West Virginia Wind Project Put On Hold By District Court Ruling

A federal judge has held up the 100.5-megawatt Beech Ridge Wind Farm in Greenbrier County, West Virginia until developers get an incidental take permit from the US Fish & Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. The judge ruled that the wind turbines would necessarily kill Indiana bats, which are an endangered specie. The ruling doesn't kill the project, but it will halt development until the permit is obtained, and it sets a precedent for wind projects across the nation that are located near populations or flyways of endangered birds and bats.

George Hohmann of the Daily Mail has a good article on the story. Here's the opinion issued by US District Court judge Roger Titus. The Washington Post reported on it, as has ReCharge, which has a picture of the bat if you want to see it.