RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Air Force objects to a planned wind farm in eastern North Carolina, saying the blades reaching nearly 500 feet high could threaten low-flying fighter jets from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The wind-power project would feature nearly 50 turbines spread out on 11,000-acres in Beaufort County.
The Air Force says the turbines would stand near military training routes as the jets approach a Dare County bombing range. The military says the turbine towers would pose a safety risk to pilots at night and could interfere with military radars.
Seymour Johnson in Goldsboro is the only F-15E Strike Eagle training squadrons in the Air Force. The military says if it were forced to relocate the bombing runs, it would undermine the base's core mission and risk harming the local economy.
Wind Farms
Wind farms are a source of visual pollution, in other words, they destroy the natural beauty of the countryside. In addition to being inefficient, they also are a hazard in terms of damage to birds. They have also been known to provide noise pollution in the immediate area.