Falmouth Wind Turbines Ignored Empirical Evidence

The Town of Falmouth, Massachusetts installed two industrial 1.65-megawatt wind turbines by 2010 and 2012 both without permits and lacked abutter notifications according to local zoning regulations. By 2013 Massachusetts far too quickly surpassed 100 megawatts of land-based wind turbine installations. Since that date wind installations ground to a halt over two types on noise and shadow flicker a major health issue.

Falmouth is ground zero for poorly placed wind turbines in the United States with the courts shutting down both nuisance wind turbines in June of 2017.

Massachusetts executive branch officials ignored empirical evidence of neighbors' noises complaints as far back as 1985 in Boone, North Carolina. The homeowners were annoyed by the low-frequency, acoustic impulses propagated into the structures in which the complainants lived. The complaints were headaches, fatigue, temporary feelings of dizziness, nausea, etc.

Despite the warnings, Massachusetts state agencies acted as a connector between established and startup clean energy companies, investors, strategic corporate partners, and large energy users in Massachusetts. The state acted as if they were the scientific authority and implicated the business community as accomplices in what is described as a health disaster.

The state ignored the municipal concerns of siting wind energy projects bypassing the tools to help communities appropriately site wind energy.

Representatives of the Department of Energy Resource (DOER), the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) attempted to pass WERSA. Wind Energy Siting Reform Act was an act proposed by Massachusetts to bypass town bylaws to place commercial wind turbines despite local regulations.

Local zoning and bylaws are enacted to establish the health and safety of the community.

After the failure to override local bylaws both state and local, officials simply omitted negative health information including studies, emails, memos, and letters.

MassDEP convened a technical advisory group of experts to solicit input on wind turbine sound policy but never told anyone the agency brokered a federal ARRA loan on the Town of Falmouth second wind turbine II. MassDEP is and has been stuck in regulatory capture with the wind industry.

The 2012 Massachusetts Wind Turbine Health Impacts Study never considered wind turbines like Falmouth generate 110 decibels of noise. The report actually states a 110-decibel wind turbine is capable of producing infra-sound.

MassCEC Research Study on Wind Turbine Acoustics, and other relevant data identified by MassDEP and technical advisory group members failed. The MassCEC admitted in a 2013 memo they had made major acoustic noise mistakes with the Falmouth wind turbines underestimating noise levels. Statewide there are far too many "mistakes."

In 2009, Governor Deval Patrick announced a land-based wind energy goal of 2,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020. The program costs thousands of Massachusetts residents their health and in some cases their life savings. The wind goal was a boomtown for legal firms all over the state.

Massachusetts sadly has experienced one of the fastest wind energy growth rates in the nation, going from just 3 MW and three turbines installed in 2007 to more than 100 MW now throughout the Commonwealth. A far cry from the failed goal of 2000 megawatts by 2020.

Empirical evidence related to any associations between these health outcomes and exposure to wind turbine noise was ignored in a study done by :

A: In NASA research supported by the US Department of Energy, Dr. Neil Kelly and his colleagues in 1987 identified impulsive low-frequency noise. The wind turbine infrasound and vibration produced " Human Annoyance " within neighbor's homes. Neighbors in 2020 complain of the same headaches, fatigue, temporary feelings of dizziness, nausea, etc. as 40 years ago.

B: Vestas wind warning letter and emails Falmouth prior to construction; 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.

C: 2005 KEMA study paid for by the state for Falmouth done in two parts April of 2005 and November of 2005 concluded the town needed Special Permits to install its megawatt turbines. Up to 99 homes could be affected by noise.

D: 2005 Renewable Energy Research Laboratory, Amherst: University of Massachusetts study noise considerations generally take two forms, state regulatory compliance and nuisance levels at nearby residences:

1. Regulatory compliance: Massachusetts state regulations do not allow a rise of 10 dB or greater above background levels at a property boundary (Massachusetts Air Pollution Control Regulations, Regulation 310 CMR 7.10).
2. Human annoyance: Aside from Massachusetts regulations, residences must also be taken into consideration. ( infra-sound, low frequency)

The Patrick Administration’s focus on irresponsibly sited wind energy projects set back renewable energy programs for twenty years. (20 Years)

Why Wind Farms Are Bad for the Environment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7mE0By_1fM