Oct 17 - McClatchy-Tribune Business News Formerly Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News - M.K. Guetersloh The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.

A report by the Department of Defense on where wind farms can be located does not go far enough and leaves future projects up to military approval, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Monday.

Durbin appeared at the Bloomington American Legion as part of a campaign sweep through the state with Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat running for state treasurer.

Giannoulias is promoting a new plan to expand the state's program for military loans.

After promoting the program and talking about his recent trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, Durbin said he was disappointed in the wind farm report and also said former political rival Rep. John Shimkus dropped the ball when it came time to protect Congressional pages.

All of the wind farms in Illinois do not interfere with military radar systems. The report includes those presently planned for or under construction, such the $500 million Twin Groves Wind Farm being developed in McLean County by Horizon Wind Energy.

"It's good but it's not good enough," Durbin said. "At this point, any new wind farm projects would have to be reviewed by the Department of Defense for approval. There is more work that needs to be done."

Shimkus, the chairman of the board that over sees the House page program, recently testified before a House ethics committee that is investigating former Rep. Mark Foley and his communications with teenage pages over the years.

"He used poor judgment in this matter," Durbin said. "He had a responsibility to notify the whole page committee -- and he did not. He should have contacted Capitol Police to investigate -- he did not. He should have made inquiries of other pages if they had similar experiences and he did not."