Is it possible that Liberty Gap's "mistake" (failure to post timely public notice) was intentional?

Not only is it possible but it is highly likely according to the perceptive letter (below) that first appeared in the 18 Jan. 2007 edition of The Pendleton Times.

To the Editor, Pendleton Times:

At the latest attempt at a siting hearing for the proposed industrial wind turbine installation on beautiful Jack Mountain, Liberty Gap Wind Force (LG) confessed to not having published the required public notification of the hearing in this newspaper. Their lawyer did a great job of appearing remorseful and tried to take all the responsibility for the snafu on her own shoulders. There were rumors of possible sanctions, up to and including the suspension of her license to practice law. However, this lawyer is still practicing law today, and with the same firm.

Was that an accidental oversight or a planned move? I asked a lawyer unrelated to this case that very question. He described it as "the oldest trick in the book". The idea is, if you know you're going to lose, delay, delay, delay. Does LG think that if they delay long enough, Friends of Beautiful Pendleton County and other opponents of industrial-size wind power in this county will run out of funds or the will to oppose LG and just go away? Do they believe they need more time to lobby the federal Fish and Wildlife Service and the WV Department of Natural Resources? Those pesky bald eagles and endangered bats are a significant problem from their point of view. Will they be able to talk Fish and Wildlife into taking back their recommendation for a 3-year pre-construction study of endangered species in the Jack Mountain area?

These questions arise, because this latest fiasco was not the first one. Last summer, LG delayed the proceedings by refusing access to the proposed construction site to experts hired by Friends of Beautiful Pendleton County. That put things off several additional months. And now this latest "mistake." It appears that LG is trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and they need more and more time to pull it off.

Paula Volentine