Falmouth Board Refuses Media - Public Wind Turbine II Questions

The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, gave the Town of Falmouth a loan/grant established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to buy its second Falmouth Wind Turbine # 2.

The Loan Agreement is an agreement between the Clean Water Trust and the borrower ( Town of Falmouth ) pertaining to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection approved project cited in the Project Regulatory Agreement.

The Town of Falmouth misrepresented itself obtaining the loan and an EPA waiver to purchase the second foreign made turbine. The stimulus money was to buy American and put Americans to work. General Electric a domestic wind turbine company refused to place a single wind turbine because of residential setbacks and ice throw.

The Town of Falmouth lied by omission in the loan process leaving out warning letters, maps, emails and a KEMA Inc study from 2005 that the turbines generate a dangerous 110 decibels of noise. In addition, the 2005 KEMA Inc. study done 5 years prior to the installations required a Special Permit 240-166 to install the wind turbines. The town never filed the special permits as it would require additional abutter notifications and Falmouth Zoning Board hearings.

In June of 2017, the Massachusetts Superior Court agreed with the Falmouth Zoning Board that the turbines are a nuisance and shut them down.

On July 10, 2017, the Falmouth Select Board voted not to appeal the decision and Susan Moran, the chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said: “It’s time to put the matter behind us and move forward.”

Susan Perez, executive director of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust announced after the court shut down the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, dropped interest rates on the wind turbine ARRA loan/grant. By dropping the interest rate to zero percent, the trustees have saved the town an additional $1 million.

Now on December 20, 2017, after receiving a zero percent interest break on the loan/grant established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Susan Moran, the chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said: “those machines have some value and we want to optimize that.” A far cry from the July statement:“It’s time to put the matter behind us and move forward.”

It appears to the most casual observer that the town after getting the interest break on the ARRA loan still has plans for Falmouth Wind II.

On multiple occasions, over the course of weeks, the news media has contacted the Town of Falmouth for comment. Citizens have requested answers at Select Board meetings in open session.

The Town of Falmouth is no longer answering questions on Falmouth Wind II. A news media “Blackout.”

Federal, state and local taxpayers need answers on the loan process, human health tragedy and property takings caused by illegally placing these turbines.