BINGHAM (AP) — Review of a proposed 62-turbine wind farm in Bingham has been put on hold in part because of concerns about bats.
Bat deaths are a typical concern at wind farms and it is standard practice to evaluate bat habitats and mortality rates during project reviews. The Department of Environmental Protection, however, may be revising its recommendations on the turning speed of wind turbines, which can be a threat to birds and bats.
Bat populations are already under stress because of disease.
Bob Stratton of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said birds and bats are more mobile at lower wind speeds, while at higher wind speeds they are more likely to hit turbines.
A spokesman for the developer, First Wind, told the Morning Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1h0eXMu ) they are working to address the issue.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.