Dale Rhodes is one unhappy camper when the subject of the windfarm planned for his area of Willacy County is mentioned.

Rhones told county commissioners and executives with E.ON Corp. that he has lived on his family farm for 52 years and he is not signing up to rent property to them.

“Your surveyors have been on my property three times and I ran them off. My family owns half of Square 16 (on the E.ON map) and the turbines will be damaging to the environment. That land is private property and it is in the central flyway for ducks and geese.

“Those 400 foot towers are going to be an eyesore with a blinking red light on top that we will have to look at for 35 years east of San Perlita. For those of us who live here it is a freaking mess.”

“What about power lines? We don't know where they are going. How are we gonna live there? We need guarantees on this stuff.”

“Why is this a German company? Why aren't they in America?”

Rhodes said ducks can't see at night and that they will be

chopped up' by the turbine blades?

McCluskey responded, "the turbine blades start moving at 8 mph. We cut them off at 50- to-60 mph and we don't want to operate at night. We have been studying this for two years.

“The Papalote project towers came from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Siemens is opening (a plant) in Kansas. It is a world economy. Toyota makes cars in Kentucky. I'll be glad to tell you what the economic benefits have been in Roscoe (Texas) where E.ON has a windfarm.

We pay $3 million a year in property taxes.

Rhodes, responded, "But they don't have piping plover and whooping crane there."

Rhodes predicted that 200- ca1iche-trucks-a-day will be rolling through Raymondville during construction and he asked, “who will be liable in case of accidents?”

County attorney Bernard Ammerman explained, “They are a stand alone company and no, the county won't be responsible."

"We use good drivers, safe drivers and we won't have over 50 trucks a day and we will drive safe routes, not through the middle of town," said McCluskey.