On Sunday at noon, most of the residents of Krzyżowa met at the village community center for a meeting concerning the construction of a wind farm planned for Krzyżowa, Osła and Różyniec (Gromadka Commune). Twenty-four wind turbines are planned, each with a capacity of 3.2 MW and standing more than 150 meters high.
According to the residents, the commune authorities had concealed information about the investment from them. It did appear, among other places, in the Public Information Bulletin on the Commune Office's website, but—as the residents argue—who checks it regularly?
The result? Almost exclusively the people on whose plots the wind turbines are to be built took part in the administrative hearing held last October, along with the investors, the minute-taker and the deputy commune head. The village head of Krzyżowa was also present, but he refused to sign the minutes, demanding a village meeting because, as he emphasized, people should know about the investment and express their opinion.
The Krzyżowa Village Development Association took a number of steps to publicize the matter. Numerous institutions and the media were notified. The association organized a village meeting attended by nearly 50 people. Everyone protested against placing the wind farm closer than 3 km from their homes.
Our portal was the first to report on the planned project; we also wrote about a peaceful picket against the construction of the wind turbines. According to the residents, it was only after that picket, held before a session of the Gromadka Commune Council, that the commune authorities began speaking differently with the protesters.
Among those taking part in the meeting held on Sunday, May 18, were Solidarity Poland member of parliament Beata Kempa, environmentalist Jolanta Dobrowolska, physician Janusz Chudyba and former deputy president of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management Jerzy Małachowski. Residents of Osła and Różyniec were also invited.
The discussion was heated and concerned, among other things, the impact of wind turbines on the environment and human health, as well as the need for dialogue between the commune authorities and residents. Using numerous examples from other communes, the guests warned against making hasty decisions when signing land-leasing agreements for turbines. They pointed to a number of inconsistencies. For example, land beneath turbines is classified as non-agricultural, so no EU subsidies are due for that part. There are also considerable problems with the possible sale of land on which wind turbines are located and with transferring it to the owner's heirs. This significantly limits the rights of land and property owners. During the lease period, some investors also do not consent to development in the immediate vicinity, thereby blocking the village's further development. It has also not been determined who will bear the costs of dismantling the equipment after 20–30 years.
We will return to the matter.
(information: ii)