National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Turbine opponents dispute health board

FALMOUTH – Irate foes of the town’s wind turbines shouted at board of health members Monday night when they declined requests to order an immediate emergency shutdown.

“I hope you understand what you’re doing, because this is America!” David Moriarty yelled as he stormed out of the town hall civil defense room. “You are in serious trouble!”

About 40 people attended the first board of health meeting since a public hearing last month that accepted 61 testimonies detailing health effects from the two 1.65-megawatt town-owned wind turbines at the wastewater treatment plant on Blacksmith Shop Road and a privately owned turbine nearby.

Board chairwoman Gail Harkness told the crowd that the board still needed to go through all the written testimony before they made a decision of whether or not the turbines present enough of a health risk to order an emergency shutdown.

“We cannot make a decision this evening,” Harkness said. “It would be … irresponsible.”

Harkness said the board would hold a public meeting, possibly this week, where board members would pore through testimony received at the public hearing and figure out the best way to present the information to the state Department of Public Health.