my comments to the BEP on The DEP noise regulations recommendation.

I am profoundly dismayed  that DEP staff has suggested either a ' do nothing ' or  a rural nighttime limit of 42 dBA in response to the citizen petition.

The imposition  of  a  basic  35 dBA  nighttime regulation  eliminates contentious  occurrences and  protects  all  residents  from emotionally painful and argumentative encounters  with the  industry.     35 dBA nighttime would not require the imposition of penalties for SDRS,  and avoid speculation during modeling about whether SDRS sounds are likely to occur.  Allowances for uncertainty could also be eliminated, although the safety factor for manufacturers reported sound levels should be kept in force.  

The staff recommendation is  a pure  mockery  and contempt  of the suffering  residents  of Freedom, Vinalhaven and Mars Hill who  have  come  testify in front of you and to the brilliant, careful and ethical work done by doctor Nissenbaum who came to explain to you the  health  problems  associated  with  noise levels above  35 dBA.    

What  part  of  wind power is  justifiable  ENOUGH to subject Maine  residents living with   nighttime background levels in the low to mid 20 dBA range to  turbine noise that is 20 dBA louder?

If you accept these inadequate rules and implement them, you  will  have  to  justify to many residents in the future the reasons why, willingly  and  fully  aware  that 42 dBA WILL NOT eliminate problems, you still agreed with those ! 

The argument used  by the  wind  industry is  that the  if  appropriate  protective regulations (as  proposed by the petition) are set  in place, they will be out of business. By rejecting the petition's proposed rule and enforcing the Cassida regulations  you will tell the Maine  residents  that indeed  you have chosen  the  industry over  the  residents.

Your decision will not go unnoticed as the suffering  has  been  going on in Maine, in the USA and in the rest  of the  world  where  wind turbines  are  located  too  close to  homes.  In fact the problem is  growing at an alarming rate and only the precautionary principle should be applied.  That is ALL we ask. 

Before  you accept the Cassida  suggestions, you must  ask yourself the  following  two questions:  Do you have the peer reviewed  evidence  that 2700 MW  of  wind power  have  clinically  proven specific  health benefits? Can you prove that nobody in Maine will  suffer  the  adverse  effects  of  turbine  noise at or below  42 dBA and above 35 dBA?

Lani Graham MD  ( co chair of the Maine Medical association ) in her testimony to you , neither  for nor against the CTFWP petition, and summarizing the position of the Maine Medical Association  (did  she consult with the full membership on this?) states that, " Alternative sources of energy like  wind power can  "likely " slow  the effect of climate change."

This  is the  most  vague and unscientific  let alone never  peer-  reviewed statement I have read since  I started medical school , please request  to see any patient record in Maine  where the  discharge diagnosis mentions " global warming" as a  unequivocal cause of  illness  and do remember  the pleas  , the faces and  the  voices of  the real wind turbines  sufferers who  pinpoint to you symptoms and their cause at the noise regulations hearings . 

After battling this  problem with the Maine  government ,the legislature ,  the regulatory agencies, including BEP , DEP , MCDC , PUC  and the Courts for ,more than two years  ,be assured  that we are neither dupe nor will accept defeat easily and we have  understood a tremendous amount .

We know  this battle  is just and the wind industry has  an enormous power over the regulatory bodies  but in a democracy the beacon of justice and the protection  of aggressed minorities  will eventually prevail .   

Respectfully

Monique Aniel ,MD