Notes from the Barnstable WESRA hearing

At the WESRA hearing on 10/20/11 wind industry apologists made the usual claims that there is no scientific basis for reported health impacts. This in spite of first-hand experience provided by Neil Andersen of Falmouth.

Lobbyist Francis Pullaro testified in support of the wind energy siting reform act (WESRA) for the wind industry at the Barnstable hearing.

Mr. Pullaro is the executive director of Renewable Energy New England (RENEW) (See a list of the members of Mr. Pullaro’s newly minted—the website is still under construction– Marlborough organization below.)

Mr. Pullaro was also opposed to bill H.1757, sponsored by Demetrius Atsalis (Barnstable-D) that would prohibit the siting of wind turbines within 3,000 feet of a residence or residentially zoned property. Mr. Pullaro stated that these set-backs are not based on scientific evidence. It should be noted that Mr. Pullaro and members of RENEW have not produced scientific evidence for safe set-backs.

Mr. Pullaro stated that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) report (panel convened by both the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the DPH to examine the potential health impacts associated with exposure to wind turbines – Wind Turbine Science Panel) would prove the inaccuracy of the previous speakers’ testimony.  The previous speakers were:

Neil Andersen, Falmouth resident who gave testimony of the health impacts he is personally suffering from the Vestas wind turbines now operating in Falmouth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aayhmSx3e-w

Lilli Green of Wind Wise Cape Cod and Wind Wise ~ Massachusetts, who has gathered world-wide scientific evidence on the health impacts from wind turbines. Unfortunately the DEP has not yet posted this information on their Wind Turbine Docket.

So how does Mr. Pullaro know what will be in the Wind Turbine Science Panel’s report – by crystal ball or insider information? The following are members of RENEW http://renew-ne.org/

•       American Wind Energy Association (a lobbying force for wind development and voice for wind manufacturers),
•       Anbaric Transmission (an independent transmission company with 10 transmission projects under development),
•       Conservation Law Foundation (CLF sets up informercials for wind developers in towns in MA where wind developers have secured land for turbines),
•       Deep Water Wind (major investors include First Wind, DE Shaw, and Osraie Management),
•       EDP Renewables North America (formerly Horizon Wind Energy, a Houston Texas wind developer now a subsidiary of EDP a Portuguese wind developer),
•       First Wind Energy (an Italian wind development company – UPC with a Boston office. Its CEO, Paul Gaynor, is co-chair on Governor Patrick’s advisory Climate Protection Advisory Committee and co-chair of the DEP advisory committee on Low Carbon Energy Supply),
•       Iberdola Renewables (a Spanish wind developers currently constructing the largest MA industrial wind facility in Monroe and Florida, MA),
•       Union of Concerned Scientists,
•       Vestas American Wind Technology (makers of the Falmouth turbines).