WV Court Rules Wind Farm Map Didn't Have to be Perfect

The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the state's Public Service Commission (PSC) acted properly when it approved a plan to build 124 giant wind-power turbines in Greenbrier County. The court rejected arguments by the project's opponents that the map submitted to the PSC by Beech Ridge Energy LLC was inadequate.

More of the court's opinion from the Charleston Gazette:

Justices conceded that Beech Ridge did not submit the size map required by PSC regulations and left some churches, cemeteries, roads and springs off the map it submitted.

The court agreed with the PSC that "the significance of local cemeteries, and whether local roads constitute major transportation routes, are matters upon which reasonable minds can differ."

"We believe that the commission properly determined that Beech Ridge's map did not warrant dismissal of the project as it substantially complied with the siting rules," the court ruling said. ridges, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The unanimous opinion would appear to allow the $300 million project to go forward.

On Again, Off Again Israel Map Exhibit is Off Again

The controversial map exhibit Imaginary Coordinates at Chicago's Spertus Museum was abruptly closed on Friday the Chicago Tribune reports. The exhibit had angered the city's Jewish community with at least one member of the museum's board threatening to resign if the exhibit stayed open. The Tribune quoted Rhoda Rosen, director of the museum, as saying that the exhibit was about mapping as a "culturally constituted practice, rather than as a navigational instrument."

However, Michael Kotzin, a leader of Chicago's Jewish community told the Tribune that while many pieces highlighted Palestinian humanity, others portrayed Israelis as unfeeling and guarded, without noting the dangers Israelis have faced for decades.

The map exhibit generated controversy at its opening on May 2nd and temporarily closed a week later. A new version reopened on May 15th

See also: Mapping Middle East Politics.

Via: The Map Room.

Mapping Middle East Politics

When you mix cartography with Israeli-Palestinian politics, controversy is sure to result. That was recently discovered by Rhoda Rosen, director of Chicago's Spertus Museum.

Imaginary Coordinates was envisioned as the museum's contribution to the city's Festival of Maps. As reported by Chicago Reader, the exhibit "..juxtaposes antique and modern maps of the Holy Land (mostly from Spertus’s own collection) with the work of eight contemporary Israeli and Palestinian artists." Ms. Rosen told the Reader that she wanted to “explore the limits of mapping,” and “invite discussion.”

Any discussion was quickly cut off when the exhibit inexplicably closed a week after its May 2nd debut. The Reader reports that elevators wouldn’t take visitors to the tenth floor exhibition gallery, and museum staff were saying that the show would be closed indefinitely for “building maintenance". However, rumors began circulating that the exhibit was too controversial for some key members of the Spertus audience. One executive of a major Jewish charity confirmed to the Reader that he had canceled a major fundraiser at the museum because the exhibit "wasn’t appropriate”.

So a “tweaked” version of the exhibit reopened on May 15th. The new exhibit only allows visitors on to be admitted as part of guided tours. Museum director Rosen, who worked on the exhibit for three years, notes no items were removed from the show during the closure, although wall cards were revised and objects were rearranged.

In an essay in the exhibit's catalog Ms. Rosen says that the core of the exhibit is the understanding that “maps have less to do with landscape than with the intention of their makers.” What she apparently didn't fully consider was the effect some maps can have on their viewers as well.

Israeli Town Calls Cops About Google Earth

The Israeli town of Kiryat Yam has filed a slander complaint with Israel's police against Google Earth after it allowed allegations that the town was built on the ruins of an Arab village to be posted in the notes section of the popular web mapping application the International Herald Tribune reported.

Town official Naty Keyzilberman filed the complaint after the internet giant allowed a note to be placed in it's popular mapping application Google Earth stating that the town of 40,000 lies at the location of the Arab town of Ghawarina. Thameen Darby, a Palestinian doctor, inserted the note on the map saying the Jewish town was built on the location of Ghawarina, an Arab town that no longer exists.

Mr. Darby says that his contributions to Google Earth are part of the "Nakhba -- Palestinian Catastrophe" information hub which tries to help displaced Palestinians understand their heritage. Mr. Darby has inserted at least 10 such notes over Google's map of Israel.

Mr. Keyzilberman, the town official, says that such a claim cannot be true because the town was founded in 1945, well before Arabs fled the area during the 1948-49 war. Mr. Darby's claim that the town was built on the ruins of an Arab village are refuted by Professor Yossi Ben-Artzi of Haifa University, who told Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot. "Kiryat Yam was built on sand dunes, and there wasn't any Palestinian village in the area. The lands were bough in 1939 by the Gav Yam construction company."

Mr. Darby told The Associated Press that he will remove the note from Google Earth if he is proven wrong "by reliable sources". A spokesman for Google said that it is Google's policy is not to remove such postings.

Via GigaLaw.com

EU Wipes Turkey Off New Map

European Union (EU) officials have stirred controversy after the design for the "tails side" of the proposed new euro coins excluded Turkey from the map The Telegraph reported today. The map shows an enlarged EU, including the Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Cyprus, but omits Turkey, which is seeking to join the EU.

Marco Cappato, an Italian Liberal Euro-MP was quoted by The Telegraph as stating, "They have deliberately and secretly wiped Turkey off the map. To come up with this apparently geographical design they were obliged to put Cyprus 500 kilometres west of where it actually is. Mr. Cappato blamed France, which is hostile to Turkish membership for the omission.

Working on the Railroad

N.C. Railroad has begun combining 19th-century deeds with modern mapping methods in a effort to regain control of its right-of-way. That process has angered nearby landowners, many of whom have been using the railroad's land as their own.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the railroad has begun demanding the property owners sign leases.

"Nobody told me that when I bought the building," [Frank] Abernethy said this week. "I told the guy, `What are you trying to do, put me out of business?' "

The railroad says there are hundreds of other property owners like Abernethy along its 317-mile line from Charlotte to Morehead City. One day, the company could try to reclaim the disputed parcels. But for now, the railroad just wants rent, said Scott Saylor, railroad president.

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For years, the railroad didn't know how many businesses were on its property or encroaching on the right of way. But now, the railroad has the mapping technology to identify -- and go after -- those businesses.

The railroad currently collects on 233 lease agreements with small businesses along the length of the line, said Kat Christian, a railroad spokeswoman. At least 120 newly identified businesses, including Abernethy's, haven't signed or responded to letters, she said.

Engineer to Stand Trial Over Nuclear Map, Other Data

A former engineer at a nuclear reactor is scheduled for trial this month on charges of attempting to pass secrets to the Chinese government.

More from the Albany Times Union:

Chi Mak, 66, was accused of giving sensitive information to his brother, Tai Mak, who was found with encrypted disks in his luggage as he was returning to China. The case generated local interest because among Chi Mak's possessions, federal authorities said, was a hand-drawn map of the Kesselring nuclear site in the Saratoga County town of Milton...

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He has argued that the information he took was in the public domain.

Mak's attorney, Ronald Kaye, said the hand-drawn map of Kesselring was obviously for driving directions. Mak was at the site in 2005 on behalf of Power Paragon and the map included landmarks like Mak's hotel and the Albany International Airport. Kesselring officials said their security had not been breached.

Corps Changes Mind; Posts Wolf Creek Dam Maps Online

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reversed its position and posted online, maps depicting areas that would flood in the event of a failure of the troubled Wolf Creek Dam. Local news organizations had sought copies of the maps for publication. Previously, the Corps had denied those requests, citing concerns they could be used by terrorists.

The maps depict areas in Kentucky and Tennessee that would be flooded in the event of a failure of the dam. The Corps had restricted public access to the maps, making them available only at their Nashville, TN, office and at selected public libraries. While the public could view the maps, photos or other copies were prohibited.

Now the maps are available at the Corps' website here. The maps are organized by county. Once a county has been selected, an index map appears where specific maps can be selected. The inundation maps are aerial photographs, overlayed with a color-code which depicts three different levels of flooding. The maps are in the familiar Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

The Corps has significantly lowered the water level behind the leaking Wolf Creek Dam to lessen the pressure on it. A study showed that a catastrophic failure would cause more than $3 billion in damage and could kill as many as 237 people.

See also: Citing Terrorism, Corps Continues Restrictions on Flood Maps.

Sierra Club Sues to Block Flood Map

The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit challenging a portion of the new Harris County (Houston) Flood Map, an action officials warn could delay adopting the maps countywide.

More from the Houston Chronicle:

If the new maps are delayed, flood-control officials say, developers will be able to build in flood-prone areas based on outdated, 30-year-old flood plain information. Flood officials want to adopt the new maps, then revise the one for the Cypress Creek area.

The Sierra Club has brought its lawsuit because it also is concerned about development in flood-prone areas. It alleges that even the proposed Cypress Creek flood map might allow development on 5,000 acres of wetlands in the Katy Prairie, home to one of North America's largest flocks of wintering migratory waterfowl.

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Heather Saucier, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Flood Control District, which helped develop the maps, called the lawsuit "a disgrace to taxpayers." Her colleague, Fred Garcia, said the lawsuit is "frivolous" because the district and FEMA will issue a corrected map of Cypress Creek shortly.

The map that the Sierra Club opposes designates more land around the creek as flood-prone than the existing 1985 map, which means development restrictions are stricter, Garcia said.

After Tropical Storm Allison struck the area, FEMA and the Harris County Flood Control District each chipped in $15 million to redraw the area's flood maps.

See also: Waterfront Property May Be Closer Than You Think.

Photo: Relief efforts following Tropical Storm Allison; Courtesy of FEMA.

Still More Indian Complaints About Google Earth

Well, it seems that Indian security agencies are still upset that high-resolution images of Indian military bases and government buildings are visible on Google Earth.

A spokesman for Google told the India Times that the company had not decided whether or not they would blur aerial images of Indian installations available on the company's web site.

The Times reports that Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam had previously said that India should pass a law prohibiting foreign satellites from taking pictures of sensitive locations in India.

A spokesman for Google reminded the Times that Google Earth is not the only place someone can obtain such images saying, “The images available on Google Earth are also available for purchase from various satellite companies in market."

So in the spirit of international cooperation, world peace, and all that, I would like to offer a compromise. Google should hire the artist Christo to design huge slip covers to be installed over all of India's sensitive locations. That way, India could protect its military secrets from the prying eyes of satellites and enjoy artwork by a famous artist at the same time.

See also: Yet More Indian Concerns Over Google Earth
India Forms Group To Address Google Earth Concerns
Google Earth: Complaints and Restrictions

Map Detailing Galveston Island's Risk Unveiled

The first map detailing geological hazards on Galveston Island has been completed and has set the stage for the inevitable clash between developers and environmentalists, the Houston Chronicle reported. Jim Gibeaut who serves as state geologist for the State of Texas says the map may be the first to document the hazards on a populated barrier island.

The map divides the island into four hazard zones ranging from imminent hazard potential to low hazard potential. Several subdivisions already sit in imminent hazard areas of the island, and more are planned.

More from the Chronicle:

The Galveston Chamber of Commerce predicts that 3,800 new residential homes will be built this year, and most are likely to be built on the west end of the island where the map shows the most hazardous areas.

Supporters of new regulations say they are needed to protect homebuyers, wetlands that are vital to the shrimp and sports fishing industries, and wildlife and natural features that attract tourists.

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Others view the map with skepticism and see potential regulations as an infringement on private property rights and a hindrance to economic development.

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Gibeaut said data from the study used to create the map shows that the island will gradually shrink within the next 60 years as it sinks while sea levels rise and the waves slowly chop away the beach.

"The island is in a squeeze play," Gibeaut said.

The sea level is rising at about 6.5 millimeters, or about one-quarter inch, a year, based on data recorded since 1909 from a tide gauge at Pier 21 in Galveston, he said. Gibeaut called the rise "scary" in his appearance before the City Council and Planning Commission on March 8.

Dr. Gibeaut said Galveston Island is sinking due to the weight of its silt deposits and oil and gas drilling. At the same time, the Gulf or Mexico is eroding as much as 10 feet per year in some places on the island he said.

On September 8, 1900, a hurricane struck the island, killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people. That hurricane was the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States.

See also: Galveston Island Sinking Faster Than Previously Thought
Waterfront Property May Be Closer Than You Think

U.N. Map Irks Koreans

The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently posted a map of South Korea on its website. The map refers to the waters between Korea and Japan as the "Sea of Japan."

Koreans call the waters the "East Sea." They are upset about the agency seeming to side with the Japanese as well as what they say are some misspellings of some Korean places.

The Korea Times has more:

The errors irk Koreans. Civic groups like the Voluntary Agency Network for Korea (VANK) vow to have them corrected.

``I don't know why the FAO commits such grave mistakes,'' VANK founder Park Gi-tae said. ``Together with our 15,000 members both at home and abroad, we will go all-out to urge the FAO to correct the misspellings and to add East Sea to its map,'' Park said.

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Cyberschoolbus, a U.N. Web site dealing with global issues, is also using a map that labeled the sea between the two countries ``Sea of Japan'' instead of ``East Sea''

``We will try to force the FAO and Cyberschoolbus to revise the names. If they don't accept our requests, we plan to ask all the other U.N. agencies not to adopt the erroneous maps and data,'' Park said.

For more on Korea's efforts to have the world adopt the name "East Sea" see: Map Politics

India, Pakistan Complete Survey of Disputed Area

A joint team from India and Pakistan has completed its survey of the common boundary of the two countries in the Sir Creek area. Express News Service reported that experts from both countries will meet at Wagah to complete demarcation of the long disputed border.

The joint mapping project was comprised of approximately 400 people, including 16 ground surveyors and 12 hydrographers from each side. Each day's work had to be completed during a six-hour time frame due to the tides.

99 km-long Sir Creek is the biggest creek separating India and Pakistan. The boundary has been a source of numerous diputes between the two countries, including the 1965 war.

See also: India & Pakistan Agree to Map Disputed Border.

Cartographers to Defend Criticized Map at Meeting

Makers of a map defining habitat for the endangered box turtle will meet to explain their map as well as the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Personnel from the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, will meet with elected officials and the public the Lakeville, Library at 7 p.m. on March 8 South Coast Today reported.

When released back in October, the map drew sharp criticism from local officials when it was learned that the map depicted a planned industrial park as home to the endangered turtle. The map reportedly also marks other areas that had been planned for development as endangered species habitats.

Citing Terroism, Corps Continues Restrictions on Flood Maps

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to continue restrictions on maps detailing areas that would flood in the event of failure of the troubled Wolf Creek Dam The Courier-Journal reported. The corps had previously promised to make the maps widely available to the public by last Wednesday (01/31/07).

The 69 maps, each 24"x36", depict areas in Kentucky and Tennessee that would be flooded should the dam fail. Concerned the leaking dam might fail, the corps recently conducted an emergency release of water, significantly lowering the lake level and pressure on the dam. A catastrophic dam failure would cause more than $3 billion in damage and could kill as many as 237 people the corps has said. Wolf Creek Dam holds back the largest reservoir east of the Mississippi.

Copies of the maps had been sought by various news organizations which wanted to publish them in both their print and online editions. Citing terrorism concerns, the corps only allows the public to view the maps at their Nashville, TN, office. The taking of photos or other copies are not allowed. The corps says it plans to make the maps available to selected libraries in the flood-threatened area. However, the libraries will be required to sign an agreement stating that they won't allow the public to take photos or otherwise copy the maps.

The Courier-Journal has filed a Freedom of Information Act request, asking for copies of the maps. However, the corps stated that they would only comply with the request if the paper agreed not to publish the maps.

Quebec Map Angers Neighbors

The government of Quebec has angered the government of Newfoundland and Labrador with a map tracking migrating caribou the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reports. It's not that Newfoundland and Labrador objects to tracking the herds, it's the maps that report those migrations that has them steamed. What Newfoundland and Labrador objects to is Quebec's depiction of much of southern Labrador as being part of Quebec.

John Ottenheimer, Newfoundland and Labrador's minister of intergovernmental affairs, told the CBC that the map is the latest in a line of claims that Quebec has made about its boundary and Labrador. "We don't like it," Mr. Ottenheimer said. "We've seen this over the years — it happens time and time again." According to the CBC, on previous occasions, Quebec has sometimes used maps showing no border marking Labrador at all.

The boundary between Labrador and Quebec evolved until its current form was determined by a committee of the British Privy Council in 1927. However, Quebec never recognized that decision. Quebec officials declined an interview with the CBC but did say that maps used on the departmental website are official maps of the province.

You can view the offending maps here.

Google Earth Obscures Some Iraq Bases

The Telegraph reports that Google has blotted some British military bases in Iraq on its popular mapping feature Google Earth. The action was taken at the request of the British Government in order to hinder terrorist attacks. The action comes after published reports that terrorists in Iraq were using the maps to target the most vulnerable areas of British bases.

The Telegraph reported that British military officials in Iraq were astonished at the clarity with which all their positions were shown. The satellite pictures, which were easily viewed on the internet depicted vulnerable tent locations, vehicle parks and were even clear enough to show tank tracks.

The paper reported that in addition to obscuring military positions in Iraq, Google Earth has also blotted out sensitive posts in the United Kingdom itself. Facilities now hidden from view include nuclear submarine pens in Scotland, and an eavesdropping base. A spokesperson for Google told The Telegraph, "Google gets information from third-party providers so all the pictures are publicly available."

The publicity regarding military posts visible on Google Earth have prompted The Register to sponsor a "Spot the Black Helicopter" competition where users were asked to find sensitive military bases using Google Earth.

Online Street Directory Sued Over Copyrights

A Singaporean travel website has been sued by a board of the Singaporean government over it's use of their maps. Virtual Maps provides online maps of the country using raw data it obtained from The Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which is claiming copyright infringement. SLA, manages land sales and the nation's land survey system.

According to The Singapore Press, Virtual Maps signed seven licence agreements with SLA in 2001. The agreements allowed Virtual Maps to modify the maps, which were then sold or downloaded for a fee.

The company continued displaying its maps on the web after SLA terminated the agreements in 2004. Virtual Maps claims that the license allowed them to create their own maps, using SLA's raw data, and that the license does not require them to destroy their own maps. Virtual Maps also claims that SLA filed suit in order to reduce competition to its own recently launched street directory.

Map Politics

South Koreans are campaigning to change the name of the Sea of Japan according to a report today in The Korea Times.

Koreans commonly refer to the sea on the east side of their peninsula as "Tonghae’’ (East Sea), not "Sea of Japan," the name officially recognized by the international community. So the Korean government and some civic groups have been campaigning to get the international community to adopt the English name "East Sea’’ to replace "Sea of Japan." Japan is opposed to the change.

However, some in Korea are now pushing the name "Sea of Korea," instead, claiming it is more historically accurate. They cite the fact that European maps produced in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, mostly used Korean names to described the body of water. Among the examples is a map of Japan produced by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin of France which calls the sea the "Mer de Coree.’’

In the late 1700's, British and French cartographers appear to have been the first to use the name "Sea of Japan.’’ By the late 19th century, the term had become commonplace. At the 1929 Monaco Conference of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) the name "Sea of Japan" was officially adopted, and that was the term published in the authoritative "Limits of Oceans and Seas.’’ Korea did not attend the conference since the country was under Japanese rule at the time.

The issue may come up again this August when the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names in New York.

More info:
Korean View.
Japanese View.