''SNEAK attack on wind farm" (editorial, Dec. 17) alleging an attempt to scuttle the Cape Wind project via a congressional amendment was so heavily focused on politics that it missed the point of the amendment -- human safety.

Any evaluation of the project must include assessment of the safety risks associated with putting 130 steel turbines -- each over 400 feet tall and 16 feet in diameter at the base -- in close proximity to established ferry routes and a main shipping channel. Research in the United Kingdom has established that wind turbine arrays present radar interference for ships at sea unlike anything presented by offshore oil rigs. The UK has therefore set standards for safe separation between ship routes and wind turbine arrays.

The amendment to restrict placement of towers within 1.5 nautical miles of shipping traffic is a safety amendment, not a political ploy. It begins to set appropriate guidelines for a new industry that should build upon what has been learned overseas. The amendment should be applauded by all who look forward to an offshore wind energy industry that brings renewable energy and protects the public.

CHARLES VINICK
President and CEO
AUDRA PARKER
Assistant Director
Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound
Hyannis