TOKYO —

Local officials and a bird conservation group requested Monday that an electric power company and the government alter plans to build a wind power plant in Fukui Prefecture in order to prevent birds being killed. Officials of the Kaga municipal government in Ishikawa Prefecture and of the Wild Bird Society of Japan visited Electric Power Development Co., the plant’s builder, and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy in Tokyo to plead their case. They argue that as many as 1,000 white-fronted geese could get caught up in the windmills each winter should the plant be built at the currently planned site, which is roughly midway between a wetland in Kaga listed under an international conservation treaty and a feeding site. ‘‘From the standpoint of protecting the geese, we can’t ignore the negative impact that could occur,’’ said an official of the bird society.

Kaga Mayor Jin Osaka said at a news conference, ‘‘We approve of wind power generation if it doesn’t affect wild birds. We hope they implement it in an area that doesn’t affect the precious ecosystem.’’ Electric Power Development, known commonly as J-Power, plans to build the wind power plant in Awara, Fukui. The Katano duck pond, a designated wetland under the Ramsar Convention, lies about 10 kilometers from the plant’s planned site. The pond provides refuge to about 3,000 white-fronted geese and about 600 bean geese at peak times in winter.

Kyodo

8 Comments

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  Notginger at 08:41 AM JST - 19th August

  It's extremely unlikely that many birds will be killed directly by the wind turbines - the biggest problem is that the birds avoid them and then their migration patterns may become disrupted. The wind turbines also prevent ground nesting birds.

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  nisegaijin at 10:34 AM JST - 19th August

  who cares. I think running away cost of energy is more important. When people are going to grasp that?

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  LIBERTAS at 11:01 AM JST - 19th August

  Windmills? It's been a very long time since grain was milled by wind power here. A wind power plant? No, a series of wind turbines. Respectfully, please be accurate in your technological descriptions. Bad as "police pistols." (Revolvers!) Picky, but important.

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  fatloser at 12:19 PM JST - 19th August

  Why don't they put em on the top of buildings in the CITY!!!!!!!!!! That's where the power goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  cooeecobber at 08:56 AM JST - 20th August

  NIMBY syndrome...again Locals need to provide evidence that wind turbines affect birds. This is an argument raised by locals wherever wind turbines are planned, and rarely, if ever, is there any problem with local bird life.

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  Hughgarse at 11:08 AM JST - 20th August

  what a bunch of namby pamby`s.

  Is there actually any statistics for birds being nailed by a wind turbine?

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  thundercat at 12:15 PM JST - 20th August

  They should just use coal.

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  bebert at 12:35 PM JST - 20th August

  Why don't they put em on the top of buildings in the CITY!!!!!!!!!!

  Because they are noisy as hell.

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