On 14th April 2010, CCDR-Algarve threw out the application by Cavalum sgps to install a wind farm only 340m from existing properties in Água de Tábuas, Sta. Catarina, Tavira. The Algarve regional environmental agency listed an embarrassingly long list of reasons why the project submitted by Cavalum sgps was unacceptably, including;
- proximity to existing residences;
- deterrent to future development of 30 ruins within 500m of the project;
- probable pollution of surface and underground water supplies during the construction phase;
- totally unrealistic socio-economic claims by the 3 named psychologists on the project team regarding benefits;
- omission of all negative socio-economic impacts by the 3 named psychologists on the project team;
- probability of breaking existing/future noise regulations;
- destruction of the quality of life of existing residents;
- inadequate evaluation of threats to flora and fauna, including nationally and internationally protected species(one day site visit during a stormy day in January 2009);
- despoilment of an area of outstanding natural beauty by installing an 80m high tower with 95m circumference moving blades only 40m from the Tábuas geodesic marker;
- Failure to discuss mitigating actions with residents as recommended by the DGEG;
- Failure to consider alternative sites, as required by the Tavira PDM.
- Failure to specify how to connect the wind park to the national electricity network, and therefore no assessment of its environmental impact;
- Strength of opposition by the public, the local council and environmental agencies, including a petition signed by almost 200 people living in the area.
Despite this overwhelming opposition, Cavalum sgps lodged a written objection which was also unsurprisingly dismissed.
This decision comes almost 18 months after Cavalum employees and their consultants snooped around the village with maps, secretly making their plans for the site, and running away whenever approached by residents. What a massive waste of time and money for the shareholders of the privately held company, Cavalum sgps, the regional development agency CCDR-Algarve, Portuguese taxpayers and the poor local residents of Água de Tábuas.
Showing posts with label wind farm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wind farm. Show all posts
Monday, 26 April 2010
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
SITE VISIT BY FILIPE GONÇALVES, CAVALUM CONSULTANT ON 12TH JUNE 2009
Filipe Gonçalves, the consultant working for Cavalum, the company which is planning to install the wind-farm in Água de Tábuas, came to see me on Friday, 12th June. He was taking advantage of the holiday weekend to take a break with his family in Tavira, and volunteered to come up to the hills for a chat and to see the alternative sites we had identified.
He spent about 3 hours with me, during which time we visited:
- the alternative site near Umbria (references below);
- the alternative site near Alcaria do Cume (where another wind measurement mast has been installed for some time – reference below);
- Bob & Alex’s house for a chat and to see the view from their house;
- Jurek and Nadia’s house for a chat and to see the view from their house.
I also gave him grid references for a third site north of São Bras, near Cove do Muda.
Points arising:
1. I told him that this year had been windier than normal, and it concerned him that he might be taking readings during an untypical year.
2. He will pass on the grid references for all the alternative sites to the University team who do the wind modeling for him, and they will be able to extrapolate probable wind values from the readings taken at A de T. He will provide us with a copy of the analysis.
3. He will try to find out who installed the wind measurement mast near Alcaria do Cume, and if possible, exchange wind measurement data with the people involved. He believes the mast is installed very near the boundary with River Guadiana natural park.
4. My letter to the CEO of Cavalum had got through and there would be a reply. However, the reference to the previous involvement of a UK barrister had almost caused them to clam up and deal only through their solicitor.
5. He had not heard the “Wind-farm kills goats” story, but thought it odd, and he wasn’t worried about any affect on aircraft radar systems as his proposed site had already been signed off by the airport authority.
6. He accepts that the wind-farm will impact the view from M de J but doesn’t think anyone living there has a real cause for complaint, and he says M de J residents will definitely not hear any noise.
7. He does now accept that there will be a significant visual impact on Jurek and Nadia’s house, and also now appreciates that there are ruins closer to his turbines than he was aware of.
8. Despite his protestations that we, as the closest residents in A de T, will hear no noise, he says that if he does decide to install them here, he will work closely with the manufacturers to ensure they get the quietest machines possible. Also, should there subsequently be any problems, he would work on our side to resolve them.
9. Stories on the internet about wind turbine noise are stories about older machines installed some years ago; new machines have a different blade tip design which doesn’t make the same noise. You can hear no noise from the machinery unless you are standing underneath.
10. He reaffirmed his strong belief that there will be no more tenders offered by the government for wind turbine plants in Tavira district for at least 4 years, so no-one in M de J need be concerned that they will be surrounded by wind turbines. The original plan for 18 or 19 units was a speculative endeavor, put forward by a company under the old way of doing business. These days, the government takes the first initiative.
11. He says he will tell us if and when the Environmental Impact Study is underway so we can contribute.
12. He is back in the area in 2 weeks time "for a meeting with landowners" and will pop-in to see if there are any other issues for discussion.
He spent about 3 hours with me, during which time we visited:
- the alternative site near Umbria (references below);
- the alternative site near Alcaria do Cume (where another wind measurement mast has been installed for some time – reference below);
- Bob & Alex’s house for a chat and to see the view from their house;
- Jurek and Nadia’s house for a chat and to see the view from their house.
I also gave him grid references for a third site north of São Bras, near Cove do Muda.
Points arising:
1. I told him that this year had been windier than normal, and it concerned him that he might be taking readings during an untypical year.
2. He will pass on the grid references for all the alternative sites to the University team who do the wind modeling for him, and they will be able to extrapolate probable wind values from the readings taken at A de T. He will provide us with a copy of the analysis.
3. He will try to find out who installed the wind measurement mast near Alcaria do Cume, and if possible, exchange wind measurement data with the people involved. He believes the mast is installed very near the boundary with River Guadiana natural park.
4. My letter to the CEO of Cavalum had got through and there would be a reply. However, the reference to the previous involvement of a UK barrister had almost caused them to clam up and deal only through their solicitor.
5. He had not heard the “Wind-farm kills goats” story, but thought it odd, and he wasn’t worried about any affect on aircraft radar systems as his proposed site had already been signed off by the airport authority.
6. He accepts that the wind-farm will impact the view from M de J but doesn’t think anyone living there has a real cause for complaint, and he says M de J residents will definitely not hear any noise.
7. He does now accept that there will be a significant visual impact on Jurek and Nadia’s house, and also now appreciates that there are ruins closer to his turbines than he was aware of.
8. Despite his protestations that we, as the closest residents in A de T, will hear no noise, he says that if he does decide to install them here, he will work closely with the manufacturers to ensure they get the quietest machines possible. Also, should there subsequently be any problems, he would work on our side to resolve them.
9. Stories on the internet about wind turbine noise are stories about older machines installed some years ago; new machines have a different blade tip design which doesn’t make the same noise. You can hear no noise from the machinery unless you are standing underneath.
10. He reaffirmed his strong belief that there will be no more tenders offered by the government for wind turbine plants in Tavira district for at least 4 years, so no-one in M de J need be concerned that they will be surrounded by wind turbines. The original plan for 18 or 19 units was a speculative endeavor, put forward by a company under the old way of doing business. These days, the government takes the first initiative.
11. He says he will tell us if and when the Environmental Impact Study is underway so we can contribute.
12. He is back in the area in 2 weeks time "for a meeting with landowners" and will pop-in to see if there are any other issues for discussion.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Press Campaign
Still no replies to the tens of letters sent to REN, Cavalum, Tavira council and the Department of the Economy, so I guess we need to follow-up and make more noise.
However some progress with the press campaign. There was another high profile article in The Algarve Resident last week http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=31260 and a follow-up letter and additional wind-farm briefing has been sent to the journalist involved. The same issue also contained an excellent letter from the couple who spearheaded the campaign to stop the erection of a communications tower next to houses in Carvoiero. Like us, they can't understand the behaviour of local politicians.
Contact details are being collected for Portuguese media (TV, radio and newspapers) and a covering letter and briefing material has been translated in preparation.
Briefing material has also been provided to UK-based journalists working for national publications.
However some progress with the press campaign. There was another high profile article in The Algarve Resident last week http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=31260 and a follow-up letter and additional wind-farm briefing has been sent to the journalist involved. The same issue also contained an excellent letter from the couple who spearheaded the campaign to stop the erection of a communications tower next to houses in Carvoiero. Like us, they can't understand the behaviour of local politicians.
Contact details are being collected for Portuguese media (TV, radio and newspapers) and a covering letter and briefing material has been translated in preparation.
Briefing material has also been provided to UK-based journalists working for national publications.
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Letters, Meetings, Letters
Since the last report there has been a meeting with the Department of the Economy in Faro, and several letters have been sent to various government and local government officials. Letters have also been exchanged with Cavalum, and there have been two telephone conversations. The consultant has agreed to come down to see us and inspect the alternative wind farm locations we have suggested.
However the best advice we are receiving from all sides is to go all out for maximum publicity - Portuguese and English press, TV (eg RTP), radio, British Embassy, British-Portuguese Chambers of Commerce, Dutch, Belgium Chambers of Commerce, etc, etc.
It's election year and we need to make the politicians who are all up for relection in October, face the public and explain why they are sitting on their hands and letting this beautiful environment be destroyed. They need to be made accountable. For example, it's not common knowledge but Tavira Câmera stands to make a lot of money from Cavalum in the form of taxes which it charges for installing wind turbines near your house and mine.
This is why our democratic representatives don't really care if we lose our life savings and decide to move out. They don't care if any planned overseas investments don't go ahead. - they've already got the budget sorted - the new wind farm will help to continue funding high salaries, long holidays and comfortable pensions. Shame about the rest of us. If only we could help you... It wasn't us, it was the people in Lisbon....
Make sure you get this message across to the media - and get them to ask the politicians why they aren't defending their constituents. Get the media to ask the Sta. Catarina and Tavira local authorities how much money they are making out of the high tension cables and the wind farm. Get the media to ask them why they claim to be so powerless when such massive infrastructure development projects are planned for their region. Get the media to ask them why they don't make any effort to inform their constituents about such projects. Ask them why it is that many of the local rural population still don't even know about these developments. Get the questions and any answers in the local newspapers and on the TV, and even more importantly in the media in the UK, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Get angry, get very angry.
However the best advice we are receiving from all sides is to go all out for maximum publicity - Portuguese and English press, TV (eg RTP), radio, British Embassy, British-Portuguese Chambers of Commerce, Dutch, Belgium Chambers of Commerce, etc, etc.
It's election year and we need to make the politicians who are all up for relection in October, face the public and explain why they are sitting on their hands and letting this beautiful environment be destroyed. They need to be made accountable. For example, it's not common knowledge but Tavira Câmera stands to make a lot of money from Cavalum in the form of taxes which it charges for installing wind turbines near your house and mine.
This is why our democratic representatives don't really care if we lose our life savings and decide to move out. They don't care if any planned overseas investments don't go ahead. - they've already got the budget sorted - the new wind farm will help to continue funding high salaries, long holidays and comfortable pensions. Shame about the rest of us. If only we could help you... It wasn't us, it was the people in Lisbon....
Make sure you get this message across to the media - and get them to ask the politicians why they aren't defending their constituents. Get the media to ask the Sta. Catarina and Tavira local authorities how much money they are making out of the high tension cables and the wind farm. Get the media to ask them why they claim to be so powerless when such massive infrastructure development projects are planned for their region. Get the media to ask them why they don't make any effort to inform their constituents about such projects. Ask them why it is that many of the local rural population still don't even know about these developments. Get the questions and any answers in the local newspapers and on the TV, and even more importantly in the media in the UK, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Get angry, get very angry.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Água de Tábuas Proposed Wind Farm Map
A map showing the proposed locations of the 3 (initial?) wind turbines. Click on it to get a bigger version for printing.Spread the word - some of the locals do not believe there is such a plan and argue that the existing wind measurement tower is a communications antenna.
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