Falmouth Select Board Needs Reality Check, Not Wind Turbine Reality Show

The Falmouth Select Board owes it to all Town Meeting Members and the residents of Falmouth to tell why they hid the Vestas noise warning letter for 5 years that the turbines were dangerously too loud. The town in turn signed the letter and accepted the responsibility for the collateral damage to up to 200 residential home owners at taxpayers expense.

The town is guilty of omitting information that effected the safety and health of its own residents

Will the current Select Board stand for righteousness or continue enabling the sins of the past ?

Former acting Town Manager Heather Harper: “We took on a huge risk and I think we were successful but we’re a large community and I think we can take on that risk,”

All memos, maps, studies and all those involved in the installation of Falmouth Wind I and II are well aware the turbines should never have been placed in their current locations based of study maps from 2005.

The figures above on the year 2005 KEMA decibel noise map show noise levels using a General Electric commercial wind turbine in 2005 would exceed 40 decibels of noise at property locations on Blacksmith Shop Road. This map shows a GE turbine would break state noise guidelines.

General Electric refused to sell wind turbines to the Town of Falmouth because of setbacks.

The town went forward buying even louder wind turbines but kept all the warnings secret.

The Falmouth Select Board has never admitted to the public that the Town of Falmouth hid a noise warning letter from the manufacturer of the two town owned wind turbines. Both turbines are Vestas V-82 commercial 1.65 megawatt wind turbines. These turbines came with a warning that they generate 110 decibels and are twice as loud as the original wind turbines. The town hid the noise warning for 5 years.

The town got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. There is no doubt about it.

The current Falmouth Select Board needs to look at the evidence in the public domain and admit the town hid the noise warning and avoided the Special Permit process 240-166 because it would have required additional abutter notifications and studies. The facts are the facts.

The Vestas noise warning letter 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.

The turbines used by the Town of Falmouth using the older 2005 KEMA study map raise the decibel levels to near an intolerable 50 decibels.

The Vestas Noise Warning Letter Next : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

August 3, 2010

Mr. Gerald Potamis

WasteWater SuperintendentTown of Falmouth Public Works

59 Town Hall SquareFalmouth, 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 PotamisProject 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)

http://www.windaction.org/posts/41357-vestas-raises-concerns-about-turbine-noise-letter#.V7EOiygrLIU