Massachusetts Planning 3000' Setbacks To Wind Turbines

Massachusetts Planning 3000 Foot Setbacks To Wind Turbines

Falmouth Massachusetts is ground zero for poorly placed commercial wind turbines in the United States

2015-2016


Barnstable has introduced a bill to prohibit the siting of industrial wind turbines closer than 3,000 feet from any residence or residentially zoned property.

Bill H.2898189th (Current)
An Act relative to the siting of land based industrial wind turbines

By Mr. Mannal of Barnstable, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2898) of Brian R. Mannal for legislation to prohibit the siting of wind turbines within 3,000 feet of a residence or residentially zoned property. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Sponsors:
Brian R. Mannal
Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Section 3 of Chapter 40A of the General laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the after the words “the city and town enacting such ordinance and by-law” the following:-

Section 1. The legislature finds and declares that industrial wind turbines can be over 400 feet tall; that as a result of their size, these machines have the potential to reduce property values for nearby residents unless they are sited at appropriate distances from residential areas; that recent studies have further indicated that the noise and vibration stemming from the operation of large scale industrial wind turbines may cause nearby residents to suffer from a health condition known as “wind turbine syndrome” which may result in sleep disturbance, headaches, ringing of the ears, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, racing heart beat, irritability, problems with memory, and concentration, and panic episodes accompanied by internal pulsation; that medical, noise and acoustic experts have indicated that “wind turbine syndrome” can be avoided if industrial wind turbines are sited an appropriate distance from residential property. The Legislature therefore finds that, in order to protect the public health and welfare, and to protect residents from unnecessary reductions in property values, it is both reasonable and necessary to prohibit the siting of industrial wind turbines in or near residential areas.

Section 2. No wind turbine may be erected or installed in the Commonwealth at a site that is closer than 3,000 feet from any residence or residentially zoned property. No state regional or municipal entity may approve or provide funding for any plan, proposal, or permit application for a wind turbine that will be erected or installed at a site closer than 3,000 feet from any residence or residentially zoned property. The provisions of this section shall apply only to wind turbines erected or installed subsequent to the effective date of this act.

Actions for Bill H.2898
Date Branch Action
1/20/2015 House Referred to the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/House/H2898Show less

The Cape Cod wind turbine victims have called for a 3,000-foot setback for turbines and health studies , yet the “resident-deaf” town council members and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is helping towns pay their litigation fees and ignoring the residential home owners and their legal fees.

On Cape Cod the industrial monsters irresponsibly placed, I’d have to say that residents don’t matter to the local and state politicians.

There is a major issue with infrasound caused by the wind turbines. This is noise that is on a scale below the ability of a human to hear, but it is felt by humans as a pressure. Once the infrasound penetrates homes, it is amplified. Think of a drum or the bass vibration from a loud radio in the car behind you while you are stopped at a light.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center actually dropped the reference to infra sound or human annoyance from the 2005 Mattapoisett noise study to install the Falmouth wind turbines in 2010

Here is the reference material : The material clearly describes two distinct types of noise. Regulatory & Human Annoyance

On page 14 of the Marion ,Mattapoisett and Rochester wind test study

-Noise

Noise considerations generally take two forms, state regulatory compliance and nuisance levels at nearby residences:

A. Regulatory compliance: Massachusetts state regulations do not allow a rise of 10 dB or greater above background levels at a property boundary (Massachusetts Air Pollution Control Regulations, Regulation 310 CMR 7.10). This sound level is very unlikely to be a reached incase at the sites we examined.

B. Human annoyance: Aside from Massachusetts regulations, residences must also be taken into consideration. Any eventual turbine would be sited such that it would be inaudible or minimally audible at the nearest residences. At this stage, to check for “fatal flaws,” a rule of thumb can be used: to minimize possible noise impacts,site wind turbines at least three times the blade tip height from residences. Distances from mixed-use areas may be somewhat shorter.

Why did the MassCEC drop the reference to Human annoyance prior to the installation of the Falmouth wind turbines ? It’s obvious !