation at the company?s nearby 19-turbine Bull Hill Wind Project.
For more information about the proposed Hancock Wind project and DEP?s review, please contact DEP project manager Maria Eggett at hancockwindproject.dep@maine.gov or go to http://www.maine.gov/dep/ftp/WindPowerProjectFiles/HancockWind/ to view the application and related documents.