Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...

Environmental Consequences
site that shows the wind turbines via webcam 24 hours a day. NASA would likely establish a
public viewing area at the WFF Visitor Center, and would give pre-arranged educational tours
for outreach and education about wind energy.
Operation of the wind turbines would create shadow flickering caused by the intermittent
shadow cast by the moving blades. However, due to overcast days where no shadow flickering
would occur and the sun angle changing the location of the shadow flicker throughout the day,
the timing, position, and size of the shadow flickering will change constantly. For the utilityscale
wind turbines, shadow flickering would occur within the immediate area surrounding the
turbines to a distance of about 300 meters (1,000 feet) away from each wind turbine. For the
residential-scale wind turbines, shadow flickering would occur within about 110 meters (350
feet) of the wind turbines. The amount of shadow flicker depends on the angle in which the sun
hits the turbine blades. Shadow flickering would be seen by people at nearby facilities including
the U.S. Navy V-10/V-20 Complex for the utility-scale turbines, and the WFF Visitor Center and
guard station for the residential-scale wind turbines. Because some people could be bothered by
the flickering effect, the wind turbines may result in long-term adverse impacts within the
shadow of the wind turbines; however, these effects would be most likely to bother people that
occupy these facilities long-term such as permanent employees.
Another operational impact would be the potential distraction from the lights located on the
utility scale wind turbines—FAA regulations stipulate that all wind turbines over 61 meters (200
feet) include lights to warn pilots of their presence. Red or white intermittent lights, such as the
ones found on communication towers, would be used. Due to the distance of the surrounding
communities, the lights on the wind turbines would be nearly impossible to see from residences
and businesses, and therefore would not result in visual impacts on the public.
Alternative One
The aesthetic impacts from the wind turbines for Alternative One would be the same as those
described under the Proposed Action; however, with one utility-scale turbine instead of two,
there would be fewer impacts. NASA would likely establish a public viewing area at the WFF
Visitor Center for the single utility-scale turbine on Wallops Island, and would give pre-arranged
educational tours for outreach and education about wind energy.
Implementation of solar panels would result in long-term changes to the viewshed at the Main
Base. Visual impacts would affect WFF employees and visitors at the Main Base but the solar
panels would not be visible to the public in the area. The solar panels would not substantially
alter the characteristics of the viewshed at the Main Base because they would be installed in
areas that are already highly developed (roads, buildings, towers, etc.). Although aesthetics is
highly subjective, because the Main Base is a highly industrialized setting with numerous
antenna arrays and other infrastructure, solar panels should not present a negative impact on the
viewshed.
Alternative Two
The aesthetic impacts from the residential-scale wind turbines under Alternative Two would be
similar to those described under the Proposed Action, but on a smaller scale. A residential-scale
turbine would be visible to the public at the WFF Visitor Center, and NASA would give prearranged
educational tours for outreach and education about wind energy.
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