Hyperlocal media have the story
From testimony to town actions, only the local press gets the story.
When No Brimfield Wind members joined others from around the state to support a bill to study health impacts of wind turbines introduced by their representative, Springfield’s NBC reporter Christine Lee told the story in her piece Wind farm health investigation pitched. Lee interviewed Brimfield members of WWMA as well as Representative Todd Smola in her statehouse coverage of the bills establishing an independent commission before the Joint Committee on Public Health on October 18th.
When Wind Wise ~ Massachusetts members (and many municipal officers) testified in opposition to a sped-up process for siting wind turbines on October 20th, Patrick Cassidy of the Cape Cod Times was the reporter who covered the 8-hour-long hearing in Barnstable. His piece Wind energy hearing: It’s all about control told the story. A “phalanx of state lawmakers” including members of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, were “joined by almost every member of the Cape delegation.” but only the CCT correspondent who has been covering the issue of wind development was there to report it.
When the town of Dartmouth decides solar is a better municipal investment than wind, it is Curt Brown, reporting in the South Coast Today online, who tells the story: Town pulls plug on turbine project
When Brimfield Selectmen send a message to the state legislature about wind siting it is the local reporting of John Appleton that tells the tale. Brimfield selectmen object to reducing municipal control over where wind turbines may be installed appears in the Springfield Republican.
Wind Wise ~ Massachusetts 
To David Libby: I have been informed that wind wise has sent more than 1 letter to the state DEP (dept of environ protection) and DPH(dept of public health)…the concern is that this panel is studying in secrecy…they meet with no public input from what I gather…there is no access to the public in regsards to the proceedings…so the reason you have not been able to access info is because we, here in Ma, are, as yet in the dark…I did receive a copy of a letter written by a solicitor in Ontario…you may be familiar with…Mr Gillespie…the contents give hope to the idea that developers and town/community officials “are required to fully and accurately describe any potential health effects of their projects” a tact I am now pursuing with the guidance of his letter and its contents…my town just completed a “feasibility study” (rather hired a wind developer to perform the study, yes the same folks who design and sell turbines, crazy, eh?) There is NO mention of any adverse effects…and astonishingly enough the president of the turbine company had the audacity to say at the final presentation “there is absolutely no peer reviewed science that proves any” ill effects…I sent that quote to Dr Salt…who in turn forwarded Mr Gillespie’s letter…hope that answers you question…Massachusetts is a state whose governor is on a mission to erect turbines…with no caution given to siting and vetting serious issues…health, property value reductions etc! it is a crying shame…regards contact me @ tjljtl81@hotmail.com if you wish for more updates
Here in Ontario, Canda we have been attempting to follow the Massachusetts health study.
Is there curently any information available for an update? I follow the National Wind Watch website and can’t find any updates. We have 1000 (many more planned) of these in Ontario and all of same problems. Our website is Wind Concerns Ontario if you would like to have a look.
Falmouth, Massachusetts -American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds
The Town of Falmouth is building clean energy projects, commercial wind turbines, that are making at least 50 residents sick. The residents of Falmouth, Massachusetts say they’re suffering headaches, insomnia and depression because of a 400-foot tall town-owned wind turbine that began operating there last year. They have complained for over a year.
What will make you more ill is how the turbine called Wind 1 was built using money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?
Lets specifically point to $5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds granted to build the Falmouth foreign made wind turbine called Wind 1, of which an estimated about $4.5 million is already spent.
In 2004, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), the quasi-public agency tasked with encouraging renewable energy technologies in the state of Massachusetts, gambled $5.28 million in public funds to purchase two new (at the time) Vestas V82 – 1.65 megawatt wind turbines.
The Collaborative plan was to sell the towers to municipalities in an effort to jump-start local public renewable projects. The turbines were stored in a warehouse in Texas at $3500.00 a month until 2010.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has taken over many of the duties of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC)
The wind turbines were “repurchased” in 2010 with stimulus funds.
They were purchased in Denmark in 2004 –
How did the EPA grant a waiver to spend stimulus funds on these two turbines?
How did this put American workers to work?
Over 50 residents are sick!
Let’s get some answers !
The urls are below in order how these American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds were used :
(1) First the EPA waiver :
Click to access 2010-9751.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
FRL–9142–5
Notice of a Regional Project Waiver of Section 1605 (Buy American) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to the Town of Falmouth, MA
(2) Second the auction by the Mass Technology Collaborative in 2008 when they couldn’t sell the turbines :
http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2008/08/04/weekly7-MTC-puts-mothballed-wind-turbines-on-auction-block.html
Friday, August 8, 2008
MTC puts mothballed wind turbines on auction block. The MTC was stuck with two politically embarrassing commercial wind turbines at this time
(3) Third and last :
The Wind 1 Falmouth foreign made turbine manufactured in Denmark in 2004 went into operation in March 2010 and not long thereafter became the subject of strenuous complaints from 50 members of the nearby community regarding noise impacts. Beginning in June 2010 the Town convened a technical team and launched a public process to understand and address the complaints.Information on this process is available at:
http://www.falmouthmass.us/deppage.php?number=426
On June 17.2009 Massachusetts DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan, DOER Commissioner
Philip Giudice and members of panel hosted a wind turbine listening session held at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. MMA is located at 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 next to the Town of Falmouth.
In 2009 a meeting was held to solicit comments from the public about wind turbine siting. The comment period was for the first attempt of the proposed Wind Energy Siting Reform Act,WESRA.
Three public comments are below warning about set back issues from the public in 2009 . These public comments warned about setbacks from residential homes. Over 50 Falmouth residents are sick over the poor siting of a commercial wind turbine. The public comments from 2009 fell on deaf ears of the state officials holding the meetings in 2009 .
The state of Massachusetts officials and politicians were well aware of the dangers of siting a commercial wind turbine in residential areas prior to the 2010 Falmouth installation.
Bridget Earle 2009 remarks
Click to access Public%20Comments_Listening%20Session%201_Bridget%20Earle.pdf
Concerned Citizens for Responsible Wind Power Mattapoisett 2009 remarks
Click to access Public%20Comments_Wind%20On%20State%20Owned%20Lands_Listening%20Session%201_Frank%20Haggerty%20%20Joe%20DeLeo.pdf
2009 remarks
Click to access Public%20Comments_Listening%20Session%202_Mackenzie%20Waggaman.pdf
cc Scott Brown