Fairhaven Wind Bylaw Redraft Offers Opportunities to Avoid Further Harm
Louise Barteau’s Op Ed is a call for townspeople in Fairhaven to protect themselves (Your View 1/4/13: Wind energy bylaw demands greater scrutiny). The harm they should avoid is from wind turbine audible and inaudible noise–which recently received scientific scrutiny in the Shirley WI Wind Farm study. Barteau finds inaction of town boards, and inadequate testing for noise. Her recommendation is that residents arm themselves with factual information and use the wind bylaws discussion as the opportunity to speak out.
If you are like me, and want better protections from your town government, a good start would be to attend the Monday, Jan. 7, Fairhaven Board of Health Meeting at the Fairhaven Town Hall at 6:30 p.m., where they will discuss the new draft of the wind energy bylaws. Oh — and read the reports by Cooper and the Wisconsin Four first. These reports are based on actual data, not the hypothetical models espoused by the developers and their employees. I am a great believer in fact-based science and independent investigation — aren’t you?
Wind Wise ~ Massachusetts 
In January of 2010 Vestas installed and sited two Vestas V 82 commercial wind turbines in Falmouth ,Massachusetts USA. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative a semi quasi state agency sold the turbines into the Falmouth area. Today over one hundred residential homes are affected by infra sound. Negotiations have been going on over health issues from the turbines for eight months.
The wind industry ,state and local officials ,semi-quasi state agencies encouraged by the Governor Patrick Administration’s goal to expand wind power continue to risk the health of citizens.
Massachusetts needs to look at its own experiments with commercial wind turbines . The experiments are going on in Falmouth, Fairhaven, Scituate and Kingston.
In 2013 the cities,towns and the State of Massachusetts have to take responsibility for the poor siting of commercial wind turbines. The mediation over health issues in Falmouth has gone on for eight months, twenty two meetings with abutters and more meetings in January.
Town Meeting Members and local politicians have to publicly recognize the physical illnesses and emotional suffering caused by operating wind turbines! Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) is worried about the health of the citizens living around the turbines.Why not Town Meeting Members and local officials ?
Many towns are deliberately inflicting acute pain by one person on another for financial gain.
There are many ongoing issues with the poor siting of commercial wind turbines in Massachusetts. In particular the Falmouth wind turbines which were sold to the Town of Falmouth by a semi quasi state agency.
As each new megawatt turbine is installed in residential communities more citizens groups speak out against noise issues (infrasound) . Shadow flicker and ice throw has taken a back seat to the noise issue.
The actions of local town governments over financial issues and residential health issues are growing by the day.The bottom line here is the wind industry ,state and local officials ,semi-quasi state agencies and pro wind turbine groups have to get out in front of the ongoing failures of commercial wind in Massachusetts