Buckfield's Wind Ordinance Workshops
Well, Dan's post inspired me to share what is our experience here in Buckfield. The planning board proposed that a core group of members commit to meeting weekly in order to do the extensive work necessary to formulate a cohesive ordinance. We refer to the weekly meetings as "workshops" so that we aren't restricted in terms of quarum etc. We are not doing any official "voting" - instead formulating recommendations to take to the entire board for the voting.
The history here being that Keene Engineering, Kurt Nadeau, had proposed putting 3- 1.5 MW turbines atop a ridgeline on Streaked Mountain. The select board and the town manager were all in agreement that the project was a fit for the town and the revenue would be timely. A citizen's group initiated a petition and got a town meeting. Our moratorium vote was nearly unanimous at a well-attended town meeting!
We had Robert Rand speak to us and other community members on Feb. 10. His information was well presented and comprehensive in terms of the issues of noise and the engineering limitations to mitigate. He was well received by all who attended --- regardless of their "side" on the issue. I'd highly recommend Dixfield, if you have not yet done so, get him out to do his presentation for your town's policy makers.
We also had Jim Cassida of the DEP come on Feb 3. We found some of his information enlightening. For instance, he said, upon questioning and follow-up that the 5dB allowance granted in the Mars Hill project came BEFORE the permitting. He also said that the DEP was not the permit issuer for the Freedom project thus they have no involvement in those issues. I'd love to hear what others know of these things. RE: Vinalhaven, he indicated that they had not been able to do the testing yet as the "identified" site was not available due to landowner refusing them access.
Currently we are considering a smaller setback (for safety) with noise control limits based on Ambient + some dBa and perhaps dBc measure. Mr. Rand has agreed to assist us with this and he offered these as thoughts:
I see several stages:
- acquiring background sound levels in the town at several locations;
- reviewing data from existing actual sound level versus distance at wind turbine facilities;
- reviewing and incorporating limits based on peer-reviewed sufficient evidence for sleep disturbance and adverse impacts (which is available now)
However, he also cautions that currently there is no engineering strategy other than distance to mitigate the noise issues. Here in town the individuals who see the wind turbines as a revenue stream have indicated that they could be more comfortable with the restrictive ordinance without the one-mile setback, no matter what the noise levels are.
Although I, personally, feel that these don't make sense as a legitimate business, sustainable job, energy option, etc. -- not all have come to the same conclusion. I hope they someday do. I think this has been an excellent lesson in the value of forethought and "planning" with regard to a town's development. And yes, it seems that a Comprehensive Plan is not enough when the money promises are big enough.
While I'm at it I'll share a site that Mr. Rand alerted me to -- it is excellent, and some of you may already know about it: http://www.windpowerfacts.info/ -- I actually emailed the fellow and got a prompt reply. Good stuf!
Views: 206
Comment
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Comment by Lisa Lindsay on March 8, 2010 at 12:12pm
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Folks, I need input on the *sound* part of our ordinance. I have ammendments I need to submit today and want to make sure I have it right. Please write to me lisa.m.lindsay@myfairpoint.net if you can give me a few minutes. Thank you.
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Comment by Art Brigades on March 3, 2010 at 4:03pm
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Excellent! Based on the Sun Journal story, it sounds like the Planning Board members get it. It's the selectmen who appear to need work. Good to bolster the position of the PB none the less. The best fact sheet I know is this: Wind Power: How We Got Here, John Droz. http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp-content/uploads/droz-howwego...
It de-bunks the myth that wind power in general is good, and most lay-people can understand it. Even if they still lust for the money, you need to show them, like Mars Hill, how they will lose 75% of their state school funding, despite the developers' consultants promises. You need to show them how the inevitable TIF is suicide and how it sets up a six year timeline for possible abandoned turbines that cannot be used for anything else. Use lots of fiscal issues to hit the selectmen and town manager. Give them serious doubt that the gamble is worth it. Otherwise, the siren song of dollars can make them do bad things. FOLL has a great slideshow that doubles as a fact sheet too.
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I think that would be asking for a lot of time: "You are welcome to attend so that you can present your ideas and the rationales behind them. I'd also encourage you to draft (and present) your own text for any proposed changes, so that we can spend more time considering your ideas and less time trying to come up with specific language to implement those ideas."
However, if I could get a copy of that video on DVD, then I could leave it with them. Separate from the proposed changes, I plan to give them a fact sheet on wind power in general. I would also like to have at least one other resident with me to witness the conversation.
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Comment by Stacey Scotia on March 3, 2010 at 6:40am
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Might I suggest you ask to be able to show a video?? Perhaps the Jackson one? And absolutely have a single-page "fact-sheet" -- als mention that the state of VT has put on the table a 1.25 mile set-back that would pertain to all wind-turbine projects. Clearly, this is not a passing fad.
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Comment by Joanne Moore on March 2, 2010 at 11:46pm
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Good luck, Lisa. We're all in this together.
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Comment by Dan McKay on March 2, 2010 at 10:50pm
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You will do well. Remember it is all about protecting the health and welfare of each and all of the citizens of the community.
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I've been asked to speak to the planning board with suggested revisions in hand. March 18th. Wish me luck.
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Oh dear Lisa. There is certanly a "threat of serious public harm."
the wind weasels do not play nice. They do not err on the side of caution. They will gore you. There absoutely exists a "threat" to your town. That threat is specultors, land agents, and community organizers (PR peeps) combing your town for anyone recetive to the siren song. Don't play nice. Don't play their game. Don't line up like those Redcoats. Hide behind trees. Jump them.
Shoot to kill.
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Yep, I know of Rand. Thanks, Dan.
We are not really eligable for a moratorium here. Title 30-A M.R.S.A. section 4356 states that a moratorium must be necessary “ Because the application of existing comprehensive plans, land use ordinances or regulations or other applicable laws, if any, is inadequate to prevent serious public harm from residential, commercial or industrial development in the affected geographic area.”
If something came before the board before the town meeting in June, then we could push for a moratorium. Basically, I came a little late to the party. The ordinance has gone through public meetings (which no one attended) and there is now a final draft that will go to the town. There may be some advantage to waiting until the town meeting because Wilton's are very well attended and it gives me more time to educate and work up support for the set-back increase and speakers. If they plan to discuss the wind ordinance at the next board meeting (in a couple of weeks), I will go to that so I can address the whole board. Currently, I am just back and forth with their Chair.
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Dropping a name your way to a man you has a business in Wilton and opposes wind farms in our area.
His name is Rand Stowell and he owns the business, microptix at 284 Main ST . His family once owned many of the mountains now under assault. A word or two from him to your town officials might help. Tell him Freemont and Dan told you about him. His wife is very much against them too.
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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