Peru’s Voters Weigh Noise Control

Peru MA voters have an opportunity to reject  a change to their  bylaws. The existing bylaw could be stronger, but the proposed new language will make them weaker. It is important that the town is working to protect residents from  wind turbine noise, the kind that has prompted hundreds of complaints in communities across the state, including: Hancock, Florida, Clarksburg, Monroe, Scituate, Kingston, Fairhaven, and Falmouth.

The bylaw proposals headed for town meeting on July 8, 2013 would allow wind turbine noise above 40 decibels at 1000 feet. Peruvians can protect themselves by just saying “No” at town meeting on Monday at 7:00 pm at the Peru Community Center.

Noise complaints are a reliable predictor of decibel level, as illustrated by acoustic experts Stephen Ambrose and Rob Rand. They have gathered a series of studies that  show how.

The Mass DEP, which responds to noise pollution, has a current state guideline limiting allowable noise to 10 decibels above the ambient. Ambient sound is the background level when turbines are not operating.The DEP has found turbines in Falmouth and Fairhaven to emit noise above that level and those communities have ordered the turbines to be shut down at night.

A proposed new zoning bylaw also waives peoples’ right to quiet at their properties. No one should have to live with unreasonable noise.

Proposed:–new section 10.4 (d)

The Peru Zoning Board of Appeals shall waive the requirements in Section 10.5(a) herein when the owner of any Inhabited Structure so grants his or her permission. Said permission shall be in writing and recorded in the Berkshire Middle District Registry of Deeds.

The Peru wind project known as “Garnet Wind” is a commercial project of Boreal Renewables based in Arlington MA and juwi, an international renewable energy company whose world headquarters is in Wörrstadt, Germany and its U.S. headquarters is in Boulder, Colorado.