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Residents press board on wind-turbine permitting, notification and wildlife monitoring
Summary
At the Feb. 3 Des Moines County meeting multiple residents sought clarity on when wind-turbine and MET-tower permit applications become public, how neighbors are notified, and how wildlife impacts (including bats and eagles) would be monitored and reported.
Residents and the public used the Feb. 3 Des Moines County Board of Supervisors meeting to press for clarity on how wind-turbine and MET-tower permit applications are handled, when notices are mailed and how wildlife impacts would be monitored and reported.
Richard Taggart asked the board to place language from a federal "big beautiful bill" on the Feb. 10 agenda and said one large Iowa project has been terminated and two others are under review because of the law. The board responded that Des Moines County currently has no wind-turbine project or installation permit application and that a federal law'level change would not automatically create a local application to review.
Several residents asked whether the county would send notice when a permit application is received. Jared Lazard of Southeast Iowa Regional Planning (the county's land-use administrator under contract) said notice is sent as soon as the office determines an application is complete, which also marks the start of a 90-day review period. Lazard said the county's ordinance requires a checklist of attachments and that notices are mailed to property owners within a one-mile radius of a proposed site once completeness is confirmed.
On wildlife and reporting, a caller identified as Shiza Mosher Callaway asked how many bat or eagle deaths would trigger action and whether the county would be fined. A board member said fines or enforcement would be imposed by state or federal agencies and would typically fall on the developer or operator, not the county. Lazard said the ordinance requires a wildlife mitigation and monitoring plan to be developed and implemented in consultation with local, state and federal conservation agencies before approval of a siting permit, and that monitoring and periodic follow-up are built into that plan.
Residents pressed how the county could ensure accurate reporting if a developer or landowner does not report a dead eagle or bat found on private property. One resident said private-property reporting is a practical challenge; board members acknowledged the problem and reiterated that technical monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, including third-party consultants, are contemplated in the ordinance.
Board staff and planning representatives also said departments have 30 days to review technical documents and that the county may hire third-party consultants for specialized reviews when applications include complex technical materials. The public hearing on a complete application must be held within the statutory 90-day review timeframe.
The board accepted a handout from Taggart but said it would not add a substantive agenda discussion about a non-existent county project at this time. The meeting adjourned after additional committee reports and reminders about courthouse logistics.
