After Vote, Turbine Issue Still Cloudy

At the final installment of Town Meeting last night, residents voted in favor of both an article to shut the municpal wind turbines off until November, as well as an article that would allow selectmen to adopt mitigation strategies with regard to the turbines' operation through the end of the year.

Article 23, which was first to be voted on, would essentially curtail the operation of the town's 1.65-megawatt turbines, Wind 1 and Wind 2, until the November 2012 Town Meeting.

As for Article 27, according to the Cape Cod Times, a statement of principles detailing the selectmen's mitigation plans include operating Wind 1 at 10 meters per second from April 17 to May 15. From May 15 to June 15, they would shut off both turbines between 10 pm and 6am. 

The approval of both articles, which seem to contradict each other, are non-binding, which means that the selectmen are not under any obligation to actually put them into action.  

Last November, the Board of Selectmen voted to shut down Wind 1 in the midst of complaints from abutters in the Blacksmith Shop Road area that the turbines were causing adverse health effects. Wind 2 has been in temporary operation for a 60-day trial since February of this year, so that officials can test its alleged negative effects.