Falmouth Turbine Land Court Conference Today Town Guilty Going In

Assistant Town Manager Heather Harper in November of 2010 was Falmouth's Acting Town Manager. The month before, October 2010, she told Brewster officials the Town of Falmouth had gambled on installing megawatt wind turbines and said the community could take on risking taxpayer funds.

Here is the quote :
“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,”

The Massachusetts judges including the land court have to understand Falmouth officials in 2010 admitted they were aware of the crap shoot they were about to play out with taxpayer funds. The town also took the health and property rights of up to 200 residential home owners - A gamble they should never have taken .A gamble taking the health of its own citizens -

Town officials including Heather Harper thought the megawatt turbines they were a pot of gold -The only one getting rich today in Falmouth is a couple of Boston law firms on the backs of Falmouth taxpayers

The town knew the risk and was aware the town was hiding the noise warning letter from Vestas wind company. Prior to August of 2010 Vestas wind company warned the turbines were too loud.

THE RISK :
The town hid the warning letter for 5 years gambling (betting) the public would not find out. The letter warned the Vestas wind turbines are twice as loud as the General Electric wind turbines used in noise model tests. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in an April 2013 memo admitted the turbines were sited "Ad Hoc" and the acoustic noise tests were flawed prior to the installation of Falmouth Wind 1.

Here is the Smoking Gun letter :
Vestas raises concerns about turbine noise (Letter)

Bruce Mabbott - August 3, 2010
Impact on People Noise Massachusetts

After noise complaints started coming in following the erection of WIND 1, the first Falmouth turbine at the wastewater treatment facility, Vestas required 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."

WIND 2 would not be released to the town for erection until the letter was signed.

The town was aware of the noise and the risk to the public -Special Permit 240-166 was not filed because it would require additional testing and abutter notifications - The additional tests and notifications would have stopped the installations over health and safety issues. The town gambled the health of its own citizens for what they thought was a pot of gold.

Falmouth citizens need to know these megawatt wind turbines are a bunco scheme of enormous consequence.Citizens who value intellectual honesty should not quietly be fleeced by such mendacity, even from their own government officials.

The town gambled the public would never see the warning letter recently released through the Freedom of Information Act Requests

The letter explaining the situation is provided below -

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)

http://www.windaction.org/posts/41357-vestas-raises-concerns-about-turbine-noise-letter#.V1dqUeYrLIU