I am not sure whether it is a result of the official start of summer, or the full moon approaching, or .. well a host of other things, but it is clear we are back into the twilight zone. Its like several stations, each running a marathon of episodes.
Submitted for your approval, or plain old wrath ...
There is a proposed screenplay being bandied about proposing an entirely new election (all races). While an enticing prospect, that script is not going to get produced. There is not going to an an "entirely" new election. The race will be limited to the Board of Health race. There is no point, or existing legal avenue after the judge's decision to go that route.
The Town does not have the authority to call for any election other than for the Board of Health. Period. The Town only has the authority to do that because of the Judge's decision.
As to the details for that limited plot, presumably they will be revealed at Monday's Selectboard meeting. This one starts at 5:30 P.M. (assuming it starts on time). From the rumblings on the Internet, if you want a good seat you might want to get there early.
There is also a nostalgia themed plot floating around. Stop waxing for the good old days of all 2 and 1/2 months ago. In the world of cause and effect, we are being affected and suffering the effects by what has been caused by some just as mind boggling decisions as those being made presently, which were made in the good old days.
There is a whole lot more behind the "why" for what happened in April than just the turbines. Most definitely the turbines were a factor, just a definitely as there were other things that factored into the results.
A blog note ...
I had some difficulty with posting some comments yesterday. One was lost, maybe two. I posted a special "blog" to note this. There was no malice a forethought, more the result of clumsy fingers trying to do the steps via cell phone app.
The human error factor is why I have occasionally encourage people to use an e-mail address which I can respond to for "events" like this.
Enough for today. Be safe.
The commercial "megawatt" wind turbine issues continue in Fairhaven .
ReplyDeleteLet's look at the ongoing changes in residential setbacks to these turbines over the years. Around 2004 the Massachusetts semi quasi agencies proposed setbacks of one and one half the height to the turbines to the nearest property line. The state agency conducted studies and gave the results to cities and towns with setback recommendations.
The average person or voter doesn't understand the metric system and depends on officials to tell them if a wind turbine is a good deal. In 2004 the commercial wind turbine proposals were for 660 Kilowatt turbines. The turbines installed in Fairhaven are 1.5 Megawatt turbines three times the size of a 660 KW turbine. Mass Maritime Academy has a 660 KW wind turbine with no noise complaints and my bet is if Fairhaven installed the 660 KW type turbines there would be no noise complaints today.
The megawatt class of turbine appears to be the problem. Since the installations of these megawatt class of turbines in Falmouth and Fairhaven the state semi quasi state agencies MTC and Mass CEC have been changing the setbacks in 2011 after the fact out to as much as three times the distance. Now in 2013 after the installations of megawatt turbines in Scituate and Kingston the same state agencies have gone up to 2000 feet recommendations for setbacks.
It appears from all the documentation that the state agencies have learned the hard way after the installations. Using the data and statements made by the state semi quasi agencies the abutters complaints around the commercial megawatt wind turbines is justified.
The issue now is that the wind studies back in 2004 were Ad Hoc studies today studies look at residential property out 2000 feet. The bottom line here is a mistake was made placing the turbines too close. The changes at the state agency are proof of the mistake. The state also used data from the semi quasi state agency to provide cities and towns Model By Laws that did not include the new 2000 foot set back reviews.
The mistakes were compounded !
Please see the Standard Times May 26, 2013 news article that makes reference to the 2000 foot setbacks :
"Now, all turbine proposals within 2,000 feet of residences must provide that data"
May 26, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130526/NEWS/305260341
We all know that rules and regulations at the state an federal level change as fast as we change our socks.For example ,title 5 septic rules are initiated when you sell your property,until that time your system is deemed to be ok even though it would fail the new standards. I am sure the wind operators will have to change there turbine size in the future if replacements would be needed at the existing sites.Plus the data found on noise problems is incomplete ,an it shows the turbines could be shut off in a few times they exceeded the noise standards.If not the operator should be fined for those proven violations..
ReplyDeleteThe state semi quasi agency has been aware of two different types of noise since 2005.
DeleteIt looks like there have always been two types of noise from the wind turbines. If you go back and look at the wind feasibility studies here is what you find : The two types of noise are A. Regulatory compliance and B. Human annoyance.
Copy and paste this url link to your browser :
http://masstech.org/Project%20Deliverables/Comm_Wind/Mattapoisett/Tri-Town_ORR_Preliminary_Site_Analysis.pdf
Please see page 14 under noise. The MTC has been aware of two types of wind turbine noise for a long time. They call the noise other than regulatory as human annoyance. Today the annoyance is called infrasound or the low frequency sound.
You've got four towns Fairhaven, Scituate, Kingston and Falmouth with people screaming about health impacts.
A wind turbine contractor attended a wind conference in Chicago two weeks ago and was told commercial wind is dead in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has two sets of rules one for installing commercial wind turbines through the Massachusetts Model By Laws and a set of state health regulations that allow local boards of health to shut down these turbines
The health of the public comes first you can't pick a group of people who bought their homes in residentially zoned locations and by the way are the original stakeholders and take their health away from them so the rest of the town can profit.
The town has acted. The wind turbine operator knew back in November of 2012 that they had noise issues and chose to thumb his nose at the Board of Health to mitigate the noise problems .
This is another job for the guys in the black robes. When it comes down to the nitty gritty who is a judge or a jury going to rule in favor of the poor neighbors who bought in a residential neighborhood or a wind turbine contractor that cut a deal with the town to make some money with commercial wind turbines.
The state ,town and the wind turbine contractor made a mistake and the residents will have to get compensation
Just gotta add something here... Is it obvious to everyone that your blog is continuously the dumping ground of Windwise/anti-turbine activists?
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of posts, on this blog, the S-T and other papers, and you get to know people's style. For example, the phrase "state semi quasi agency" is one of those signatures...
Google that phrase and add other keywords like "setback" or "turbine".
http://www.topix.com/forum/state/ma/T6P7GQIE6P16GCJPC
http://falmouth.patch.com/blog_posts/a-pinocchio-gov-patrick-paradox
Different "people", different municipalities. The same drivel.
the blog is informative and all the participants are aware of were they stand on the issue.There are other non participants of the blog who are tired of the rhetoric on wind and stay on the blog waiting list for a new subject to scrutinize.For all of us its a good exercise to keep our minds sharp.Other people just read a book or etc....
ReplyDelete