Liberty Gasp Wind Farce Under Attack

8 January 2006 - FRANKLIN, W. Va. - Meg Watts, spokesperson for Liberty Gasp Wind Farce and its parent company, US Wind Farce, announced today that Liberty Gasp will be doubling the number of security guards it has at Jack Mt. — to cope with a continuing problem of vandalism.

"At first we thought it was just some hunters unhappy about being excluded from their old hunting grounds or that deer were being spooked by the turning blades because the shooting at the blades began in November with the opening of deer season. However, it has continued ever since and Liberty Gasp needs to do something."

Also at the news conference was local sheriff Noah Ketchum, who acknowledged that there were no clues about the perpetrators. "It's too much ground for us to cover, " he said. Deputy sheriff Kent C. Strait also noted that 50 turbines spread out along 7 miles of ridge line provides numerous targets and plenty of cover.

"The shooters seem to know what they're doing, he added. "They only shoot at the tip end of one of the three rotors. With that blown away, the whole assembly becomes unbalanced and it doesn't take long for the bearings in the rotor head to burn up. Liberty Gasp has had six turbines disabled since November. "

Another person at the news conference, Liberty Gasp's chief financial officer, Owen DeBanks, said there was no truth to the rumor that the company was about to default on a loan because of the delays in meeting the operational standards required in its contract with FPL Energy. DeBanks admitted that replacing turbines was cutting into the anticipated profits from the pending sale but said, "We plan to have all 50 turbines up and spinning again, even if it takes two guards to a turbine."