Madison Wind Farm

Madison Wind Farm has hired an experienced contractor, North Coast Enterprise, to energetically fell the 7 Madison Wind Farm turbines. This means that precise detonations will cause the towers to break at the base and strategically fall into a prepared landing zone. The turbines will then be pieced apart into transportable, recyclable components and removed from the site. Small debris from the felling will be cleaned up by hand and with a magnet sweep. We expect the felling to be completed within a few hours on a single day, though the preparation, clean up, and removal will take a total of 6-8 weeks.  

We expect the decommissioning period to begin in the first weeks of September, and last for 6-8 weeks.  The felling of the turbines is expected to take place in the early afternoon of the 17th.  

Site teams’ work hours will be 7 AM to 7 PM, in accordance with local regulations. 

*The decommissioning timeline is weather contingent and subject to change

Weather, including wind, will be monitored on the day of felling.  Our plan allows for sustained wind speeds up to 50 mph. Above that, the felling process will pause until winds calm to a safe range. Precipitation will not impact the felling schedule.  

During the felling activities, Stone Road from Landers Road to Tinker Hollow Road will be closed for about 15 minutes at a time. No vehicles will be allowed to park on Stone Road (with the exception of those who are parking at their homes off Stone).  

Equipment and disposal vehicles will travel on Stone Rd to Center Rd North, and East/West on Route 20 throughout the decommissioning period. 

To mitigate damage to roads from heavy equipment, dust, or noise concerns, North Coast will abide by any seasonal work restrictions on local roads. Following the completion of decommissioning activities, Madison Windpower will be responsible for returning any damaged roads to their pre-decommissioning condition. 

EDP Renewables will have a dedicated viewing area along part of Tinker Hollow Road, near the intersection of Stone Road, where viewers are welcome to join us to watch the felling. The viewing area will be indicated by day-of signage. We ask that you please be considerate of fellow drivers by only parking on the shoulder of the road (not in the center of the road, ditches, or fields) where it is indicated safe to do so. 

Please carpool to reduce the number of cars on the road. Ear protection will be required and a limited amount provided by Madison Wind for those joining the viewing area. 

Only authorized, essential personnel will be allowed within the Madison Wind Farm project area, including the tower service road and on Stone Road during the felling.

Yes. Due to the noise of the turbine impact when felled, North Coast has requested that anyone at homes within 1,000 ft of a turbine remain inside their homes during the felling. People at residences further than 1,000 ft from the nearest turbine can reside inside or outside of the home, but no closer than 1,000 ft. If remaining outside, ear protection is highly recommended. Madison Windpower has communicated these safety precautions to all homes within 1,500 ft of the turbines.  

Vibration levels from the energetic felling will be very low, if monitorable at all. North Coast will monitor air overpressure and ground vibration at all residences within 1,500 feet of the project site during demolition to identify any potentially harmful vibration levels and ensure follow-up inspections as necessary.  

Any dust generated from cutting the blades or removing the foundation will be minor and limited to the Project site. Fiberglass turbine blades will be cut using diamond-tipped concrete saws with water for dust suppression and heat resistance.  

The decibel level from the felling will be dependent on the distance from each turbine and is estimated in the chart in Figure 1. In an abundance of caution, if you are located within 1,500 ft of any turbine base (all homes noted on the map below), or where decibel levels are anticipated to be near 140 or higher, we recommend that you either remain indoors or wear hearing protection.  

For context, a thunderstorm nearby will generate 120 decibel levels, and a lightning strike overhead could generate 165 to 180 decibel levels on average, occasionally exceeding 200 decibels in some cases, per NOAA. The OSHA gold standard for protection of workers against “impact noise” is 140 decibels.  

There are no wetlands or streams on or adjacent to the proposed work areas. The nearest water resources include a small wetland and stream located approximately 450 feet from Turbine 1, which is too far from the turbines to expect any impacts.  

However, out of an abundance of caution, all wells within 1,500 feet of the proposed felling activities will be tested for water quantity and quality, including bacteria and other contaminants (e.g., turbidity, nitrate/nitrite, sodium, etc.) consistent with New York State Department of Health standards for private wells. Testing will be conducted immediately before the start of demolition activities and after all site restoration activities have been completed (i.e., within approximately 8 weeks following blasting). 

All owners of wells that qualify for testing have been contacted.  

North Coast has established material receivers for all components of the turbines.   

• Fluids - Safety Kleen and Clean Harbors will clean and reuse or repurpose any fluids and oils possible, and safely dispose any that cannot be reused.  
• Steel and Metal - Will be processed to mill specifications and recycled into new steel 
• Fiberglass - Madison is working with local authorities to finalize a plan for fiberglass, but will handle fiberglass materials in accordance with local, state, and federal disposal requirements, and in line with Madison's internal waste handling protocols and sustainability standards. All fiberglass material generated from the decommissioning scope will be removed from the site for offsite handling and disposal. 
• Concrete – Madison is working with local authorities to finalize a plan for concrete, but will handle concrete materials in accordance with local, state, and federal disposal requirements, and in line with Madison's internal waste handling protocols and sustainability standards.  

If any damage to your property is identified after the decommissioning work is completed, please contact Rachel Smith at 716-349-1629 or rachel.smith@edp.com.