Tue, Feb 28, 2012
Planned Generator Would Interfere With Forbes Field
Operations
There will be no wind turbine constructed at the Mars Chocolate
North America plant in Topeka, KS, because of potential
interference with operations at Forbes Field (KFOE).
Topeka Sectional
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Eric Johnson,
president of the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority, said "any
object constructed at Kanza Fire (Commerce Park) does interfere
with approaches and departures." The chocolate factory is under
construction at the industrial park near the airport. He said the
planned 300-foot tall wind turbine would "severely limit" the
airport's use.
The final decision came from the FAA. Johnson said that if
construction on the wind turbine were to continue, it would be
contested by the MTAA with the backing of the FAA. He did say that
it was his understanding that Mars had scrapped the wind turbine
and was evaluating other renewable energy sources for the
plant.
That was confirmed by Leslie Veneziano, corporate affairs
assistant manager for Mars, who said in an e-mail to the paper that
they would not be using wind turbines at the Topeka site. She said
the company is evaluating a solar energy system, and should know
within a few months if that will be viable.
But the turbine is part of an incentive package offered by the
city of Topeka, which requires the company to build the wind
facility of close the site. Go Topeka, an economic partnership
between the city and the Chamber of Commerce, calls the clause in
the contract "legally enforceable."
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