January 24, 2013
Massachusetts

Wind turbine health impacts compared to lead paint, asbestos during open forum

By Bradford Randall | Jan 24th, 2013 | kingstonjournal.com

This Tuesday, KingstonJournal.com was on hand when Prospect Street-resident Mark Wheeler chastised the Town of Kingston’s government response to complaints about the Kingston Wind Independence Turbine and compared the suspected ill-health effects of turbines to those of lead paint and asbestos.

“We don’t know the long-term effects of what this turbine is doing to us,” Wheeler said during open forum. “Much like back in the day they used to paint houses with lead, they used to wrap pipes in asbestos. It was a great idea at the time.”

Wheeler spoke to the Kingston Selectmen for over ten minutes, following up on a December 13th decision by the selectmen to author a letter to the Board of Health (BOH) urging a strong course of action in mitigating turbine complaints.

“I wonder why the concerns that you agreed upon…weren’t portrayed to the BOH in a way that would urge them to at least mitigate our health problems,” Wheeler said.

A letter on behalf of the selectmen was authored on December 17 but has not been presented at a BOH meeting since.

Wheeler had the letter on Tuesday night telling Acting-Town Administrator Nancy Howlett, “you’re the editor of this letter and this and this is not what was talked about at the selectmen’s meeting last time.”

Wheeler also singled out Kingston Town Counsel Jay Talerman in his remarks. “For whatever reason the BOH was advised by the same attorney that the selectmen have that they should not shut [the turbines] down until wind studies were conducted,” Wheeler said.

Earlier this month, on January 14, Talerman took the podium at a BOH meeting and said, “if at any point and time the [BOH] felt that abatement of a nuisance is appropriate, I don’t think it’s appropriate at this time, then the [BOH] could make that order.”

As complaints surrounding Kingston’s wind turbines mount, critics have called for the hiring of a “special counsel” for the BOH, citing a conflict of interest for Talerman.

Talerman represented the Board of Selectmen in contract negotiations prior to the erection of the Kingston Wind Independence Turbine.

Wheeler’s remarks wrapped up with an exchange between the Prospect Street resident and Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Joseph Casna.

“We cannot disregard the legal advice we get from town counsel…the process will continue. We are hoping to get a response from Mr. Ruiz tomorrow,” Casna said on Tuesday night in reference to his inquiry to Ruiz about “remedial measures” to mitigate turbine complaints.

Casna also serves as the chairman of Kingston’s health board.

Ruiz and his attorneys were “not prepared” to answer Casna’s question last Monday but offered a response “within a week.”

As of yesterday evening, Casna was still waiting a response from Ruiz.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/24/wind-turbine-health-impacts-compared-to-lead-paint-asbestos-during-open-forum/