Mathew Ung. (KSCJ photo)
Woodbury County Supervisors have unanimously approved changes to the county’s wind turbine regulations. The county’s ordinance originally barred wind turbines within 600 feet of city limits, but now wind turbines may not be placed within two miles of the city limits of any community in Woodbury County.
Woodbury County Supervisors chairman Matthew Ung said the change protects future growth around cities. “As for the amount of distance we’ve established as a board and as a department — the annexation limits — and how that ties into this number, in my opinion it’s important to be in a defensible position logically and legally just for the good of not only the board’s position, but also the public and the county,” Ung said.
It’s possible MidAmeircan Energy may file a legal challenge of the supervisors’ decision.
Some Woodbury County residents, like Moville Mayor Jim Fisher, had hoped for wider no-go zones for wind turbines. “At our last council meeting which was last Wednesday evening we went ahead and had this on our agenda as far as setbacks,” he said. “It was brought forward and it was unanimous by our city council that we’d like to have the setbacks from city limits five miles.”
Fisher said the concern is scenic views around Moville will be ruined by the wind turbine structures. Bob Fritzmeyer of Sioux City was the only resident at the supervisors’ meeting who spoke in favor of wind turbines. “They provide clean energy for people like us and help MidAmerican Energy the company that has been a real (stalwart) and a foundation for this community and the whole county,” he said.
Daniel Hair of Hornick responded. “The rest of us out in the rural part of this county that have to live amongst those noisy, dangerous giants…want absolutely nothing to do with them,” Hair says. “All you have to do is drive across the state and look at these things. They are everywhere. They are ruining rural Iowa. It’s going to be the downfall of Iowa if we keep pushing this green energy religion nonsense. There’s nothing green about these things.”
Supervisors approved another change in Woodbury County’s wind turbine ordinance, extending the no-go zone to a mile for turbines placed near conservation areas.
(By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)