Wind strategy threatens private rights
South Coast Today | January 23, 2013 | www.southcoasttoday.com
South Coast Today | January 23, 2013 | www.southcoasttoday.com
What options are left after eight months of mediation?
The Falmouth residents living near commercial megawatt turbines lost their quality of life three years ago over noise issues. The residents face large legal expenses to protect their property rights and the loss of the American dream. Thousands of noise complaints and lawsuits about turbine noise and vibrations have cropped up in Falmouth, Fairhaven, Scituate and Kingston.
The wind industry now deals with wind turbines noise and direct physiological impacts like rapid heart beat, nausea and blurred vision caused by the ultra-low-frequency sound and vibrations from the turbines. The CEO of the largest wind company in the world acknowledges low frequency noise and setbacks to residential homes.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a renewable energy goal of 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020. The state created several “semi-quasi” state agencies to promote renewable energy projects to accelerate the success of megawatt commercial wind turbines.
These well-oiled agencies provide millions of dollars in resources to site commercial wind projects. Many cash-strapped towns look for short-term financial benefits.
The residential abutters to wind turbines are losing their health and property rights.
Frank Haggerty
Mattapoisett
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/23/wind-strategy-threatens-private-rights/