February 7, 2013
Massachusetts

Sapir warns of “negative effects” after Calter talks turbines with concerned residents

By Bradford Randall | Feb 6th, 2013 | kingstonjournal.com

David Kennedy, a candidate for selectman and a resident of Copper Beech Drive, took to the podium Monday night to relay a meeting between citizens concerned about Kingston’s wind turbines and state representatives.

The meeting, which was held last Saturday morning in State Representative Tom Calter’s office, encompassed a discussion pertaining to infrasound and flicker complaints related to Kingston’s four wind turbines.

According to Kennedy, a representative from State Senate President Therese Murray’s office was also on hand for the discussion.

Kennedy said he, along with Kingston residents Tim Dwyer, Dorreen Reilly and Sean Reilly met with Calter after Dwyer first contacted the state representative a week prior. All residents at the meeting with Calter on Saturday morning live in areas close to the turbines and are claiming to suffer from adverse health effects relating to the turbines.

“Tom [Calter] has assured me…that the DEP is going to be overseeing the CEC and the sound study,” Kennedy said. “DEP is going to oversee CEC and HMMH to make sure that they’re following the guidelines.”

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC), along with consultants from Harris Miller Miller & Hanson Inc. (HMMH), will be conducting a sound study to determine whether the Kingston Wind Independence Turbine is within existing acoustical guidelines.

Kennedy told the Board of Health that Calter had reached out to the Massachusetts Department of Health. “[Calter wants] them to meet with us as a group and come to our houses to see what the actual sound is doing and what the flickering is about.”

Kennedy said that Calter had also contacted Barbara Mulhern Caparell to “broker a meeting between some of the residents of Kingston and elected officials, with [Kially] Ruiz and his attorney and [Mary] O’Donnell and her attorneys.”

Kennedy referred to Caparell as a “well respected” member of the community and said the purpose of the meeting would be to “put some short term goals in place” regarding complaints about infrasound and flicker.

Dan Sapir, a longtime member of the Board of Health, seemed to take exception with Kennedy’s meeting.

“I mean, these kinds of meetings can be good things but these kinds of meetings can also have some negative effects,” Sapir said. “If you have a community based group…you want to be careful about splintering off where you have a group of people and you have some people meeting, and other people hearing about the meeting.”

Sapir, who lives several miles away from the turbines, then stated that he had not been invited to Saturday morning’s meeting.

“It could be a good thing but you have to consider the group and what’s best for the group,” Sapir said shortly after Kennedy spoke.

Kennedy chose not to respond to Sapir’s comments this evening in a telephone interview with KingstonJournal.com but said he was “very happy” that Calter had agreed to the meeting.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/07/sapir-warns-of-negative-effects-after-calter-talks-turbines-with-concerned-residents/