Work will start in April on the Beaver Creek Wind Park in northeastern Greene County, with the first job putting in the roads to the turbine sites. Greene County zoning coordinator Chuck Wenthold updated the supervisors at their meeting Monday. He said once the 85-turbine project is under way MidAmerican will send him, secondary roads, the sheriff’s office and all other agencies that may be affected an EOD – events of the day – with the designated work plan for the day.
The project straddles Greene and Boone counties. Wenthold reported construction will begin on the western edge of the project and move to the east.
Delivery of the towers will begin in June, with 10 towers delivered every week for two months. Transporting each tower will require 11 trucks. The towers will be taken directly to each site. The towers will be offloaded from the railroad in Manly, IA, and then be hauled south on Interstate 35 to Highway 18, and then south on Highway 169, Wenthold said.
He said construction crews have already booked local hotel rooms, and he expects to see construction workers camping at Spring Lake as well.
Sheriff Jack Williams said he expects in increase in crime, with “DWIs and thieves.” He said there was a “huge” increase during construction of the ethanol plant years ago.
“You get more people, you get more crime,” supervisor Mick Burkett said. “And it’s not the people that come in. It’s people that are here that steal from the people who come in.”
On the supervisors’ agenda next week will be two agreements between the county and MidAmerican Energy relevant to the project. One will pertain to drainage and one will pertain to road use.
Burkett has attended pre-project meetings with board chair John Muir and Wenthold. Burkett described MidAmerican officials as “on top of it” as they plan construction.
