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Brown County delays wind-energy ordinance second reading to clarify decommissioning, setbacks and noise rules
Summary
Brown County commissioners postponed the second reading of an amended wind energy ordinance after developers and staff sought clearer decommissioning financial-assurance language, a definition for 'unincorporated cities' used for setbacks, and a clarified noise-measurement standard (45 dBA). A revised draft will be posted for review before the next meeting.
Brown County commissioners on the morning of the Nov. 4 meeting agreed to postpone the second reading of an amendment to the county zoning code that would replace chapter 4.36 on wind energy systems.
The pause followed detailed discussion about three points developers and staff said need clearer language: how county decommissioning requirements interact with South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) jurisdiction, how the ordinance defines ‘‘unincorporated cities’’ for setback measurements, and whether the 45-decibel noise standard should be measured at property lines or at dwelling structures.
An unnamed staff presenter summarized the proposed decommissioning requirement in the draft: owners or operators must update the…
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