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Kansas court rules for county on wind farms
Published on -10/30/2009, 3:04 PM
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TOPEKA (AP) -- The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that Wabaunsee County commissioners have the right to prohibit construction of commercial wind farms in the county.
In a unanimous decision Friday, the court also noted potential harm to the aesthetics and ecology of the Flint Hills if huge wind turbines were erected in Wabaunsee County.
The court also considered opposition from a majority of county residents who attended 54 public hearing on commercial wind farms.
Before she left office, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also discouraged wind farm development in the Flint Hills.
The court said despite its ruling, there are still some questions about whether Wabaunsee County's ordinance violates the U.S. Constitution.
