January 13, 2014
Massachusetts

No periodic Kingston turbine acoustic reports

By Kathryn Gallerani | Wicked Local Kingston | Posted Jan 12, 2014 | www.wickedlocal.com

KINGSTON – No results will be released until the acoustical study of the Independence wind turbine has been completed, local health officials say.

Despite requests from residents, Board of Health Chairman Joe Casna said last Monday night that the company conducting the testing will not release periodic reports about the results of the study. The town is informed, however, of the dates the testing will take place.

“That’s not the way the scope is designed,” Casna said. “That’s not the way it’s going to happen.”

Once the sound study has been completed, the results will be reviewed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The study is expected to be completed by the end of February.

Board of Health member Jack Breen said the scope was designed that way for a reason.

“I think they want to do the study and don’t want interference,” he said. “We can critique the study at the end.”

Board members said they received conflicting information about whether Marion Drive turbine owner Mary O’Donnell would shut down her turbines during the study.

Tuesday, O’Donnell said she notified DEP that she will accommodate the study in any way she can. She said she would agree to turn the turbines off during nighttime testing at DEP’s request.

Breen said that he hoped O’ Donnell would agree to shut down the turbines during testing so that the study could produce the most accurate results but noted that No Fossil Fuel is not required to cooperate.

Joanne Levesque, of Duxbury, said she’s concerned the results won’t be consistent let alone accurate.

She argued that sound readings were taken the night of Dec. 13 in the Scofield Road, Leland Road and Prospect Street area while O’Donnell’s turbines were in operation, which she believes should not have happened, but the board has been told the O’Donnell turbines will be shut off when testing is done in the Copper Beech Drive and Country Club Way area.

She also continued to voice her opposition to the Board of Health hiring K2 Management to review flicker study results, although the Finance Committee has approved the expenditure of up to $10,000 for this purpose.

K2 Management is a wind industry consultant and project manager based in Denmark but with an office in Boston. She said the board seems confused about the purpose behind the hiring of the company.

The board plans to meet with K2 Management once town counsel has approved the contract with the company.

Casna reported on the meeting at which the Finance Committee voted to approve the funding. He took issue with another board member, Toni Cushman, appearing at that meeting to give a minority opinion regarding approving funding. He argued that the board should present a united front and that only the chairman as the board’s representative should speak to the request.