LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME



[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Neighbors blame windmill on Driftway for headaches, dizziness 

Credit:  By Patrick Ronan | The Patriot Ledger | Nov 15, 2012 | www.patriotledger.com ~~

The Scituate residents who say they’re being tormented by the town’s new wind turbine have prompted health officials to take a second look at the turbine’s health impact.

The board of health said at its meeting Wednesday it will order a study that will measure the wind turbine’s noise and shadow flicker in local neighborhoods, primarily in the Third Cliff section of town, where dozens of residents have complained of sleep deprivation, headaches and dizziness.

But most of the affected residents, including the McKeevers, who live about 600 feet from the turbine, wanted the turbine to be shut down indefinitely, or at least at night, until a study is completed.

The board of health said the turbine, which is off the Driftway and became operational in March, won’t be shut off unless a study proves it’s not in compliance with local or state laws.

Throughout most of Wednesday’s meeting, a video was played on a loop showing a substantial shadow flicker inside the McKeever home on a recent sunny afternoon.

“Everything about it is wrong,” said Mark McKeever, who lives with his wife, Lauren, and their two children, ages 11 and 7. “And I don’t know what’s going to come out of this, but I am a prisoner, and I’m tied to this house. I can’t go anywhere.”

Board of health member Francis Lynch proposed shutting the wind turbine down only when the wind blew toward the Third Cliff neighborhood, but neither of his colleagues, Russell Clark and Michael Vazza, seconded his motion.

Instead, the board voted to form a new committee that will define the scope of a new study of the turbine. The committee will include representatives from the board of health, Palmer Capital, which is the company that owns the turbine, and the affected neighbors.

The board said Palmer Capital is required to pay for a study that reviews the turbine’s compliance with permitting and laws. A study on shadow flicker may have to be funded by the town, Lynch said.

Although Lynch proposed a conditional shutdown of the turbine, he was wary of blaming the turbine for the neighbors’ health problems.

“The board of health has an obligation to make decisions based on evidence and facts,” said Lynch, a lawyer. “I don’t want to go through this whole process, and then have some judge in a year tell us there was insufficient evidence to support the board’s decision.”

Gordon L. Deane, president of Palmer Capital, gave a presentation Wednesday. He said the turbine generates about one-third of its electricity at night.

“The town would no longer be realizing any savings from this project (if the turbine was off at night). In fact, it would be incurring excess costs for the power,” Deane said.

Deane estimated that an acoustical study would cost $10,000 to $16,000.

Alex Alvarez of Collier Road said he was troubled to hear Deane bring finances into a discussion about public health. Nonetheless, he offered his own fiscal prediction.

“There would also be the financial impact to the town of the property values of that whole (Third Cliff) neighborhood dropping,” Alvarez said.

Source:  By Patrick Ronan | The Patriot Ledger | Nov 15, 2012 | www.patriotledger.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share

Tag: Complaints


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky