Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Turbine moratoriums show 'foresight, courage'

Looking Out

Two more Maine towns, Avon and New Vineyard, easily passed moratoriums on wind-turbine developments within their jurisdictions.

They add their names to the rapidly growing list of Maine towns that have wisely moved to protect their residents and property owners from the state's weak siting laws.

Also within the last few weeks, Phillips and Penobscot did the same. These four join others such as Buckfield, Thorndike, Dixfield and Rumford. Completing the process, Dixmont and Jackson passed effective new ordinances. The residents of all these towns have shown foresight and courage, qualities that are essential since our state government has made it abundantly clear that it intends to maintain its deference to the wind industry.

As long as disregard for this issue persists at the state level, local ordinances are the only way reasonable restrictions can be placed on turbine siting.

Unfortunately, these actions may place more pressure on those who live in the unorganized towns and plantations under the jurisdiction of the Land Use Regulation Commission.

Residents and property owners in these places are sitting ducks with no opportunity to change ordinances to protect ourselves.

We simply have to sit back and watch our way of life, our landscape and our soundscape be bent and broken to satisfy the whims of wind industry developers, the governor and our legislators.

We should all applaud and thank the residents of these towns. By looking out for themselves, they are looking out for Maine and filling the void left by those in Augusta who are not.

Alan Michka

Lexington Twp.