Falmouth Live Survey: Wind Turbine Questions 2/3/2018

The Board of Selectmen is inviting residents to participate in a first of its kind "Live Survey" on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at the Falmouth High School at 8:30 AM

The Select Board is looking for your wish list, suggestions, issues that benefit the community, your neighbors and yourself.

Survey questions are a set of questions people are asked to gather information or find out their opinions.

The most perplexing question for the Select Board is why for the last eight years has the Town of Falmouth continue to hide the August 2010 Vestas wind turbine company, manufacturer letter to the town that they warned the town prior to construction the wind turbines generate 110 decibels of noise?

A. Prior to the installation of wind turbines the town had a KEMA Inc map from the year 2005 showing decibels levels over 50 decibels on Blacksmith Shop Road.

B. General Electric refused to place one wind turbine due to residential setbacks and ice throw to the highway.
Vestas wind turbine company warned by email their turbine is twice as loud as the General Electric company turbine.

C. After the installation of Falmouth Wind I noise complaints Vestas sent a warning letter the town had previously been warned.

The town maintains a section of its website for wind turbine related documents. The year 2005 noise map done for the Town of Falmouth by KEMA Inc should be on the site along with the April 2013 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center memo to the Town of Falmouth admitting acoustic noise study "mistakes" prior to the installations of the wind turbines. It may also be prudent to produce the emails from Brian Hopkins the Vestas wind turbine representative.

Every annual town meeting money is requested for town litigation.The largest so far at the November 2016 Town Meeting Article, 18 asked for $440,000.00 of which $260,000.00 was for wind turbine litigation.

In 2014 the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center provided the town with 1.8 million. The money was to help recover costs associated with project curtailment and related wind turbine litigation.How much of this money went to wind turbine litigation?

Since 2010 how much has the Town of Falmouth spend on wind turbine litigation?

There are still several lawsuits in the pipeline ahead how much do you expect to ask Town Meeting for this year including the addition of a wind turbine consultant?

The 2010 Vestas hidden noise warning letter: This letter shows the town was aware before the installations the turbines are too loud.

August 3, 2010
Mr. Gerald Potamis
WasteWater Superintendent
Town of Falmouth Public Works
59 Town Hall Square
Falmouth, MA 02540

RE: Falmouth WWTF Wind Energy Facility II “Wind II”, Falmouth, MA
Contract No.#3297

Dear Mr. Potamis,

Due to the sound concerns regarding the first wind turbine installed at the wastewater treatment facility, the manufacturer of the turbines, Vestas, is keen for the Town of Falmouth to understand the possible noise and other risks associated with the installation of the second wind turbine.

The Town has previously been provided with the Octave Band Data / Sound performance for the V82 turbine. This shows that the turbine normally operates at 103.2dB but the manufacturer has also stated that it may produce up to 110dB under certain circumstances. These measurements are based on IEC standards for sound measurement which is calculated at a height of 10m above of the base of the turbine.

We understand that a sound study is being performed to determine what, if any, Impacts the second turbine will have to the nearest residences. Please be advised that should noise concerns arise with this turbine, the only option to mitigate normal operating sound from the V82 is to shut down the machine at certain wind speeds and directions. Naturally this would detrimentally affect power production.

The manufacturer also needs confirmation that the Town of Falmouth understands they are fully responsible for the site selection of the turbine and bear all responsibilities to address any mitigation needs of the neighbors.

Finally, the manufacturer has raised the possibility of ice throw concerns. Since Route 28 is relatively close to the turbine, precautions should be taken in weather that may cause icing.

To date on this project we have been unable to move forward with signing the contract with Vestas. The inability to release the turbine for shipment to the project site has caused significant [SIC] delays in our project schedule. In order to move forward the manufacturer requires your understanding and acknowledgement of these risks. We kindly request for this acknowledgement to be sent to us by August 4, 2010, as we have scheduled a coordination meeting with Vestas to discuss the project schedule and steps forward for completion of the project.

Please sign in the space provided below to indicate your understanding and acknowledgement of this letter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me.

Sincerely,

(Bruce Mabbott’s signature)
________
Bruce Mabbott Gerald Potamis
Project Manager Town of Falmouth

CC: Sumul Shah, Lumus Construction, Inc.
(Town of Falmouth’s Wind-1 and Wind-2 Construction contractor)

Stephen Wiehe, Weston & Sampson
(Town of Falmouth’s contract engineers)

Brian Hopkins, Vestas
(Wind-1, Wind-2’s turbine manufacturer, and also Webb/NOTUS turbine)

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Falmouth, Massachusetts -Wind Turbines -Town Meeting April 9, 2018 -"Article 19" Town will vote to pay for the Town’s obligation to the Mass CEC agreement relating to the Wind Turbines

http://www.falmouthmass.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/4403

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Upper Cape Wind Dilemma January 2018

WindTurbineSyndrome

Falmouth, MA USA resident Dave Moriarty discusses the latest issues about the Town of Falmouth's Industrial Vestas Turbines on town lands. Town owned wind turbines at the waste water treatment plant have now been turned off permanently after a long battle in the courts. Please note: Mr. Moriarty's opinions are his own and do not reflect the opinions of FCTV-13 a nonprofit that provides community access to local Comcast channel in the town.