Falmouth Wind Turbines: Taxpayers Taken To Cleaners

Falmouth residents are being taken to the cleaners. The wind turbines are taking and/or cheating tax payers out of health, money and possessions.

Up to 200 residential home owners have reported health concerns and widely reported adverse effects, audible sound and low frequency sound and sleep deprivation due to noise and shadow flicker.

The aesthetic impact due to introduction of large industrial-scale turbines into immediate neighborhoods has decreased the value of homes around the turbines. Falmouth real estate agencies list water view homes, lakefront,oceanfront, riverfront and ocean view homes. Folks have to be realistic there are no homes listed with a view of 400 foot commercial wind turbines.

The question for every Falmouth taxpayer and state taxpayer is how much money since 2010 has been spent on wind turbine litigation. The Town of Falmouth has a town attorney and staff and the town has hired multiple outside law firms for up to eleven ongoing litigation cases

The Noise Warning :

In August of 2010 the Town of Falmouth received a noise warning letter the Vestas turbines are twice as loud as those used in noise studies. The letter remained hidden for 5 years.

The Purchase and Gamble:

In September 2010 Falmouth assistant town manager Heather Harper and manager of Falmouth Wind I told politicians : “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 town knew the noise risk but continued on to take the health and property rights of its own citizens

The Admission of Noise Mistakes :

In April of 2013 the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center admitted acoustic noise mistakes in the original pre installation of the wind turbines. In other words the test models are wrong . Noise levels are too high and the hidden 2010 noise warning letter from Vestas shows the turbines generate 110 decibels of noise.

Litigation Costs Why Are Taxpayers Paying Anything :

A.

In 2014 the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) Board of Directors today approved up to $1.8 million in relief funds for the Town of Falmouth to help the municipality mitigate the financial impacts including related litigation. To be exact the MassCEC approved funds for the unanticipated sound levels and related litigation. In addition to the MassCEC funds the Town of Falmouth has been asking Town Meeting every six months for up to $300,000.00 for litigation fees. The November 2016 Town Meeting asked and received $460,000.00 for town litigation of which $260,000.00 is for wind turbine litigation. What happened to the money from the 1.8 million from the MassCEC designated for litigation ?

B.

In July of 2016 the Falmouth Select Board had voted in executive session to authorize Town Manager Julian M. Suso, Town Council Frank A. Duffy Jr. and the town’s insurer, Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, to participate in wind turbine mediation. The select board announcement made no mention of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center or those 1.8 million in funds.

C.

The MIIA, Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association warns on their web site warns in the case of wind turbines, local residents have at times taken issue with associated noise. The MIIA also warns careful consideration must be given to potential liability issues as well as long-term costs of alternative energy systems.

Did the town do its due diligence providing liability insurance for the two turbines ? If so why are taxpayers being asked to pay up to $ 300,000.00 every six months for litigation fees.

The taxpayers are they the Rubes.

Massachusetts taxpayers especially the taxpayers of Falmouth should ask for a full financial accounting of the two Falmouth wind turbines.

Why are Falmouth taxpayers being asked to pay any litigation fees when in 2013 the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center admitted it made mistakes in the original preliminary acoustic noise predictions and a 2005 map done by KEMA showed the wind turbines would exceed 40 decibels at homes on Black Smith Shop Road.

2005 KEMA Study Map Shows Wind Turbine Decibels Exceed 40 decibels on Black Smith Shop Road -- White square designate decibel levels from a General Electric turbine. The Vestas turbines installed are twice as loud as map designations