Former Falmouth Building Commissioner Costs Town 25 Million

The Falmouth town owned wind turbines named Falmouth Wind I and II started operating in 2010 and 2012. Neighbors immediately complained of health issues from the wind turbines.

Town meeting members last night approved $178,070.00 to pay a $2 million renewable energy commitment to the state Clean Energy Center for loans on the chest pounding 110-decibel wind turbines at the wastewater plant.

Friends of Falmouth Wind" asked in an amendment that the town postpones the payment while they appeal Judge Cornelius J. Moriarty II order to shut down the wind turbines is finalized.

The representative of the Friends also tried to convince voters to support an amendment to defer action on the payment citing a November 2007 Massachusetts legislative initiative "SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the town of Falmouth may design and install wind energy facilities." Falmouth Town Counsel Frank Duffy explained to Town Meeting Members that the legislation was for financing and did not give the town the right to create a nuisance.

Falmouth Town Counsel Frank Duffy on behalf of the Select Board explained after the introduction of the proposed amendment Falmouth Wind I is dead and Falmouth Wind II will never operate in its present location. The Town Council also said there was very little chance of the appeal is won and if an appeal was won the town would not start the turbines as they are not part of the pending appeal.

Falmouth Town Meeting overwhelmingly defeated the amendment.

Barnstable County Superior Court judge Moriarty upheld a Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals ruling declaring the town's wind turbines a nuisance in June of 2017

The Town of Falmouth still faces multiple lawsuits over the wind turbines. Falmouth Wind II still faces doctrine of laches litigation over the installation of that wind turbine.

Prior to the installation of Falmouth Wind II the town had a 110 decibel warning letter from the manufacturer of the wind turbines and emails warning the town the turbines are too loud. In addition, the town had a map from 2005 showing the types of turbines installed could reach near 60 decibels on Blacksmith Shop Road and 184 other residential homes. The town hid all the negative information from the public.

The town claims the neighbors should have known even though the town hid documents from the public and them ?

The decision by the former Building Commissioner to go forward without a Special Permit to build the turbines costs taxpayers up to 25 million.

The Town of Falmouth installed its second wind turbine with no special permits or studies showing the noise levels of both turbines operating together.

Most recently wind turbine fires in Presque Isle, Maine, Hanover, Massachusetts and blade throw from wind turbunes has brought attention to the Vestas wind turbine setbacks of 1640 feet for wind turbines. Both of Falmouth's wind turbines are 1.65 megawatt Vestas V-82 type wind turbines generating 110 decibels each.

Wind Turbine sound