Wind turbine concerns lead to road closure
By Jeff Broddle
McBAIN - A road in Missaukee County was closed for several hours Sunday afternoon and three homes were evacuated as a safety precaution after construction workers became concerned about the stability of a newly-installed 400-foot wind turbine.
Rick Wilson, project manager for Heritage Renewable Energy, said the concerns regarded the fourth wind turbine the company has installed as part of the Stoney Corners Wind Farm. Installation had just been finished on Friday.
Wilson said some movement at the top of the tower had come to the attention of crane operators.
"There was nothing out of the norm as to what happened. It was moving in a normal fashion," Wilson said.
"The construction workers were being a little overly cautious, but that’s OK. Everything is secure, and there’s not reason whatsoever for concern," he added.
The turbine was located on leased land belonging to a local farmer.
Three more wind turbines are still scheduled to be installed this fall.
According to Missaukee County Sheriff Jim Bosscher, part of Seeley Road was closed from about 10 a.m. Sunday to around 5:30 p.m.
The three houses that were evacuated were not so close to the wind turbine that the turbine would have fallen on them, but they were still evacuated out of an abundance of caution in terms of possible flying debris, Bosscher said.
jbroddle@cadillacnews.com | 775-NEWS (6397)
