I hope other residents will join me in voting no on Article 6 to repeal Rumford Ordinance Chapter 33D. Residents are being asked to replace the current Wind Energy Facility Ordinance 33D with a copy of the state model, which is falsely labeled as recommended. The template that was used has very little in regards to decommissioning.

In the meeting minutes for the Feb. 25 ordinance hearing, Selectman Jeffrey Sterling even acknowledged that it is not complete. I quote from the minutes, “Mr. Sterling believes the state’s ordinance is not complete regarding decommissioning.”

The Department of Environmental Protection is also concerned. In a Bangor Daily News article (April 10) talking about the bankruptcy of SunEdison, the DEP is quoted as saying “The decommissioning funds are secured by irrevocable letters of credit with a bank, according to David Madore, a spokesman for the DEP. The state has not yet had to draw on those decommissioning funds and Madore wrote in an email the department is concerned about a bankruptcy affecting its ability to draw on that fund.”

The state model not only allows for letters of credit or parental guarantees, but they are not required to have 100 percent of the amount until five years from the end of the expected useful life.

Rumford’s current ordinance has much better safeguards in place. Why should residents of Rumford be asked to switch to something with weak decommissioning standards?

I will be voting no against the repeal Ordinance Chapter 33D.

Peter Buotte Jr., Rumford