Neighbor News
Mass Clean Energy Center 2013: Another Lie Uncovered Falmouth Wind I and II
MassDEP has been measuring background noise since 2003. MassCEC 4/2/13 memo from staff to MassCEC board members claim they did not know ?
What every taxpayer in Falmouth knows is the 2005 KEMA noise wind study and map showed the proposed wind turbines exceed 40 decibels in residential locations around Falmouth Wind I. All anyone had to do was look at the Kema map and the 99 homes around Falmouth Wind I. The addition of Falmouth Wind II increased the wind zone to around 200 homes. A General Electic wind turbine was used as a model for the noise tests and study.
The Town of Falmouth installed two Vestas V-82 commercial 1.65 megawatt turbines between 2010 and 2012. General Electric refused to build even a single turbine because of setbacks to residential homes and ice throw to a nearby highway.
In 2013 the MassCEC in an April 2, 2013 memo to the Town of Falmouth admitted the noise studies were flawed prior to the installation of the turbines.
Find out what's happening in Falmouthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Extrapolation is the real term as the 2005 prediction for the General Electric 1.5 megawatt turbine was low by several decibels compared to actual measurements of an operating GE 1.5 MW turbine. (The Veatas V-82 installed was 6 decibels louder than the GE turbine model)
The admission:
" Even though the original MTC-commissioned feasibility study for Falmouth over-estimated the likely acoustic impact, that study did not include a detailed acoustic analysis based upon sampling of ambient acoustic conditions (as is our current, more rigorous practice) which might have identified a potential exceedance of the 10 decibel limit,” the memo reads. “
See original quote at link :
https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/03/details-on-masscecs-april-2-memo-on-falmouth-turbines/
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in the April 2, 2013 memo said the original study for Falmouth Wind I ( 2005 ) did not include analysis upon sampling of ambient acoustic conditions. As is their current more rigorous practices.
This statement above about background noise in the April 2 2013 memo is beyond the realm of believability !
The MassDEP has been measuring background noise since 2003.
Find out what's happening in Falmouthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative today the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center simply omitted the background noise levels. The state agency also prior to the Falmouth noise studies dropped the reference to two distinct types of noise, "Regulatory" measured in decibels and "Human Annoyance" today called infra sound .
These are not "mistakes" these are lies. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center apologizes for not "over-estimated the likely acoustic impact." The real term should be : "Under-estimated the likely acoustic impact ! " The MassCEC claims in the April 2, 2013 memo they didn't know the MassDEP had guidelines for background noise since 2003.
The practice of measuring the background minimum noise predates the MassCEC April 2 2013 memo by a decade. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, SouthEast Regional Office (SERO) issued a Noise Manual in April 2003 with detailed survey protocol including measuring background.
The MassDEP SERO 2003 Noise Manual predates the KEMA 2005 report by two years.
See page 13 MassDEP (SERO) Noise Guide 2003 sections ( f ) ( g ) ( h)
https://windwisema.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/madep-noise-manual.pdf
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is an out of control state agency. The MassCEC needs legislative and judical oversight.
The Falmouth wind turbines are ground zero for poorly placed wind turbines in the United States taking the health and property rights of Falmouth citizens.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is responsible for this health and finacial fiasco...
