Falmouth Wind Turbine Financial Update Needed

Article 97 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides that the “people shall have the right from excessive and unnecessary noise."

The Town of Falmouth, Massachusetts between 2010 and 2012 built two Vestas V-82 type 1.65 megawatt wind turbines near residential homes. Residents complained of noise as soon as they began to spin and court action began.

The town held a town wide vote to take the turbines down in 2013. The result of the vote was 2 to 1 in favor of keeping the turbines operating.

Immediately after the vote of 2 to 1 in favor of keeping the turbines operating the town released damaging information hidden from the public.

Both elected and appointed officials conspired to keep a 110-decibel warning letter, emails, memos and map showing they knew prior to construction the turbines would break state noise guidelines until after the 2013 vote not to take down the turbines.

In the past ten years, Massachusetts residents have witnessed a line of public officials caught up in corrupt acts being handcuffed and taken away. Former Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi the father of the Green Communities Act got eight years in federal prison for corruption. State Senator Brian Joyce a wind turbine advocate had recently been charged by federal prosecutors in 113 indictments that included money laundering, fraud and extortion. The results of his autopsy have not been made public.

Court action on the wind turbines will go on into 2019 through litigation brought by the "Friends of Falmouth Wind."

The Town of Falmouth has never answered questions over the financing of both the wind turbines

During 2012 the purpose of the Falmouth Wind Turbine Option Analysis Process (WTOP) was to engage in an open, transparent, and collaborative exploration of the range of options for the long-term future of the Town's two Wind Turbines – Wind I and Wind II to resolve noise and shadow flicker health problems with the turbines.

During the Falmouth Wind Turbine Option Analysis Process (WTOP ) in 2012 the town representatives had the 110 decibel noise warning letter from the manufacturer of the turbines Vestas of America along with emails and a KEMA Inc map showing noise levels raising near 60 decibels at nearby homes. Officials have never been held accountable for hiding the documents from the WTOP process and the public.

A participant at the WTOP process asked the Town Manager, about the status of the Wind 2 grant. The manager stated that the Town doesn't have a clear answer. It was explained that there are a series of possibilities, none of which is definitive?

At a Falmouth Special Town Meeting in June of 2009 Town Meeting Members were shown and given a visual orientation on the ARRA, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or what was called the stimulus funds. Town Meeting Members voted in favor of all three articles.

The financing of Falmouth wind turbine # 2 resulted in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection acting as the broker between the Town of Falmouth and the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to secure a 5 million dollar loan. The agreement brokered by the MassDEP was called the Project Regulatory Agreement.

The MassDEP is responsible for enforcing noise regulations which include wind turbines. In May of 2012, the Falmouth Select Board was notified by the MassDEP the wind turbines are breaking state noise regulation at 310 CMR 7.10.

The MassDEP could not enforce state noise regulations against the Town of Falmouth because the MassDEP had brokered a Project Regulatory Agreement ("PRA") which required the Falmouth wind turbines to stay in production or face financial repercussions. The MassDEP Project Regulatory Agreement ("PRA") ignored the health, safety and the environment of up to 200 residential homes in Falmouth for a state wind turbine agenda.

The current Falmouth Select Board in February of 2018 has done updates on the wind turbines but has never updated the public on the financing of the wind turbines.

The public is owed an explanation of how the wind turbines were financed. .

State of the Town: Falmouth Wind Turbine Update February, 2018

HOW ABOUT THE MONEY ?