Neighbor News
Falmouth : Vestas Email And Maps Problematic For Taxpayer Liability
Brian Hopkins of Vestas ,manufacturer of the Falmouth turbines asks Stephen Wiehe, Falmouth engineer,do you have the decibel mapping ?
Falmouth : Vestas Email and Maps Problematic For Taxpayer Liability
The email below is addressed to Stephen Wiehe of Weston & Sampson (Town of Falmouth’s contract engineers) from Brian Hopkins Senior Manager of Sales Executions Vestas Wind Turbine Company.
Brian Hopkins of Vestas the manufacturer of the Falmouth wind turbines asks Stephen Wiehe and others, carbon copied , do you have the decibel mapping for Falmouth. In the email Brian states the Vestas V82 turbine ( Falmouth Wind 1 & 2 ) produces greater decibels beyond the , International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC standards
The conclusion from the email is there is no decibel map of Falmouth Wind Turbine ll and no decibel map of Falmouth Wind I and II operating together. To date no one has ever produced a decibel map of Falmouth Wind II prior to its installation or working with Falmouth wind turbine number one.
It is well known the Town of Falmouth had been warned by Vestas that the Falmouth wind turbines operate at 110 decibels around 6 decibels higher than the manufacturer specifications and the IEC standards.
There is however a map from the Falmouth Wind I turbine 2005 wind study that shows the decibel readings at residential locations around Falmouth Wind I at above 40 decibels during normal operations as seen on Blacksmith Shop Road in the map above. The white boxes show the decibel readings at 50 and 40 decibels. The map fails to reflect the additional 6 decibels doubling the sound of Falmouth Wind I .
The map for Falmouth Wind I used the Vestas manufacturers specifications for decibel noise which did not reflect the Vestas warning of the aditional 6 decibels which more than doubles the noise levels near 99 homes in the original study.
The problem for Falmouth taxpayers and Town Meeting Members today is that the emails, memos and maps show the “noise” measurements for the wind turbines are at least 6 decibels higher than manufacturer specifications and everyone knew prior to the installation of any wind turbines. The six decibels on a decibel scale equals a more than doubling of the noise levels at the more than 200 homes around both Falmouth Wind l and ll .
It's clear today to the most casual observer or judge and jury that the town never filed Special Permit 240-166 as suggested by the Cape Cod Commission model bylaw because the special permit process would have required additional hearings and abutter notifications to the more than 200 residential home owners.
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Had a special permit been applied for the town would have to admit at hearings they knew the turbine was louder than manufacturer specifications a fact the town hid a 110 decibel noise warning letter from Vestas for over five years.
The wind turbine victims around the turbines for years have been accused of making up stories about the wind turbines by a majority of people in Falmouth including the elected officials.
The turbines cause sleep disturbance, headache, tinnitus, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, tachycardia, irritability, problems with concentration and memory, and panic attack episodes associated with sensations of internal pulsation or quivering when awake or asleep.
Wind turbine victims world wide describe the noise as a type of torture from lack of sleep.
Fri 5/28/2010 1:48 PM
Brian Hopkins brhop@vestas.com
RE: Sound / Feasibility Studies
TO: Wiehe, Stephen,
cc Duijvesteijn, Olle; Yanuskiewicz, Francis
“Steve, I don't believe I saw a feasibility study for Falmouth other than Site Plans.
Was a sound study updated with the additional turbine?
Does the information I provided in the octave band data support the conclusions that you are conservatvely within MA state sound regulations?
The table highlights the fact that V82 produces greater decibels when it reaches its stall regime beyond the IEC design standard at 95% capacity.
The table also helps recognize the effects of shear on the sound levels experienced at receptors which should also be considering with the sound study.
My email was lost from the time we did the first turbine so I don't have a great record of information but do you have this decibel mapping for Falmouth?”
