Last month’s Forest Service approval for a wind turbine project in Searsburg and Readsboro is facing a challenge from an environmental group.
The group Vermonters for a Clean Environment cites negative impacts on the Green Mountain wilderness and on water quality in its appeal. The group also claims a conflict of interest in the Forest Service’s decision, saying experts who prepared the independent analysis for the Forest Service were also working for project owner Iberdrola on a wind project in New Hampshire at the same time.
The project planned for 80-acres of land in southern Vermont could produce enough power for about 30,000 homes.
The new turbines would be 410 feet tall, or twice the height of towers at an existing adjacent wind farm. The towers would also require aircraft safety lighting.