After passing strict ordinance, Washington County puts moratorium on wind turbines

WASHINGTON — A week after enacting one of the state’s strictest ordinances governing commercial wind energy production, Washington County Supervisors directed staff not to accept any applications for turbine development until after the code can be amended with provisions governing debris cleanup for the generators.

The move temporarily goes a step further than the ordinance passed earlier in December, which some advocates already praised as a functional ban on the turbines, since wind energy has never seen development in other Iowa counties after they enacted less stringent rules.

It does, however, call attention to an issue many ordinance supporters raised in the months of debate leading up to its passage: what happens when a damaged turbine pollutes nearby property?

“I don’t think that our ordinance addresses that clear enough,” Supervisor Marcus Fedler said. “We do have a conflict resolution section in there, we do have a cleanup section in there, but most of that cleanup section is about construction, and not about any damage in the future.”

The issue has gained traction this year after turbines on a farm in Cedar County caught fire multiple times in 18 months, all due to lightning strikes. The damage left about 240 acres of farmland littered with fiberglass, dust and other debris that landowners said made the corn there unfit for human or animal consumption.

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Washington County’s temporary suspension on any wind energy applications has no end date specified. Fedler’s motion called for it to stand until “we can modify our ordinance to reflect best practices” for debris cleanup efforts.

Linn County adopted rules earlier this year requiring wind turbine developers to pay for cleanup and damage mitigation caused by turbines due to natural disasters or vandalism. The code holds companies to a high standard, saying property restoration efforts “shall not be considered complete until receiving zoning administrator or board of supervisor approval.”

In another section of its ordinance, Linn County also requires developers have funds available for disaster response and follow-up before construction begins.

Fedler said he would consult a handful of other counties and come back to the board with proposed amendments.

“I don’t expect this to take very long,” he said. “I’ll definitely have that sometime in the coming months.”

The motion to suspend development applications in Washington County passed unanimously on Dec. 31.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com