The Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a wind turbine project in Goodhue County.
An advocacy group had argued noise and "shadow flicker" from the 397-foot-high turbines could harm residents' health.
But the court upheld the decision of an administrative law judge and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to approve a permit for AWA Goodhue Wind to install 50 wind turbines about 1,500 feet away from homes.
Minnesota Public Radio News reports that justices ruled Monday the commission was not required to follow a county ordinance on wind turbines, provided it had "good cause" not to.
The existing ordinance required the company to place the turbines about 2,710 feet away from residences that are not participating in the project - a distance of about seven-and-a-half football fields.
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