Residents tell Marshfield council Hub City Wind project threatens wildlife, health and property
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Summary
Two local residents told the council they oppose the proposed Hub City Wind Project, warning it would place hundreds-of-feet turbines near Marshfield, harm birds and livestock, create noise/light and internet interference, and strain local emergency response; council did not take action during public comment.
Two Marshfield-area residents used the council's public comment period to urge local officials to push back against the Hub City Wind Project, saying proposed turbine placement could affect homes, wildlife and public safety.
"They are the height of or taller than the Statue of Liberty, about 700 feet tall," said Cindy Nelson, who said she lives on Balsam Road near Stratford and in the town of Old Plain, describing an area she said includes 35 to 38 proposed turbines near her property. Nelson warned of wildlife impacts including eagles' nests, potential groundwater contamination from foundation blasting, noise and flashing lights, and interference with internet and flight patterns.
Pamela Brown, who said she lives in the township of McMillan, echoed Nelson's concerns and cited health and environmental risks she attributed to turbines, including infrasound-related symptoms, livestock impacts and large annual bird and bat mortality figures she said apply nationally. Brown also raised risks tied to battery energy storage systems paired with turbines, including thermal-runaway fires, and said some proposed project parcels lie within one mile of Marshfield city limits.
Both speakers described studies and online resources they said informed their positions and urged the city and surrounding townships to coordinate in opposition. "The city of Marshfield and its residents will be affected," Brown said.
Council policy during public comment is to receive remarks for the record without responding; no council action or staff directive was taken during the session on March 24. The council packet and later staff work sessions would be the appropriate venues for formal consideration of any city position, permitting comments or intergovernmental coordination.
What happens next: Public comment items were recorded for the council's consideration. The Hub City Wind Project was described by speakers as a county or private project; those project approvals, leases and permitting processes are controlled by the county and other permitting authorities, not by the council unless or until specific city approvals or zoning changes are required.
