Guilty plea in bird deaths at wind farms a first

[unhappycamper]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WIND_ENERGY_EAGLE_DEATHS?SITE=VANOV&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Guilty plea in bird deaths at wind farms a first
By DINA CAPPIELLO
Associated Press
Nov 23, 3:18 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A major U.S. power company has pleaded guilty to killing eagles and other birds at two Wyoming wind farms and agreed to pay $1 million as part of the first enforcement of environmental laws protecting birds against wind energy facilities.

Until the settlement announced Friday with Duke Energy Corp. and its renewable energy arm, not a single wind energy company had been prosecuted for a death of an eagle or other protected bird - even though each death is a violation of federal law, unless a company has a federal permit. Not a single wind energy facility has obtained a permit.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company pleaded guilty to killing 14 eagles and 149 other birds at its Top of the World and Campbell Hill wind farms outside Casper, Wyo. All the deaths, which included golden eagles, hawks, blackbirds, wrens and sparrows, occurred from 2009 to 2013.

"Wind energy is not green if it is killing hundreds of thousands of birds," said George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy, which supports properly sited wind farms. "The unfortunate reality is that the flagrant violations of the law seen in this case are widespread."

[pipoman]

1. So does this mean

if an eagle flys into my car grill while driving, I violated the law? I am imagining these deaths were accidental, or are they saying they killed them intentionally?

If it is about eagles being struck unintentionally by the blades on a wind farm, I believe this is a crock-o-shit. Some people simply can't grasp that human demand for energy is the cause...and I am betting those most upset by this enjoy heat and lights in their homes..having their cake and eating it too as they say..