By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
tribune staff writer

KEYSER — Opponents of the proposed Pinnacle wind farm near Keyser have filed 29 letters of protest with the West Virginia Public Service Commission, balancing voluminous filings by the developer in which nearly a dozen experts testify on behalf of the project.
The PSC Web site maintains an up-to-date listing of all documents filed in the Pinnacle case, including staff memos and scheduling information for hearings and other procedural aspects of the review.
In addition to the individual letters of protest, which are scanned and presented as received by the PSC, a filing by Stephens Law Office of Morgantown establishes the Allegheny Front Alliance as an official “intervener” in the case, giving the organization legal standing as an opponent to the project.
“The Alliance seeks to intervene in order to ensure that the Commission and the public
receive complete and accurate information regarding the burdens imposed by wind energy
development,” the filing said. “The Alliance believes that its membership and the State as a whole would be substantially adversely affected by the construction and operation of the project proposed by Pinnacle Wind Force, LLC (“Pinnacle”). Accordingly, the Alliance seeks relief in the form of denial of the application of Pinnacle.”
A second party seeking intervenor status is the West Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council, which notes in its filing that it has gained similar status for five other wind projects in the state.
“The Council is a labor organization that represents approximately 20,000 construction workers throughout the State of West Virginia and surrounding counties. The membership of the Council includes rate-payers and employees who construct wind turbine generators such as those proposed by the Applicant for placement in Mineral county,” the filing states. “The Application in this matter states that the $1 3 1 million project will generate, directly and indirectly, 3 10 new jobs in West Virginia, many of which will be
temporary construction jobs during the construction period. The Council seeks to intervene in order to ensure the construction of the proposed wind turbine generators will have a positive impact on local employment as well as the local and state economies.”
US WindForce formally applied to the PSC for project approval on March 17, and the record of documents on file with the agency dates from that application. Only last week the company filed a lengthy statement detailing testimony from a variety of experts outlining the scope of the project, its economic impact and its effect on view-shed, noise and the environment.
Included in the record as well is a memo from the PSC staff that provides an overview of the project. According to the report, the Pinnacle project will require a total of about 72 acres to be cleared for roads, turbines and construction-staging. WindForce officials noted in their filing that the nearest residence among a scattering of cabins and homes in the area is 918 feet from a turbine, and is a landowner who participated in the project by leasing their property.
Among the 30 letters from private citizens that have been sent to the PSC about Pinnacle, all but one are opposed to the project.
Most of the letters are relatively brief, expressing concern about harm to the environment, mountain views and wildlife. The opponents also marshall their own experts, however, including Pamela Dodds, a registered geologist from Montrose, W.Va., who ends her nine-page letter by stating, “If Pinnacle Wind Force, LLC is granted a siting certificate, the PSC is essentially granting a permit for (the company) to break West Virginia and Federal environmental laws.”
The most prominent local individual to register opposition to the project is Betty Spiggle, wife of Mineral County Commissioner Wayne Spiggle.
The Public Service Commission will continue accepting public comment on the Pinnacle project well into the fall, when the commission is slated to conduct public and evidentiary hearings on the project. To write to the commission, letters should be addressed to: Sandra Squire, Executive Secretary , Public Service Commission of West Virginia, PO Box 812, 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, West Virginia 25301. All letters should reference the Pinnacle Knob project and its case number: 09-0360-E-CS.
To view the letters and other materials that have been submitted to the PSC for the Pinnacle project, visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.psc.state.wv.us/"www.psc.state.wv.us. On the left side of the main page, click on “Case Information.” On the page that appears, click “Case” in the Search category at the upper left side of the screen. Under case name, enter Pinnacle and hit search. Then click “activities” under the file that appears for the Pinnacle project.