A special Town Meeting scheduled for May 15 is being called to vote on the issue. Wind Wise has submitted a number of articles. One of these pertains to the noise study that is being done for the town by the University of Massachusetts. UMass does almost all of the noise studies for the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and for wind developers.

UMass noise consultant Anthony Rogers cites in a noise Power Point presentation found on the Eastham town Web site that turbines must be three times blade tip height distance from a residence in order to reach what he called "acceptable noise levels."

If these minimum guidelines were adopted by Fairhaven, this would require Fairhaven to change their zoning bylaws from 400 feet to 1,200 feet from the nearest residence. We ask that Fairhaven be given the time to establish the minimum setbacks necessary. The most important goal of any town project should be to ensure that the citizens are given the protection that they need.

If the industrial wind turbines are built and the town fails to act responsibly regarding the setbacks, a large area of the town could be adversely impacted. This has the potential to impact property values, and the town could be faced with a multi-million-dollar lawsuit. This would also lead to deep resentment and bitterness amongst those who would be affected.

I am as concerned about global warming as the next person. This is why all of us who are advocates for wind power should want to make sure that where industrial wind turbines are installed, it is done correctly. Let us not have Fairhaven become the first and last wind farm in Massachusetts.