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<br /> <br />Bergey Wind Power <br />lOkW XLS <br /> <br />monopole turbine <br />with fence in Erie, PA <br /> <br />ii. Fences/Attractive Nuisance: <br /> <br />Some voice concern that a turbine <br />could pose a temptation to unauthorized <br />climbers and should be fenced off to <br />prevent potential climbing-related <br />injuries. However; decades of <br />experIence and tens of thousa.nds of <br />installations have shown that <br />unauthorized climbing is exceedingly <br />rare; A fence, which is itself climbable, <br />can impose its own attractive and <br />aesthetic nuisance and in the process <br />do little more than create false, negative <br />impressions about renewable energy. <br /> <br />Furthermore, for a turbine tower to be <br />an "attractive nuisance" to the public, <br />in most cases a potential climber would <br />first have to trespass on private <br />property - a much more prevalent issue <br />and one that should be dealt with <br />separately: Requiring fencing also, . <br />places a burden on turbine owners <br />unlike any imposed on flagpoles, utility <br />towers, or other commonr climbable <br />structures. <br /> <br />Perhaps most detrimental of allr <br />fences prevent access to the tur,bine <br />in emergencies. Sometimes a turbine <br />must be shut down manually during <br />storms or electrical problems, and <br /> <br />emergency shut-off switches are most <br />often located at the base of the turbine <br />tower. Utilities also require that the <br />turbine be readily accessible to workers <br />performing routine or emergency <br />maintenance on power lil!es. <br /> <br />Instead, to prevent unauthorized <br />climbing: <br /> <br />. Remove climbing foot rungs on the <br />lower 10 or 12 feet of a freestanding <br />tower. <br /> <br />. For lattice or guyed towers, fasten <br />sheets of metal or wood to the lower <br />part of the tower to cover all hand - <br />and foot-holds. <br /> <br />. Display "Danger-High Voltage" or <br />"Caution-Electrical Shock Hazard" <br />signs to the sides of the tower. Of the <br />thousands of freestanding utility high,.. <br />.Iine towers across the country, fewr if <br />any, are policed or fencedr but they all <br />are posted with such signs. <br /> <br />Utilitiesr tower manufacturersr and the <br />small wind industry have successfully <br />employed these techniques for decades <br />and are more effective deterrents than <br />any fence. <br /> <br />