By The Associated Press

link to full article is here;

https://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2008/11/17/state_news/state03.txt

Sunday, November 16, 2008 9:36 PM EST

TOMPKINS — Gary Galley talks about scratching out a living on his farm west of the Catskills Mountains as he feeds his cattle. The big money from this valley land, he believes, could come from a massive natural gas reserve thousands of feet below where he stands.

“Go ahead and drill!” Galley said with a laugh as his cows grazed.

Galley is among dozens of landowners in this rural region 120 miles northwest of New York City who signed lease deals with energy companies that could open their land to drilling. This part of Delaware County sits on the edge of a multistate natural gas reserve called the Marcellus shale formation, and hopes are high here that wells could bring a bonanza of royalty checks and tax revenue.

But there could be a big problem — potentially a $10 billion problem. New York City draws most of its water from in and around the Catskills and city officials are worried about the expected natural gas boom edging into their watershed. Before a single company has applied to drill here, there are rumblings of a high-stakes conflict between watershed residents and the protectors of a water supply for 9 million people.

“This is a particularly extreme example of something that absolutely, positively cannot take place within the confines of the watershed,” said New York City Councilman James Gennaro, chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee. “It’s laughable, the whole notion that this could take place on any scale.”

Marcellus is a deep formation covering parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and all of New York’s Southern Tier. Proponents describe it as an energy game changer, a reserve that will bring Texas oil-like revenues to the East. It has been estimated that the entire formation holds enough natural gas to satisfy the nation’s demand for 14 years.

The Catskill Mountains are near the northeast edge of the formation and represent a fraction of Marcellus in New York. Still, land agents have signed lease deals in parts of Sullivan and Delaware counties, suggesting potential.

Drillers largely ignored Marcellus for many years because it was too deep and too expensive to tap. That changed as energy prices skyrocketed and geologists refined a horizontal drilling process to tap deep reserves. Sand and chemically treated water are blasted down the right-angled holes to fracture rocks and release trapped gas.

The process, called “hydrofracking,” requires millions of gallons of water, a portion of which comes back up and is stored temporarily on site before being treated. Environmentalists opposed to drilling in the watershed are particularly concerned about water storage.

Paul Rush, a deputy commissioner with the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, told lawmakers in Albany at a recent hearing that hazardous compounds used in hydrofracking could pose a “grave threat” to New York City’s water. The city is one of the rare municipalities in the nation with a waiver from federal environmental officials that allows it to avoid filtration. City officials and many environmentalists worry that watershed drilling would derail years of aggressive efforts to maintain that waiver and force the city to build a filtration plant Gennaro estimates could cost taxpayers $10 billion. The city has managed to avoid filtration thanks largely to a landmark 1997 agreement with the watershed towns that stresses land management and conservation. The city has spent $1.5 billion on its protection efforts since then, including the purchase of 90,000 acres in the Catskills.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration has not followed Gennaro’s lead in calling for a one-year drilling moratorium. But the city’s Department of Environmental Protection has sought a role in developing permit conditions in their watershed and suggested a one-mile, no-drill zone around reservoirs and other watershed infrastructure.

Resentments toward the city have been nursed ever since valley towns were flooded to create the world-class set of reservoirs generations ago. Tensions ebbed after the 1997 agreement, but many watershed residents still don’t like the idea of New York City hanging a “no drilling” sign on their land.

“If they do it for the city watershed, they better do it for all watersheds,” said Town of Walton supervisor John W. Meredith. “And guess what? That’s the whole state.”

Gov. David Paterson’s administration is now updating state drilling regulations to make sure protections are in place for horizontal drilling and hydrofracking.

But Paterson and state officials are also aware of the economic potential of a geological formation that covers more than a third of the state’s land mass. Marcellus could bring jobs, commerce, development and tax revenue to parts of upstate New York that need it badly.

“I’m looking to make this land pay the bills,” Galley said. “They’re talking about a recession nationwide. Hell, we’ve been in a depression for 10 years in this area.”

Lawmakers consider gambling expansion to raise revenue

link to full article is here:

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20081114/NEWS01/811140381
By Joseph Spector
Albany Bureau

ALBANY -- State lawmakers and the Paterson administration are considering legislation that would allow the state's video-lottery gaming facilities to expand hours and add electronic table games, such as roulette and blackjack.

The moves are being eyed as a way to give the state a boost in revenue when it's struggling to close massive budget gaps over the next four years.

"We will consider them all if it will help us raise some revenue," Paterson said in an interview today with Gannett News Service.

Some lawmakers want the state's eight racetracks with video-lottery terminals to expand its machines to include electronic versions of casino-style games as a way to draw new gamblers. Now, the facilities are limited to slot-machine-type games and video poker.

Moreover, the proposal calls for letting the facilities stay open for longer.

They can now stay open for 16 hours a day or 112 hours a week, but the proposal would allow larger tracks, such as Saratoga Gaming and Raceway and Yonkers Raceway, to stay open for 140 hours a week and smaller tracks, such as Batavia Downs, for 128 hours a week.

That would give tracks the opportunity to keep their video-lottery parlors open 24 hours a day a few days a week.

Proponents see the plan as an alternative to the effort to legalize casino gambling in New York, which has faltered because it would require a constitutional amendment.

"With the state having a tough fiscal situation, they may be looking for revenue enhancements," Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mt. Hope, Orange County, said of the Paterson administration. "This may be an easy way to go without a constitutional amendment."

Paterson has called lawmakers back to Albany on Tuesday to try to cut $2 billion from the current budget, which runs until March 31.

Some backers of the idea, including Westchester County developer Louis Cappelli who is redeveloping the Concord Hotel in the Catskills into the new Monticello Raceway, estimate the state could see up to $500 million in new revenue a year from expanding the facilities' hours and games.

They are lobbying the state Legislature to approve the measure at next week's session. There is also talk that the state Lottery Division, which manages the facilities, may be able to implement some of the changes without a new law.

A lottery spokesman said any changes are still in the "conversation stage."

"The lottery is always looking at new ways to deliver fun games to our players and also the kind of games to help us better compete with casinos in neighboring states and help us earn more revenue for education," spokesman John Charlson said.

Pennsylvania, Indiana and Rhode Island are among states that have installed electronic table games, which unlike table games at casinos are played against the computer rather than a human dealer.

"A number of states already have similar legislation and have seen quite positive effects, including increased economic activity and increased revenue to the state," said Darren Dopp, a spokesman for Empire Resorts, which is a partner in the Concord project.

Some racetracks said the changes would boost revenue.

"It gives us more opportunity to play, gives us better ability to compete with Native American (casinos), gives the places closer to Atlantic City and to the big casinos along Northern Pennsylvania, it gives them better ability to compete with them," said Martin Basinait, president of Western Regional Off-Track Betting, which owns Batavia Downs.

Link to full article is here:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081115/NEWS/811150326

LIBERTY — Last year's first illegal bait pile was easy to spot.

Driving near Old Liberty Road in the heart of Sullivan County, Lt. Deming Lindsley could see the heap of bread from his patrol car.

"It was all sliced bread and rolls," said Lindsley, of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police. "The pile, without exaggeration, was 2 foot high."

Two young men sat near the bread mound, their bows and arrows poised. Their uncle had loaded his truck at a day-old bread store in New York City, then driven to the Catskills, where he'd dumped the food in the woods. The men were waiting for deer to come and make themselves easy targets.

As deer and bear hunting season opens Saturday, environmental officers will be on the lookout for hunters using bait, a violation that is becoming more prevalent in our woods. In Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, citations for hunting over bait were up 85 percent last year, according to DEC records. Police and hunters said that competition on smaller plots of land — and laziness — have caused the increase.

Bait piles come in all varieties. Some unlawful hunters toss corn, apples or broken pumpkins into a heap on the ground, just within range of their hunting stands. More elaborate schemes include a feeder hung from the trees that disperses grain at timed intervals. The theory is all the same.

"The deer will keep coming back because they always know there's food there," Lindsley said. And the hunters will have an easy shot.

There are myriad reasons for the rise in bait hunting. Because sportsman are hunting on smaller plots of land, Lindsley said they want to be sure that deer migrate onto their land and not their neighbor's, so they sprinkle some corn around. And some bait hunting can be attributed to simple laziness.

"Some folks want to hop in their ATV, drive to their hunting stand, shoot a deer, hop back in their ATV and go home," Lindsley said.

But longtime hunters say that using bait spits in the face of good sportsmanship, and that's why the vast majority of bait hunters who are caught get reported to the DEC by upstanding sportsmen. They draw a distinct line between hunting and killing. Hunters use rub marks on trees and hoof prints to track the animals' migration, while cheaters, they said, spread some food to divert deer from their natural path, and wait nearby.

"Hunting over bait spoils it because it's not fair," said Frank LaBuda, the Sullivan County judge and veteran hunter. "Let's face it, to draw the deer toward you and away from their natural habitat so you can get an easy shot is killing, not hunting."

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Catskills lands should be enjoyed

link to story is here:

http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/local_story_320040029.html

In these uncertain economic times, good news for upstate New York can be hard to come by. That's why we were cheered to hear that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's plans to open about 13,000 acres of city-owned land in the Catskills for recreational purposes.

It's no secret that, especially in the Catskills region of our area, local economies depend on a variety of visitors and the money they bring. The Catskills region has a long history of luring those who love to hunt, trap, fish and hike. These visitors fill up their tanks at local gas stations, dine in local restaurants and rent local homes or stay in local hotels. Many who visit the area end up returning to buy vacation homes or settle permanently, further contributing to the region's tax base.

The DEP had previously required a special city permit just to gain access to its land, on top of the applicable hunting and fishing licenses. The agreement inked earlier this month eliminates the need for such a permit for city-owned parcels that are adjacent to state Forest Preserve land.

The move is part of a new access initiative designed to improve recreational access to the Catskills. Also included in the initiative are a 156-acre bicycle corridor in the northern Catskills and a pilot program that would allow recreational boating at the Cannonsville Reservoir.

The agreement between the DEC and the Department of Environmental Protection affords a balance between preservation and access, ensuring that the watershed will be protected and the land preserved for future generations, while still allowing area residents and visitors from all over the world to take in the natural splendor of the region.

In James Fenimore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans," Natty Bumppo offers a ringing endorsement of the characteristics that have drawn visitors to the Catskill Mountains for years:

"If being the best part of a mile in the air, and having men's farms and (houses) at your feet, with rivers looking like ribbons, and mountains bigger than the Vision,' seeming to be haystacks of green grass under you, gives any satisfaction to a man, I can recommend the spot."

While much has changed since Cooper penned these words, the Catskills can still boast breathtaking vistas such as these, as well as much more. We echo the statements of Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mary Beth Silano and Delaware County Watershed Affairs Commissioner Dean Frazier, who called for the city to open more of its land for public use.

NYRI is blasted at state hearing

By Tom Grace
Cooperstown News Bureau

November 07, 2008 04:00 am
link to article is here:

https://www.thedailystar.com/local/local_story_312040010.html/resources_printstory

—

NORWICH _ Residents of Chenango and its surrounding counties took aim at NYRI on Thursday afternoon during a hearing held at the Council of the Arts auditorium in Norwich.

The hearing was held by the state's Public Service Commission.

NYRI, short for New York Regional Interconnection, has proposed a 400,000-volt, 10-story tall direct-current power line that would run from Marcy in Oneida County to New Windsor in Orange County. Various proposed routes could take the line through sections of Delaware, Chenango and Otsego counties.

Proponents say it would help relieve the high price of electricity in the New York City area, improve the state's electrical grid and foster ``green'' projects such as windmill farms.

Opponents, like Dr. Glenn Stein of Norwich, see the project purely as a scheme to enrich investors. Stein, who testified Thursday, told two administrative law judges, ``The only thing green about NYRI is the money they're going to make.''

To laughter and cheers from a crowd of about 130, Stein read from NYRI's application in which ``they had the unmitigated gall to write that `overhead transmission lines may have a positive effect on property values.'''

Included in that application are photographs that show the firm has gone to great lengths to minimize the project's effect on the landscape, he said.

``This project is bad economic policy and bad energy policy,'' he added, comparing it to running a long extension cord down the state when what may be needed is a generating facility near the city.

With NYRI President Chris Thompson, spokesman David Kalson, attorney Leonard Singer and others from the firm listening, Lisa Oristian of Hubbardsville said that people are tired of defending themselves from ``obscenities like NYRI.''

The 190-mile-long, $2 billion project, which has been deemed unnecessary by the New York Independent System Operator, is essentially ``a home invasion,'' Oristian said, warning that ``when people are pushed, they shove back.''

Several speakers at the session also noted the opposition of the ISO, which operates the state's electrical grid, as well as that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has guaranteed ratepayers, not investors, will have to pay for the project.

State Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, whose 107th District would be bisected by the line, characterized NYRI as ``merely a group of investors seeking to make a profit at the expense of upstate residents.''

Personal stories heard

Some residents spoke of the personal hardships the project would cause.

Jackie Angelino, who lives on county Route 33 in Norwich, said the power line would run through her yard near the $200,000 house she just built.

``If this goes through, I'll lose all my equity,'' she told the presiding administrative law judges, Michelle Phillips and Jeffrey Stockholm.

Kenneth St. John of Norwich said NYRI's line ``would go through the middle of our property, and I don't believe there's a need for it. The only people who will benefit from this are the people behind it and maybe some politicians.''

Restaurant owner Candy Ramer of Sherburne said she and her neighbors haven't felt the need to lock their doors, but ``lo and behold, now we have a burglar in the valley who wants to take everything we hold near and dear.''

Cancer risks associated with power lines were the subject of comments from William Au of Sherburne, and also in written comments jointly submitted by Au; a clinical pharmacologist, Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum; a Norwich radiologist, Dr. Tom Holmes; and Les Roberts, an epidemiologist.

``There is a strong and well-documented association between high-voltage AC power lines and childhood leukemia, and an association between workplace DC electrical exposure and leukemia and brain-cancer risks in adults,'' they wrote.

Stockholm responded to Au's comments by saying the PSC would consider any cancer risks the project poses.

Perry Owens of Norwich said he and his wife had conducted a study and determined 1,097 properties in Chenango County would be directly affected by the project.

``There will be mass evictions through eminent domain; it will be a disaster,'' he said.

The hearing continued through much of the afternoon and was scheduled to be followed by an evening session, the last of the PSC's public comment hearings on this project.

Chris Brunner of Norwich, who testified against the line, said outside the hearing that the PSC is slated to consider new possible routes for the project in the next few weeks.

Anne Dalton, PSC spokeswoman, said people who want to comment by mail may send letters to Jaclyn Brilling, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350. Comments should note that NYRI is case number 06-T-0650. Comments may also be registered by calling (800) 335-2120 or online at www.dps.state.ny.us.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

NATURAL GAS: Marcellus growing pains lead to water-discharge woes for Pa. industry (11/06/2008)

Katie Howell, Land Letter reporter

A Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection mandate limiting the treatment of wastewater from oil and gas drilling sites at sewage-processing plants that discharge into the Monongahela River could have far-reaching effects on the development of the prolific Marcellus Shale natural gas reservoir that underlies most of the state.

DEP, which has been investigating and attempting to dilute the levels of dissolved solids in the river, late last month ordered seven sewage plants that discharge into the Monongahela River Basin to significantly limit the amount of wastewater flow they allow through plants each day, a DEP spokeswoman said.

Teresa Candori, the spokeswoman, said the department restricted sewage treatment plants from allowing more than 1 percent of their daily flow to be drilling wastewater until the levels of total dissolved solids fall. Prior to the restriction, the plants allowed 10 percent to 20 percent of their daily flow to be wastewater from drilling, Candori said.

"We're very concerned about this. It has an immediate impact on Marcellus development," said Louis D'Amico, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Organization of Pennsylvania. "There are very few options [for wastewater disposal] once you start taking away sewage plants. It will have a tremendous impact on the industry."

Natural gas producers have been flocking to Appalachia in the past year to tap the Marcellus reservoir, which could hold as many as 50 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, or one-fourth of total U.S. reserves. Geologists and engineers have long known about the prolific reservoir but lacked the technology and sustained high natural gas prices to make it profitable to explore (Greenwire, May 5).

That changed as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology emerged, gas prices skyrocketed and Range Resources Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas, announced late last year that a Pennsylvania well was producing 3 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Marcellus reservoir.

Now the state is experiencing growing pains as it welcomes an influx of industry. The state has opened up public lands for exploration, much to the chagrin of environmental groups. And it has worked to establish environmental protections to safeguard against the pitfalls of horizontal drilling.

Hydraulic fracturing, the method of choice for producers looking to break apart the tightly packed shale and release the natural gas trapped in tiny pore spaces, requires pumping large amounts of chemically laced water into the ground.

That wastewater is what DEP is concerned is adding to the dissolved solid levels in the Monongahela River, which runs through southwestern Pennsylvania -- the heart of Marcellus country.

But industry officials say the water is not toxic and is not affecting the level of pollutants in the river.

"The water we're discharging is mostly [hydraulic fracturing] water. It's essentially freshwater with a little sand -- but hopefully that sand is left behind in the formation -- and some lubricants, but these are not toxic," D'Amico said.

DEP said the oil and gas drilling -- and specifically the Marcellus exploration -- was not totally to blame for the dismal conditions in the Monongahela. Candori said acid mine drainage runoff and low flow rates as a result of little rainfall were also at fault.

"Oil and gas drilling wastewater is not the primary source," Candori said. "It just happens to be the one thing we can control."

Candori said the sewage-treatment plants are complying with the DEP mandate and some have stopped accepting oil and gas drilling wastewater altogether.

D'Amico said the restriction is hampering the industry's efforts to explore in the region.

"If disposal through sewage plants is off the table, the problem is, where do you dispose of water from that production?" he said. "If you can't come up with a solution, you've got to shut wells in -- and this is certainly not the time of year to shut in and cut off natural gas production."

He said deep-well disposal is an option in some areas of the country, but in Pennsylvania, the geology prevents that. Deep-well disposal involves pumping the water back into the ground into deep rock formations and sealing them off so they cannot leak into groundwater reservoirs. Pennsylvania's limestone-rich geology is not ideal for deep-well disposal.

Candori suggested some additional alternatives, including storing the water at an industrial facility or taking it to other sewage-treatment plants that do not discharge into the Monongahela.

DEP will continue monitoring the total dissolved solids levels in the Monongahela and will allow sewage-treatment plants to process more wastewater from oil and gas operations once the pollutant levels drop.

Voters approve infrastructure upgrades

Sewage-treatment plants have been on the minds of Pennsylvanians this week, as voters passed a bond issue that would allow the state to borrow $400 million to repair and upgrade water and sewer systems (Greenwire, Nov. 5).

"Pipelines are in some cases leaking nearly as much water as they carry, plants sometimes treat stormwater and sewer water in the same plants, and in some cases, a lot of rain can overwhelm a plant and raw sewage will drain right into the stream," Candori said.

The bond, which passed with more than 60 percent of the vote, will allow the state to borrow money to make those necessary upgrades -- especially in the central part of the state, where federal mandates require the plants to comply with standards for discharge into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The treatment plants in question are not the same ones regulated by DEP for their oil and gas drilling wastewater treatment.

BEAR-ABLE HUNTING NUMBERS

BEAR hunters in the Adi rondacks have had a much tougher time of it than those who hunt the southern part of New York.

The early season take in the North Country was down by 75 percent from 2007, but the numbers seem to be rebounding for the regular season hunters with the take running about 50 percent greater than last year. If the remainder of the regular season is productive and reporting rates are good, it is suspected we'll see a slightly higher total take.

In the Southern Zone, the bear take in Central and Western N.Y. is about double last year's to date and already exceeds the total archery take of 2007. About a half dozen bears have been reported in the newly expanded bear hunting areas. Bear take in the Catskills is running about 40 percent less than last year.

New Jersey shooters dominated in the National Sporting Clays Championships in San Antonio, Texas.

Anthony Matarese Jr. has become the 20th Sporting Clays National Champion, beating more than 1,400 shooters for the top prize and edging former champion Wendell Cherry by one target.

Diane Sorantino repeated as ladies champion for the second consecutive year, dominating the field through the entire competition. The police chief from Cape May, N.J., out-shot her nearest competitor by 13 targets.

New York's hunters can now report their deer, bear, turkey take via the DEC's new Online Game Harvest Report system by logging onto www.dec.ny.gov and follow the link from the hunting information box on DEC's home page.

Capt. Bob Tuma, one of the pioneers of Montauk charter boat fishing, passed away on Saturday at the age of 85. He was a charter captain for more than 60 years aboard his boat, the Dawn.

Public sentiment clear at NYRI hearings

By: Melissa Stagnaro, Sun Staff Writer

Link to original article is here:

http://www.evesun.com/news/stories/2008-11-07/5633/Public-sentiment-clear-at-NYRI-hearings/
Published: November 7th, 2008

NORWICH – Area residents gathered in force at the Chenango County Council of the Arts in Norwich to voice their concerns to the Public Service Commission about the proposed 190-mile electric transmission line that they feel threatens their lives, livelihood and, in some cases, their livestock.

Between the two information forums and public statement hearings, more than 50 concerned citizens spoke before the Administrative Law Judges Michelle Phillips and Jeffrey Stockholm.

Some cited facts and figures, others personal stories of the impact the proposed line will have on their families and business. They all spoke with passion and conviction and they all had the same message for the judges assigned to review New York Regional Interconnect’s Article VII application: the NYRI powerline is not needed or wanted in this area.

Village of Sherburne Mayor Bill Acee has been outspoken against the proposed project, which threatens to bisect his community.

“This is a lose-lose scenario for our friends, neighbors and upstate rate payers,” said Acee. “It is the wrong line in the wrong location and the wrong solution to New York’s energy problems.”

Todd Dreyer from the City of Norwich read a letter from Mayor Joseph Maiurano: “It cannot be overstated how devastating the power line would be ... one more nail in the coffin of our already economically depressed area.”

“This is nothing but a selfish corporate power grab designed to bring immense wealth to a few at the expense of many,” Dreyer added.

“I am opposed to this powerline,” said Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, who represents communities along the planned route through his district.

Crouch described contradictory reports from NYRI about the affect of the project on upstate electric prices as “trying to convince someone that snake oil tastes good.” He cautioned that the project could “incur the exodus of manufacturing from this area.”

Crouch quoted industry sources as he criticized the planned route as falling physically short of its goal to provide cheaper power to New York City residents. “There is a 75-mile bottleneck between the terminus and the true demand point,” he said.

Over and over again, speakers criticized the proposed powerline as bad policy and made the claim that the project was profit motivated.

“This is about money. And that money is not for us,” said Hubbardsville resident Lisa Oristian.

“The idea of this foreign company being reimbursed for this hideous intrusion is unconscionable,” said North Norwich resident Sondra Patterson.

“There is nothing environmentally friendly about NYRI,” said Dr. Glenn Stein of Norwich. “The only thing ‘green’ about NYRI is the money they plan to make for their investors, at the expense of all New Yorkers.”

Stein described his experience reading through the NYRI application, which he said was often misleading, and some cases “blatant lies.”

He said that NYRI’s idea of solving downstate energy issues with the powerline were misguided.

“NYRI sees a traffic jam on the Long Island Express Way, and wants to add extra lanes to Route 17 through the Catskills. They see congestion on the FDR and want to widen Route 12 through Norwich,” said Stein.

He compared the project to a kitchen remodel that solved a shortage of outlets with an extension line through the rest of the house, stopping just short of the actual kitchen. The analogy brought a chuckle from Stockholm, but the point was not lost.

“What we don’t need is a 190-mile long extension cord,” concluded Stein.

Officials sip sake Wednesday at a Japanese-style ceremony for the wind turbine to be erected at Sullivan County Community College this fall. From left, Sam Ikeda, president of Environmental Technologies; his wife, Tomoko; Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Forestburgh; Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis; and Dr. Mamie Howard-Golladay, president of Sullivan County Community College.Times Herald-Record/MICHELE HASKELL

aryImgs[imgCounter] = "https://images.recordonline.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=TH&Date=20081106&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=811060315&Ref=AR&MaxW=200&MaxH=180&title=1&border=0"; aryCaps[imgCounter] = "<div class="caption">Officials%20sip%20sake%20Wednesday%20at%20a%20Japanese-style%20ceremony%20for%20the%20wind%20turbine%20to%20be%20erected%20at%20Sullivan%20County%20Community%20College%20this%20fall.%20From%20left%2C%20Sam%20Ikeda%2C%20president%20of%20Environmental%20Technologies%3B%20his%20wife%2C%20Tomoko%3B%20Assemblywoman%20Aileen%20Gunther%2C%20D-Forestburgh%3B%20Sullivan%20County%20Legislature%20Chairman%20Jonathan%20Rouis%3B%20and%20Dr.%20Mamie%20Howard-Golladay%2C%20president%20of%20Sullivan%20County%20Community%20College. <br /><span class="photoCredit">Times Herald-Record/MICHELE HASKELL</span></div>"; aryZooms[imgCounter] = "javascript: NewWindow(870,625,window.document.location+'&Template=photos&img="+imgCounter+"')"; bolImages=true; var isoPubDate = 'November 06, 2008' By Adam Bosch

LOCH SHELDRAKE — Sullivan County Community College broke ground on Wednesday for construction of an energy-producing wind turbine that will be the first of its kind in the world and could cut the college's electricity bill by half.

Crews will pour a concrete base for the 111-foot-tall, vertical-shaft wind turbine on Thursday, a few dozen yards from the circular road that leads to the college. Vertical-shaft turbines have been used on a small scale, but one this large has never been built, said Sam Ikeda, president of the company that developed the turbine.

When asked if he feared that such a large turbine might falter, Ikeda said, "I'm pretty confident because we have data and we've tested it."

The turbine's 10 blades will require roughly 9 mph of wind to make them turn. Ikeda expects the turbine to produce 1.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power roughly 400 average homes each year. Construction of the wind turbine should be finished by January, and engineers said it will be online by spring.

College students will use the turbine as part of their new green-building and renewable-energy curriculum.

Roughly 150 college officials, local lawmakers and other guests gathered on the college lawn to celebrate the groundbreaking, but the wind turbine hasn't always drawn a happy crowd. One resident, Kenneth Walter, whose mother's house sits roughly 500 feet away, has staunchly opposed the turbine, arguing that its noise would destroy his mom's quality of life.

And the project had created tense moments between the college and county brass. On at least one occasion, college lawmakers were caught skirting public information laws, which prompted a reminder from the county attorney's office. Just hours before the ceremony, some lawmakers wondered if the college wasn't jumping the gun by holding its groundbreaking before the land lease was signed. Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis was expected to sign the lease by late afternoon.

Still, the groundbreaking was jovial and replete with Asian flare to mark Ikeda's Japanese customs. He and college President Mamie Howard-Golladay used a mallet to crack open a wooden keg of sake, an Asian liquor. Dignitaries wore little blue kimonos for the toast.

"Here's to new friends and tremendous electricity," Golladay said.

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