www.windaction.org | Massachusetts

Governor Deval Patrick takes a spin at the Falmouth turbine issue
April 16, 2013 by Dave Kent in Cape Cod Today

Also filed under [ General]

Some area residents steaming over solar projects
April 14, 2013 by Craig S. Semon in Worcester Telegram & Gazette

"Residents and abutters have little to no opportunity to have their voices heard in objections or their questions answered," Ms. Chase said. "Despite the numerous procedural errors that have occurred, the town continues to blindly allow this ill-sited project to deleteriously impact the public health, safety and welfare of the people who have made their home on Bearsden Road for years."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Zoning/Planning]

Scituate selectman candidates talk wind turbine
April 12, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger

Burbine, 64, a small-business owner, said the residents who live near the turbine, which is off the Driftway, need relief. ..."You can't help but feel empathy, and (I'm) so sad for those people that are dealing with all of this without any real recourse," Burbine said."If we've got to spend a little bit of money, risk-wise, to say, ‘OK, let's turn it off from 7 p.m. at least until first thing in the morning,' we might risk $100,000," Gilmore said. "What's $100,000 (if we're protecting residents)?"

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise| Shadow flicker]

Scituate town meeting rejects resolution to shut down wind turbine
April 11, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger

For more than an hour, town meeting voters heard pleas from neighbors of Scituate's wind turbine. The consensus from the speakers: the turbine sounds like a jet plane that never lands, and it's ruining their health. ...Residents Wednesday night voted 132-118 to oppose the non-binding resolution, submitted as a citizen petition.

Also filed under [ General]

In close call, Scituate residents vote to support wind turbine
April 11, 2013 by Jessica Bartlett in Boston Globe

In a vote separated only by 14 people, residents at Scituate's Town Meeting rejected an effort to withdraw support for the town's 400-foot tall turbine. ...Thompson said he was not disheartened by the vote, but emboldened. "I'm very encouraged. ...We'll continue to follow due process. We knew this was a non binding resolution, but I think this sends a message to the town."

Also filed under [ Impact on People]

Falmouth town voters to decide fate of wind turbines; Town Meeting passes amended Article 22
April 10, 2013 by Scott A. Giordano in The Bulletin

Falmouth's special Town Meeting concluded April 10, but not before Town Meeting members approved an amended Article 22 that will let town voters decide the fate of the town's two wind turbines at the Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility. ..."No borrowing would occur unless we get the vote of the voters."

Also filed under [ General]

Falmouth selectmen to regroup after wind turbines vote
April 10, 2013 by Sean Teehan in Cape Cod Times

Selectman Brent Putnam this afternoon said that when special town meeting reconvenes tonight at the Lawrence School, selectmen will ask town meeting members to allow them to study the costs of removal and seek special legislation that would allow Falmouth to borrow the necessary money.

Also filed under [ General]

Fairhaven official apologizes for turbine 'suffering'
April 10, 2013 by Ariel Wittenberg in South Coast Today

Murphy said he hopes to provide some relief for the 57 families who have filed complaints about the turbines at the wastewater treatment plant on Arsene Street, including the noise they generate. "I am sorry for all of your suffering and what you have been through," he said. "I realize that many of you tried to speak out and were denied a place on our agenda, and I thank you for your persistence."

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise]

Falmouth Town Meeting voters refuse to fund removal of wind turbines
April 10, 2013 by Scott A. Giordano in The Bulletin

Although it passed by a simple majority, Article 22 failed to yield the 2/3 majority needed for a vote on borrowing money. Selectmen plan to present an amended warrant article when special Town Meeting resumes at 7 p.m. April 10 at the Lawrence School auditorium. ...While Town Meeting Member Marc Finneran said, "This pits money against people's welfare, and I always come down on the side of people's welfare."

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise]

Falmouth voters revise turbine bylaw
April 9, 2013 by Sean Teehan in Cape Cod Times

At the opening night of annual town meeting, voters approved a bylaw that dramatically reduces the size of wind turbines allowed in town. The planning board presented the revised turbine siting bylaw Monday night, about five months after a similar bylaw was rejected at fall's town meeting.

Also filed under [ Zoning/Planning]

Look who's talking
April 9, 2013 by Bruce Mohl in Commonwealth Magazine

“If mankind was worried about CO2, rather than paying Jim Gordon $500 million a year and making him wealthy, why don’t you plant a helluva lot of trees because trees and bushes take CO2 and convert it into oxygen,” Koch says. “What Jim Gordon is feeding off of is perception, not reality. The perception is that windmills are good because the wind is free.

Also filed under [ General]

Wind turbine battle in Falmouth just 'Tip of the Iceberg'
April 9, 2013 by Wind Wise-Massachusetts in The Sacramento Bee

"Peer-reviewed scientific studies have proven that living near wind turbines makes people sick, as evidenced by 21 wind turbine locations in Massachusetts from the Cape and Islands to the Berkshires where people have reported serious health problems," said Lilli-Ann Green, a spokesperson for WWMA.

Also filed under [ General]

Turbine debate heads to meeting
April 7, 2013 by Jessica Bartlett in Boston Globe

Though town officials say they're not obligated to follow the direction of the vote, and turbine owners caution against immediate action, residents are still hopeful that their voices will have some impact.

Also filed under [ Impact on People]

Falmouth residents asked to pony up $14M to raze wind turbines
April 6, 2013 by Sean Teehan in Cape Cod Times

"We got the message from the state and we're moving forward," said Selectman Kevin Murphy, chairman of the board. Even if town meeting votes against the article, selectmen will offer a ballot question asking voters if they want the turbines removed, Selectman Mary Pat Flynn said. The question would likely appear on the May 21 ballot. "Everyone wants to vote on this, not just town meeting," Flynn said.

Also filed under [ General]

Scituate wind turbine issue to go before town meeting
April 6, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger

Town meeting voters will consider a citizens' petition asking Scituate officials to rescind the special permit - awarded by the planning board in 2010 - that allowed Scituate Wind LLC to build a 390-foot-tall turbine off the Driftway. The petition was filed by turbine neighbors who say noise and flicker from the turbine have hurt their health.

Also filed under [ General]

Turbines create headache for Falmouth
April 6, 2013 by Sean Teehan in Cape Cod Times

"This is something that has polarized the community. It was a situation in which Murphy's Law played out," said Selectman Kevin Murphy, chairman of the board, with no pun intended. ...But the suffering Falmouth residents endure in their own homes requires the turbines' removal, Cool said.

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise]

Kingston Board of Health turbine monitoring request denied
April 5, 2013 by Kathryn Gallerani in Wicked Local Kingston

“We have filed noise complaints with the Board of Health since May of 2012, we have been at every meeting and have led most of the discussions regarding noise issues related to the Independence turbine and the negative impact to our lives,” Doreen Reilly said. “It is crucial that our home be included as part of the acoustical sound study.”

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise]

Falmouth selectmen, finance committee stand firm on removing turbines
April 5, 2013 by Scott A. Giordano in The Bulletin

The Falmouth Board of Selectmen and the Falmouth Finance Committee held a joint April 4 meeting and unanimously stood by the selectmen's prior vote to remove the town's wind turbines, despite receiving none of their requested financial assistance from the state to do so. The latest estimate is that it will cost the town about $14 million to remove both Wind 1 and Wind 2.

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Energy Policy]

Flickering shadows from wind turbines draw complaints
April 5, 2013 by Peter Schworm and David Filipov in Boston Globe

Dan Alves calls the shadows thrown by the rotating blades a "nightmare" he deals with about 16 weeks a year when the sun sets behind the turbine. "It's an invasion of my property," he said from the deck outside his back door. Alves said he particularly worries about his son, a ninth-grader who was diagnosed with epilepsy as a young child. ...At the request of town officials, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center recently agreed to examine the issue.

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Shadow flicker]

Scituate Wind: Two firms, two studies
April 4, 2013 by Ruth Thompson in Wicked Local Scituate

Two firms - one chosen by the board of health and another chosen and paid for by the neighbors of the turbine - will be conducting sound analysis on the turbine.

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise]

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