|
|
|
Opening Remarks of U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall, II
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources
Before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
May 1, 2007
Thank you, Chairwoman Bordallo, for your leadership on this important subcommittee, and for your interest in scheduling this morning's hearing. Today we will shed light on the side of wind power that few ever hear about; namely, the real and growing threat of this technology on wildlife, especially birds and bats.
Two years ago I joined with my friend and colleague from West Virginia, Congressman Alan Mollohan, who also joins us here today, to request that the Government Accountability Office investigate the environmental impacts of the burgeoning wind industry in the Appalachian highlands and across the country.
The GAO made two important findings abundantly clear in its September 2005 report. The first conclusion was that the wind industry is subject to relatively indifferent and ineffective environmental oversight. The second finding was that we know far too little about the negative effect that this technology has on bird and bat populations.
Since that time, permit applications have been growing in my State and elsewhere, but agency oversight has not kept pace either on the State or Federal level.
For instance, in June of 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published voluntary interim guidelines to avoid or minimize the impacts of wind energy projects on wildlife and their habitat. Today, May of 2007, as far as I know these guidelines are still voluntary.
Meanwhile, I suspect that wind projects are on a regular basis in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act, yet no enforcement action is being taken.
The bottom line is that we cannot allow ourselves to wholeheartedly embrace wind energy at every location where a strong wind blows, without first evaluating this technology in its entirety and having in place a responsible regulatory framework. This hearing will be a crucial step in that larger endeavor. Thank you.
|
|
