The arrests came as roughly three dozen protesters gathered
at the entrance to the project site, shortly before 8 a.m.
The action was part of a rally planned by citizen groups
opposed to the project on Rollins Mountain, as well as other
large-scale wind energy proposals around the state.
Most of those arrested were affiliated with the Maine branch
of the national activist group, Earth First! Wearing orange
ponchos against the driving rain and biting wind, they stood
across a gravel access road and forced trucks to stop for
nearly a half hour.
Traffic resumed after the activists ignored warnings from
Lincoln Police and officers began escorting them to waiting
cruisers. One woman was carried by officers when she refused
to walk to a police car.
Other protesters, one dressed as a clown, many holding
signs, cheered for their colleagues and jeered the police.
Other officers attempted to move the crowd off the project
property and onto the public right-of-way bordering Route 6.
Boston-based First Wind began site clearing and road
building for the $130 million project in late September. It
since has been pouring concrete foundations for the 40
turbines planned for the ridge lines here and in neighboring
Burlington, Lee and Winn. More than 150 workers are
currently on the job, with more expected later this fall
when the turbine towers are erected.
John Lamontagne, spokesman for First Wind, said the company
was pleased to move ahead with the project and provide jobs
in northern Maine during tough economic times.
"It’s unfortunate a small group of renewable energy
opponents have chosen to protest that, but we respect
their rights to do so," he said. "This project
will put more than 200 people to work during construction,
and generate enough clean, renewable power for more than
24,000 homes in Maine. We’re proud of that.”
The project is rated at a capacity of 60 megawatts. The
output is set to be sold to Central Maine Power and Bangor
Hydro-Electric, under a power purchase agreement approved by
state regulators.
Opposition to Rollins has so far slowed, but not stopped,
First Wind. The company received local planning board
approvals late in 2008, and won state permits in 2009. The
project was appealed by Friends of Lincoln Lakes, which
ultimately lost a widely-watched test case at the Maine
Supreme Judicial Court.
Members of the group who turned out this morning said they
hoped publicity would draw attention to what they see as
harmful development of Maine's wild lands.
Today's protest was part civic protest, part street theater.
Brad Blake, one of the organizers, carried a poster that
read, "Stop the rape of rural Maine." It showed a
"Welcome to Lincoln" sign that boasted the town is
home to 13 lakes, not 40 turbines.
Gary Steinberg carried a giant screwdriver around and
shouted: "Screw the citizens!"
Other protesters came from western Maine, where citizen
groups are fighting proposed projects.
As a practical matter, the protest did little to disrupt
construction. Most work was curtailed this morning by the
bad weather. Brad Kites, who lives in Lincoln and is First
Wind's project manager, said he respected the right of
residents to express their opinion, but would rather that
they not disrupt the work, or create a safety hazard.
