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SAVE THE EAGLE

3290 DYER RD.

LIVERMORE, CA. 94550

FAX 510-449-3860

May 12 1993 Given at Ahlone Audubon

WHERE HAVE ALL THE EAGLES GONE!

INTRODUCTION THE ARAB OIL EMBARGO IN 1970'S CREATED INTEREST OF WIND GENERATED ENERGY. SINCE 1980 RAPTOR MORTALITY HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND STUDIES WERE ORDERED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CUMULATIVE AFFECT ON RAPTORS IN CALIFORNIA AND THE INTEREST FOR DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER WIND RESOURCE AREAS HAS CREATED A NEED FOR INFORMATION. SAVE THE EAGLE IS GOING TO RESPOND WITH THIS INFORMATION. YOU TO CAN HELP WITH YOUR SUPPORT.

SPECIES FACTS ON GOLDEN EAGLE

ALTAMONT PASS HAS 5 GOLDEN EAGLE NESTING TERRITORIES (THELANDER, 1974).WEIGHT 7 TO 13 POUNDS. LENGTH 30 TO 36 INCHES. WINGSPAN 6.5 TO 7.5 FEET. FEMALE IS ONE THIRD LARGER THAN THE MALE. GOLDEN EAGLES EAT MAMMALS, LARGE BIRDS, AND CARRION. COURTSHIP IS A SERIES OF UNDULATING DIVES PERFORMED ALONE OR IN PAIRS. GOLDEN EAGLES BREEDING & NESTING SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO AVAILABILITY OF FOOD. GOLDEN EAGLES DO NOT BREED EVERY YEAR. (SOME OF THE EXPERTS SUGGEST REMOVING THE RAPTORS FOOD WITH POISON OR FENCES FROM RAPTOR HABITAT THIS TYPE OF SOLUTION SHOULD ALSO PRODUCE FEWER GOLDEN EAGLES SINCE THEIR EXISTENCE AND REPRODUCTION DEPENDS ON AVAILABLE FOOD, AND THE CHANCE OF SECONDARY POISONING TO OTHER PREDATORS) 50% TO 80% OF SECOND BORN GOLDEN EAGLES DISAPPEAR WITHIN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF LIFE, AND 50% OF JUVENILES LIVE PAST FIRST YEAR. MOST EAGLES DIE YOUNG. EAGLES LEAVE THE NEST AT ABOUT 10 WEEKS BUT RELY ON ADULTS FOR FEEDINGS. JUVENILES MATURE AT 4 TO 5 YEARS OF AGE, AND BREED FOR 8 TO 10 YEARS, LONG ENOUGH TO REPLACE THEMSELVES WITH 2 MATURE OFFSPRING. UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS SLOW RATE OF REPRODUCTION IS SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THE POPULATION , UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS. THE TOTAL CONTINENTAL POPULATION, BALD EAGLE 70,000 AND GOLDEN EAGLES AT 60,000. (SAVAGE '86) FOR STRENGTH EACH WING AND TAIL FEATHER IS HELD TOGETHER WITH BY THOUSANDS OF TINY HOOKS AND FLANGES CALLED HOOK BARBULES AND BOW BARBULES. EAGLES CRUISE AT ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR. GOLDEN EAGLES HAVE REACHED SPEEDS OF 200 MILES PER HOUR IN A DIVE. EAGLES CAN SOAR UP TO 14,000 FT. OBSERVERS HAVE CLAIMED THAT A SOARING GOLDEN EAGLE CAN SEE A GROUND SQUIRREL FROM 1000 FT. IN THE AIR. ONCE THE EAGLE HAS SPOTTED ITS PREY, IT LOCKS ON AND DOESN'T TAKE ITS EYES OFF THE PREY UNTIL IT STRIKES. (SATTLER 89') (THIS FACT COULD EXPLAIN SOME OF THE WIND TURBINE RELATED MORTALITY'S.) WHEN STRIKING, THE EAGLE PLUNGES, HITTING OR CLUTCHING THE PREY WITH ITS FEET. THEN OTHER TIMES THE EAGLE GLIDE SLOWLY DOWN ON THE PREY , DROPPING OUT OF THE SKY OR PERCH SO SOFTLY THAT THE ANIMAL DOESN'T HEAR IT. (SATTLER 89')

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES THE FACTS ARE CLEAR THERE IS MASSIVE DAMAGE. FOR SOME REASON WIND ENERGY IS STILL PUT IN A POSITIVE PROSPECTIVE. THE SO CALLED EXPERTS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH STUDIES HAVE FOUND REAL PROBLEMS, BUT THEY ARE SO INTOXICATED BY THE THOUGHT OF SO CALLED CLEAN ENERGY, THEY EMBRACE MORE STUDIES AND THE MORTALITY'S ARE UNABATED. THIS IS JUST A STALL FOR TIME, ALAMEDA COUNTY CONTINUES TO ISSUE A NEGATIVE IMPACT AND EXCEPTS THE STUDIES AS MITIGATION. CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION DRAFT OF 1991 STATED 61 GOLDEN EAGLES WERE REPORTED KILLED IN 1989-1990 AT WIND RESOURCE AREA, "ALTAMONT PASS" CALIF. THIS REPRESENTS 4% OF THE ESTIMATED 500 GOLDEN EAGLES NESTING PAIRS IN CALIF. (THELANDER, 1974).THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON YEAR AFTER YEAR SINCE EARLY 1980s. PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A BIAS THE PEREGRINE FUND, THIS GROUP RECIEVED A $100,000 GRANT FROM U.S. WINDPOWER FOR STUDIES ON THE DECLINE OF NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRDS IN CENTRAL AMERICA. PEREGRINE FUNDS T. CADE AND B. BURNHAM HAVE MADE BAIS STATEMENTS THAT GOLDEN EAGLE POPULATIONS ARE NOT THREATENED OR VOLNERABLE IN THE WESTERN STATES, EXCEPT LOCALLY WHERE DEVELOPMENT DESTROYS NEST SITES. (P700-001 C.E.C.) THIS IS IN CONTRARY TO THE 1984-85 NEST SURVEY THAT SHOWED A LARGE DECLINE OF ACTIVE NEST TERRITORYS, CENTRAL COAST RANGE 7 ACTIVE OUT OF 18 TERRITORYS, MOJAVE 3 ACTIVE OUT OF 13 TERRITORYS, SOUTHERN SIERRA 5 ACTIVE OUT OF 14 TERRITORYS. IN NEW STUDIES PLANNED CADE AND THE EXPERTS WILL USE PIGEONS AND TRAINED BIRDS, WHICH WILL HAVE ONLY THE FACT THAT THEY FLY IN COMMON WITH GOLDEN EAGLES AND OTHER HIGH KILL RAPTORS.(C.D.F.G.'86 SCHLORF)

MORTALITY'S COMPARED TO EXXON VALDEZ SEVEN YEARS OF MORTALITY WOULD AMOUNT TO 427 KILLS OR 28% OF THE TOTAL CALIF. GOLDEN EAGLE POPULATION. THIS CAN BE COMPARED TO (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE OFFICE OF THE OIL SPILL)THE EXXON VALDEZ SPILL THAT KILLED 5% OF ALASKA BALD EAGLES A ONE TIME EVENT.

ENERGY COST ENVIRONMENTALIST SHOULD CARE ABOUT HIGH ELECTRIC COST TO CONSUMERS. THE TIMES FEBRUARY 21, 1993 NEWS ARTICLE STATED THAT 4% OF CO GENERATED POWER OF WHICH WIND ENERGY IS ABOUT HALF OF COST CONSUMERS MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH AS 75% OF THE POWER. P.G.&E. SPENT $499 MILLION ON OIL AND GAS. AND $1.2 BILLION ON CO GENERATED, WHICH MAKES UP 4%. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON WILL CHARGE CUSTOMERS $650 MILLION MORE THAN IF THE PROGRAM DIDN'T EXIST AND IS FORCED TO BUY 2.5 TIMES MORE POWER UNDER LAW THAN IT NEEDS, SAID VIKHAM BUDHRAJA THE UTILITY'S V.P. OF PLANNING.

U.S. DEPT OF ENERGY POLICY IS TO PROMOTE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, BUT THE TRUTH COMES HOME TO ROUST ON HIGH COST OF POWER AT LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY. D.O.E. CHOSE TO RUN A 230 KV DIRECT SERVICE TRANSMISSION LINE FROM BONNEVILLE ABOUT 650 MILES TO AVOID BUYING SUBSIDIZES POWER FROM P.G.&E. THE PROJECT WAS UN-STOPPABLE BY PROPERTY OWNERS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS. IT IS IRONIC THAT THE TRANSMISSION LINE RUNS THROUGH THE WIND TURBINE SITES CROSSES FREEWAY I-580 AT THE TOP OF THE ALTAMONT PASS. WITHIN DAYS OF STRINGING THE LINE A PLANE HIT THE LINE AND MANY DIED. THIS 650 MILE POWER LINE ALSO KILLS BIRDS.

EXPANSION PLANS IN UNSPOILED AREAS WINDMILLS REQUIRE LARGE AREAS OF ISOLATED LAND THIS IS THE SAME TYPE OF HABITAT THAT RAPTORS REQUIRE. THESE VAST NATURAL UNSPOILED AREAS ARE THE HOMES OF MANY FORMS OF WILDLIFE THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN FROM POPULATED AREAS. MONTANA UPPER YELLOW STONE RIVER VALLEY ALMOST HAD THIS TYPE OF WILDERNESS RUINED, BUT THE 30 MW 40,000 ACRE PROJECT WAS REJECTED, BY MONTANA POWER CO. ON MAY 21,1992. WHY WAS U.S. WINDPOWER PROPOSAL FOR WIND ENERGY REJECTED, EVEN THOUGH THE COMPANY HAD LEASED 40.000 ACRES? THE MANAGER OF THE POWER CO. SAID FOR THE MOST PART UNSUCCESSFUL PROJECTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN COST THAN THOSE THAT WERE SELECTED. MONTANA RESIDENTS ALSO FEARED THE PROJECT WOULD RUIN THE PRISTINE LANDSCAPES OF THE REGION, LOWER PROPERTY VALUES AND THREATEN BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLES. BILLING GAZETTE MAY 22, 1992

MEGAWATTS AND TURBINES WHAT IT MEANS THE NUMBERS CAN VERY FROM LOCATION TO LOCATION. BUT RESEARCH SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE 300-33M TAKES 3.34 TURBINES PER MEGAWATT. 30 WT =100 TURBINES, 150 MT =500 TURBINES. THE PRODUCTIVITY FACTOR FOR WIND TURBINES IS ONLY 25 TO 30%.

VAST AREAS SPOILED FOR A TRICKLE OF ENERGY THE WORLDS LARGEST DEVELOPED WIND RESOURCE AREA ALTAMONT PASS HAS 7,000 TURBINES TAKING UP 80 SQ. MI. AND PRODUCED 416,000 MW '92. COMPAIRED TO COLSTRIP, MONTANA DELIVERED A TOTAL, OF 15,121,000 MEGAWATT HR.. TO THE GRID IN 1991. TO PRODUCE THE SAME AS COLSTRIP IT WOULD TAKE 20,914 OF THEIR NEW MODEL 300 KW. AND WOULD COVER ABOUT 490 SQ.MI. TO REPLACE 10% OF U.S.A. WITH WIND GENERATED ELECTRIC 18 TO 20,000 SQ. MI. WOULD BE NEEDED. (BATTELLE LABS. REDLAND WASH.) TOTAL CALIF. PRODUCTION FOR 90 DAYS WAS 360,328, MWH PRODUCED BY 15,594 TURBINES, IN REPORTED PRODUCTION FACTS. (C.E.C. P500-91-011) IT'S CLEAR THE MASSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TRICKLE OF ELECTRICITY IS A POOR INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE.

DEVELOPING IS THEIR GOAL WIND IS A RENEWABLE SOURCE OFFERING AN EXPANSION OPPORTUNITY AND IS ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE.(P.G.&E. 92') THE FACT IS, PUBLIC SUBSIDIZES WIND ENERGY AND IST'S NOT ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE IS RARELY INCLUDED. P.G.&E. RESOURCE PLAN INCLUDES A NEW 150 MG. WT. IN 1998 . SMUD PROPOSED 50 MW IN SOLONO CO., P.G.&E. 7 MG. WT. IN SOLONO CO. WINDMILLS ARE ON THE WAY SHOULD DEVELOPERS TO GET APPROVAL IN WASHINGTON, MONTANA, AND POINTS NORTH. IN MEDICINE BOW, WYOMING A 70 MW. PROJECT IS PROPOSED, VIRGINIA, IOWA, AND OTHER WIND RESOURCE AREAS TO THE EAST.. NEW TURBINES ARE NOW GOING UP IN MINNESOTA, A 1OO MW. UNDER CONST. IN SOME PROJECTS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION WOULD MARKET THE POWER FROM PACIFIC POWER AND LIGHT. (ROCKY MT. CONST. 12/92) THIS SHOULD HAVE A REAL IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTROYING WILDLIFE, VISUALLY DESTROYING THE SCENIC BEAUTY, AND FINANCIALLY ON TAX PAYERS AND INCREASED ELECTRIC COST.

ARAB OIL EMBARGO THE EMBARISING FACT IS IN 1980 ONLY 12% OF POWER WAS GENERATED BY OIL. (D.O.E. '80)

COAL NUMBER ONE SAVING OF OVER $100 MILLION PER YEAR PER 1000 MW OF CAPACITY WITH THE USE OF COAL OVER OIL COST. THE E.P.A. HAS FORCED COAL FIRED GENERATORS TO CLEAN UP AND MEET STRICT STANDARDS. COAL FIRED GENERATORS WILL PRODUCE 55.2 % OF U.S. POWER IN 1993. HIGH SULFUR COAL IS ON THE WAY OUT, WITH PHASE I OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT, AND PHASE 2 WILL GET MUCH TOUGHER. THE U.S. HAS A 500 YEAR SUPPLY OF COAL RESERVES. (82' MICHO KAKU )

WORD WIDE WIND ENERGY TOTAL U.S.A. ABOUT 16,000, EUROPE WITH 4000 UTILITY SIZE TURBINES. CALIFORNIA ABOUT 1680 MW. EUROPE 890 MW. ESTIMATES 3.8 BILLION KWHS WERE GENERATED IN 1991.(AWEA 92')

PUBLIC AGENCIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ALLOWED EXPANSION OF WIND ENERGY THERE IS A VERY LONG LIST OF PUBLIC AGENCIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING TO CONVERT US FROM CONVENTIONAL POWER GENERATING, AND PROMOTE THE SO CALLED CLEAN ENERGY OF THE FUTURE. THE FOLLOWING AGENCIES HAVE ALLOWED FOR WIND GENERATED POWER TO EXPAND. ALAMEDA COUNTY, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, RIVERSIDE COUNTY, KERN COUNTY, SOLANO COUNTY AND SACRAMENTO COUNTY, P.G.& E. CALIF. DEPT. OF FISH AND GAME, CALIF. ENERGY COMM., CALIF. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CONTROL ACT, U.S. DEPT. OF FISH & WILDLIFE. WHAT IS THE POLICY OF U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY, AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION, CALIF. ENERGY COMM., ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, TRI COUNTY MITIGATION PROGRAM, NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY ALL ARE IN SUPPORT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A RAPTOR MORTALITY'S.

TRI COUNTY MITIGATION'S VIEW POINT DICK ANDERSON OF CALIF. ENERGY COMM. SUMMARIZED MOST OF THE VIEWPOINTS " RENEWABLE ENERGY IS DESIRABLE AND WIND TURBINE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE INCREASING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. LANDOWNERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING INCOME. WE SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT USING THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS, BUT WE ALL AGREE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE QUICKLY SINCE LOSES ARE NOT WANTED. (C.E.C.&P.G.&E.DEC.92)

WIND FARM OPERATOR VIEW POINT WINDMASTERS BILL CHAPMAN POSITION "ALSO , THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF BIRDS ON THE TURBINE BLADES. THERE WAS A GENERAL CONCERN ABOUT HOW BAD STATISTICS CAN EFFECT THE WIND INDUSTRY DRAMATICALLY AND THAT RESEARCHERS SHOULD BE CAREFUL IN PRESENTING RESULTS. FINALLY, THEY ASKED IF BIRDS DIE ANYWHERE ELSE BUT AT WINDFARMS."(C.E.C.&P.G.&E.DEC.92)

ARE ENVIRONMENTALIST CONCERNED SIERRA CLUBS ENERGY SPOKES PERSON RICH FERGUSON, SAYS THAT TO SCALE BACK IS ILLOGICAL. WHILE THE RESTRICTIONS WERE INTENDED TO PREVENT MORTALITY RATES FROM INCREASING, THEY WILL ALSO LENGTHEN THE TIME NEEDED TO BRING RATES DOWN. THE PROPOSED SMALLER PROGRAM WILL THEREFORE ALMOST CERTAINLY RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BIRD FATALITIES IN THE LONG TERM. (DOES FERGUSON ASSUME THAT THERE STILL IS 400 RAPTORS TO KILL ON A YEARLY BASIS AT ALTAMONT? DOES THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS ONLY IN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES?)

YOUNG EAGLES DIE IMMATURE GOLDEN EAGLES WERE KILLED MORE FREQUENTLY BY 63%, THAN THEIR PROPORTION IN THE POPULATION. (CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION P700-92-001) THOUSANDS OF LARGE WIND TURBINE GENERATORS PLACED IN AREAS OF HIGH RAPTOR BREEDING, FORAGING AND MIGRATING-USE ARE AN OBVIOUS MORTALITY HAZARD. "ALTAMONT PASS" , "TEHACHAPI PASS" AND "SAN GORGONIO" ARE KNOWN RAPTOR AREAS AND 15,594 OF LARGE WIND TURBINE GENERATORS ARE ALSO THERE.

A FRIENDLY KILLER TURBINES HAVE INCREASED THE AVAILABILITY OF PERCHES AND NEST SITES IN THE RELATIVELY-TREELESS GRASSLAND AT ALTAMONT AND RAPTORS ARE NOW ACCUSTOMED TO THEIR PRESENCE. RED TAILED-HAWKS AND RAVENS PERCH ON TURBINES AND IS MOST COMMON IN THE WINTER BECAUSE OF INTERMITTENT OPERATION. PERCHING OR NESTING AND INCREASED USE OF THE STRUCTURES REDUCE THEIR AWARENESS TO THE POTENTIAL THREAT. WIND TURBINES PLACEMENT CONFLICT DIRECTLY WITH GOLDEN EAGLES CERTAIN BEHAVIORAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO COLLISION AND VULNERABILITY OF GOLDEN EAGLES. SOARING FLIGHT 100 TO 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND ALONG THE TOPS OF RIDGES INTERSPERSED WITH LOW COURSING FLIGHTS (+-25 FT.) OVER BRUSH AND ROCKY OUTCROPPINGS (CARNIE 1954). THE PLACEMENT OF WINDMILLS IN RELATION TO TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES TO MOST EFFECTIVELY UTILIZE THE WIND RESOURCE CONFLICT DIRECTLY WITH GOLDEN EAGLES HUNTING BEHAVIOR.

OTHER SPECIES KILLED BY WIND TURBINES 15 SPECIES OF RAPTORS ARE OBSERVED AT ALTAMONT GOLDEN EAGLES, RED TAILED HAWKS, TURKEY VULTURES, AND AMERICAN KESTRELS ARE COMMON RESIDENT SPECIES. ESTIMATED 403 RAPTORS WERE KILLED BY WIND FARM RELATED INJURIES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF STUDY (CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION (P 700-92-001).

IN 1988 R. M. HAUSSLER (C.E.C) WROTE AVIAN MORTALITY REPORT AT WIND TURBINE FACILITES IN CALIFORNIA AND SAYS, " OF THE ESTIMATED 500 NESTING PAIRS OF GOLDEN EAGLES IN CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE ABOUT FIVE NESTING TERRITORIES IN THE ALTAMONT PASS AREA (THELANDER, 1974). IF YOU OPTIMISTICALLY ASSUME THAT ALL FIVE TERRITORIES ARE BEING USED IN A GIVEN YEAR, INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THELANDER (1974) INDICATES THAT THESE FIVE PAIRS MAY PRODUCE ALMOST SEVEN FLEDGED YOUNG ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THE AVERAGE YEARLY LOSS OF EAGLES AT ALTAMONT PASS WIND TURBINE FACILITES IS ABOUT ELEVEN. SIMPLE MATHENATICS INDICATES THAT ALL THE RESIDENT GOLDEN EAGLES WOULD BE GONE WITHIN THREE YEARS OR LESS, IF ALL EAGLES WERE FROM THE RESIDENT POPULATION.)

WHERE HAVE ALL THE RAPTORS GONE THE (C.E.C. P700-92-001) STATED THE SHOCKING FACTS OF THE ATTRITION RATE HERE IN ALTAMONT PASS. I SAY ATTRITION BECAUSE THERE WERE MUCH FEWER MORTALITY'S REPORTED IN THE SECOND YEAR THAN IN THE FIRST YEAR. SINCE THE SAME OPERATING CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT THE SECOND YEAR. THE ONLY LOGICAL CONCLUSION IS THAT THERE WERE FEWER RAPTORS TO KILL, OR DEAD RAPTORS WERE REMOVED PRIOR TO THE SURVEY TEAM INSPECTION OF SAMPLE SITES. 1989 FIRST YEAR GOLDEN EAGLES 19 KILLED , AND THE SECOND YEAR 4 KILLED OR 375% FEWER MORTALITY'S. AMERICAN KESTREL 1989 FIRST YEAR 17 KILLED, AND THE SECOND YEAR 5 KILLED OR 240% FEWER MORTALITY'S. RED TAILED HAWK 1989 FIRST YEAR 45 KILLED, AND THE SECOND YEAR 20 KILLED OR 125% FEWER MORTALITY'S. OBSERVED ABUNDANCE FOR GOLDEN EAGLE WAS 25 AND OBSERVED MORTALITY 11. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT NOBODY WENT TO EACH TURBINE SITE EVERY 2 WEEKS AND ONLY THE SAMPLE SITES, AND 2 WEEKS IS MORE TIME THAN SCAVENGERS NEED.

WHO FINDS THE DEAD RAPTORS (EAGLES) ? WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, ALL INCIDENTS WERE RECORDED BY INDIVIDUALS WHILE GOING ABOUT OTHER ACTIVITES WITHIN WIND PROJECT AREAS. THE NUMBER OF UNDISCOVERED MORTALITIES AND INJURIES ARE UNKNOWN AND HAVE NOT BEEN ESTIMATED. THE NUMBER OF AVIAN SPECIES INJURED THAT SURVIVE OR LEAVE THE AREA AND DIE LATER IS UNKNOWN, AS IS THE NUMBER OF MORTALITIES OR INJURED AVIAN SPECIES REMOVED BY PREDATORS. ALSO, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING SMALL BIRDS, THE NUMBER OF THEIR MORTALITES IS UNKNOWN. SOUND LEVELS AND VIBRATIONS. ORIGINAL C.U.P. C-3989 APRIL 23, 1981, APPLICATION STATED WILE THE SOUND LEVEL AT THE BASE OF A WINDMILL IS 50-52 dba, APPROXIMATELY EIGHT HUNDRED FEET FROM THE WINDFARM THE WORST CASE SOUNDS PRESSURE LEVELS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE 40-45 dba, WITHIN THE AMBIENT NOISE LEVELS OF A QUIET RESIDENTIAL/RURAL NEIGHBORHOOD. SO EVEN WITH THE CONSERVATIVE MEASUREMENT OF 54 dba TO 72 dbc WOULD CLEARLY PUT U.S. WINDPOWER WINDMILLS 9 TO 14 dba MORE THAN THERE APPLICATION SAID. AND THEN THERE IS THE 58-62 dbc WINDMILL NOISE COMMING THROUGH MY WALLS. (CEQA) THIS IMPACT IS CUMULITIVELY CONSIDERABLE. (DEC '90 MUELLER)

CONTINUE WITH MORE STUDIES THE FACT IS THAT AFTER ALL THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE ALLOWED THE ELIMINATION OF THE RESIDENT EAGLES FROM THEIR HABITAT IN THE ALTAMONT PASS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT THE STATE, COUNTY, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS WERE TRYING TO PREVENT WITH PROTECTED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ACTS. ISN'T THE SAME TYPE OF MORTALITY GOING ON IN "TEHACHAPI PASS" AND "SAN GORGONIO"? ISN'T IT A FACT THAT WIND RESOURCE AREAS THE HABITAT OF RAPTORS? 1986 TESTIMONY SAID DEATH TO BIRDS HOW MANY RAPTOR MORTALITY'S BEFORE IT BECOMES BELIEVABLE WHAT WAS SAID IN THE TESTIMONY OF FEBRUARY 20,1986 BY BOB HAUSSLER WHO SAID "THAT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT WIND TURBINE STRUCTURES RESULT IN COLLISIONS DEATH TO BIRDS."

YOURS TRULY,

DARRYL MUELLER

5/13/93

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at dmci@darrylmueller.com