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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A citizens group has asked the state Public Service Commission to bar the developers of a wind farm in Grant County from doing any construction until the agency determines that its pre-construction requirements have been met.
Citizens for Responsible Wind Power Inc. filed a petition with the PSC on Tuesday alleging that logging operations were under way to clear properties leased by NedPower Mount Storm LLC for its $150 million Mount Storm project.
The PSC approved the project in April 2003. The citizens group asked the PSC to reopen the case and allow it to intervene so that it can review NedPower Mount Storm's compliance filings.
In December, the PSC clarified its position that the developers must certify they have met certain environmental conditions before starting construction. Developers also must notify the commission if their projects are cited for environmental violations.
The Dec. 14 order also approved Shell WindEnergy Inc.'s planned acquisition of the project from Ned Power Mount Storm. Shell WindEnergy is a subsidiary of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC.
Citizens for Responsible Wind Power said neither company has filed any statements that the pre-construction conditions have been met.
The project is permitted for 300 megawatts, which would involve up to 200 wind towers, and is near another 166-turbine project proposed by US Wind Force LLC. Both projects would dwarf the state's lone existing wind farm, Exelon Corp.'s 44-tower Mountaineer Wind Energy Center in neighboring Tucker County.
Members of the citizens group also planned to meet with Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Stephanie R. Timmermeyer on Wednesday to discuss NedPower Mount Storm's application for a storm water permit. The group contends that the application seeks a permit for only a portion of the wind farm site. It wants the DEP to require NedPower Mount Storm to resubmit an application for the entire site.
The DEP has scheduled a public hearing on the storm water permit for Thursday. Christine Stump, a lawyer for the citizens group, sent a letter to Timmermeyer on Tuesday asking her to cancel the hearing and declare the permit incomplete.
AP-CS-01-25-06 0005EST<*L>
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