The Falmouth Experience

A 400 foot tall town-owned wind turbine in Falmouth, MA has generated complaints of negative impacts on nearby residents' health and quality of life, and a second turbine is waiting to go online. Most scientists say wind turbines don't cause health problems, but the experience of residents has strengthened anti-wind sentiment in the region.

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January 17, 2012 | 1:49 PM | By

Expert panel finds “no evidence” that wind turbines cause health problems

Better late than never. A panel of medical and technical experts convened by the Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Protection and Public Health (DEP and DPH) has released a draft of their much-awaited review of the science regarding wind turbines and human health. The bottom line: they concluded that “there is no evidence for a set of health effects from exposure to wind turbines that could be characterized as a ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome.’”

Additional key findings include:

  • Claims that infrasound from wind turbines directly impacts the vestibular system have not been demonstrated scientifically. Available evidence shows that the infrasound levels near wind turbines cannot impact the vestibular system.

For an interesting counterpoint to that particular conclusion, see my previous post.

Continuing on:

  • The weight of the evidence suggests no association between noise from wind turbines and measures of psychological distress or mental health problems.
  • None of the limited epidemiological evidence reviewed suggests an association between noise from wind turbines and pain and stiffness, diabetes, high blood pressure, tinnitus, hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease, and headache/migraine.
  • Continue reading →
FILED UNDER: Energy, Human Impacts, health, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
January 17, 2012 | 10:00 AM | By

New report on wind turbine sound provides suspect but no smoking gun

Wind One is seen in Falmouth, Mass. Some residents who live nearby say the noise of the turbine is causing them health problems.

Jess Bidgood/WGBH

Falmouth's Wind One (foreground) has been dogged by complaints from abutters about adverse health impacts.

Some wind turbines spend their lives spinning in peace, while others generate more complaints than electricity. So what differentiates the troublesome turbines? As yet, there’s no good answer for that question. And that’s what Steve Ambrose says has him so interested.

Last spring, Ambrose and fellow acoustic engineer Robert Rand conducted a brief study of sounds produced by a privately-owned wind turbine in Falmouth, MA. One neighbor has complained vehemently about the turbine, which is of the same make and model as the embattled town-owned turbines located less than a mile away at the wastewater treatment plant.

Of course, there have been previous sound studies. Two consultants – one hired by the town, and one hired by disgruntled abutters – conducted sound studies of Falmouth’s Wind 1 in fall of 2010. But those studies, as with most sound studies, focused on audible sound (in tech-speak, A-weighted sound or dB(A)). Meanwhile, the debate about whether and how wind turbines cause the health woes of nearby neighbors has largely come to focus on the possible role of infrasound, sound waves that are too low-frequency to be heard by most people.

So Ambrose and Rand set out to measure the low-frequency sounds generated by one of the turbines. They set up shop at the home of Sue Hobart, who has been vocal in her complaints about the privately-owned turbine near her house, and prepared to spend a couple of long, fairly mundane (they’ve done this plenty of times before, mind you) days and nights with their equipment. Instead, they almost immediately began to suffer symptoms similar to motion sickness – headaches, nausea, lethargy, and anxiety – that they say made it difficult to even do the job they came to do.

Much of the report, released in late December, focuses on the personal experiences of Ambrose and Rand, and that is what has generated the most comment from both sides of the debate (see here and here for examples). But, in the end, what I found most interesting – potentially game-changing – were their sound data.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Human Impacts, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
December 9, 2011 | 4:31 PM | By

Money suggested as a way to calm wind turbine controversy

Andrew Magill / Flickr

Could cold hard cash help allay tensions about the impacts of wind turbines on their nearest neighbors?

Last Wednesday, the New England Wind Energy Education Project held a webinar entitled “Wind Power as a Neighbor: Experience with Techniques for Mitigating Public Impacts.” For those already embroiled in controversies over existing turbines (a thinly veiled reference to the situation here in Falmouth, MA, as well as a handful of other communities around New England) there were few revelations on offer. But a recurring theme – one that has not, to my knowledge, featured prominently in wind development deals around the Cape – was the power of money.

Nothing made this point more clearly than John Knab’s story of wind energy development in Sheldon, NY, where he has served seven terms as Town Supervisor. Much of what Knab had to say wasn’t terribly applicable to southeastern Massachusetts. Sheldon is a town of 2,550 and “twice as many dairy cows.” There’s lots of space to work with – not a common situation hereabouts. To give you an idea of the difference in scale, a private developer installed 75 turbines in Sheldon; some of the larger proposals on and around the Cape have involved seven or eight turbines.

But the interesting part was the financial arrangement the town negotiated with the developer. Not to be crass, but they milked Invernergy good – a huge up-front payment to the town, annual payments to neighbors, school and park improvements, the list went on and on – and still Knab says he thinks they should have pushed harder for more money from the developer! Town officials everywhere, are you listening?

But back to the webinar. Charles Newcomb, from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, provided an overview of impact mitigation strategies for the pre- and post-installation phases, while Nils Bolgen from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center went over several case studies in New England, including Falmouth. Together, they provided a nice picture of what is and isn’t working.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Human Impacts, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
December 1, 2011 | 11:54 AM | By

Is there a way to fix Falmouth’s wind turbine quandry?

I just signed up for a webinar next Wednesday afternoon and am thinking about live-blogging it. It’s being hosted by the New England Wind Energy Education Project, and the topic is “Techniques for Mitigating Public Impacts.” Sounds like something Falmouth could use … right?

Here’s what NEWEEP says the three scheduled speakers will cover:

  • Technical and non-technical approaches to minimize, eliminate, or compensate for direct or indirect impacts during the planning, construction, and operation of a wind power project
  • Lessons learned on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of available mitigation techniques and how specific techniques helped produce better outcomes
  • The process of negotiation to achieve public acceptance, and what concessions communities should (and shouldn’t) expect from project proponents
  • The key to successful siting through balancing mitigation of impacts with project economic viability
  • Where current strategies fall short and what additional research is needed to fill the gaps

I’m a little skeptical that the event will hold any major revelations, in large part because I’d hope that either town officials or affected residents in Falmouth would already have found any silver bullets that might be out there … and they haven’t. Still, it should be an interesting two hours, if for no other reason than to see where the rest of New England is on this problem.

You can register for the webinar here (it’s free). And let me know if you’d be up for a live blog (whether or not you’re watching the webinar) … if there’s interest, I’ll do it.

FILED UNDER: Human Impacts, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
November 10, 2011 | 9:20 AM | By

Slideshow: The evolution of a controversy


Around here, you know a local battle is brewing when signs start showing up in yards and along roads. And, as in the national political arena, the opposing sides often manage to use indistinguishable slogans. The latest example is the debate over what to do about two controversial town-owned wind turbines in Falmouth.

For the past few months, yards all over Falmouth have sported signs alternately opposing or supporting the operation of two town-owned wind turbines that some abutters say are damaging their health. Those seeking the decommissioning of the turbines ask readers to “Support our neighbors,” while those who want to see the turbines in operation promote the message “Support the future of our community.” Who wouldn’t want to do both? After all, it’s not much of a community without neighbors, now is it?

The sign campaign reached fever pitch during this week’s town meeting, with a wall across the street from the meeting site absolutely plastered with “stop the turbines now” signs. Unfortunately, I drove past the scene in the dark with my kids in the backseat, so opted not to stop and take a photo. When I went back to snap a photo the morning after the meeting concluded, that wall was completely bare. I had to wonder: Was it a declaration of victory?

That meeting was the site of an announcement that the Board of Selectmen had voted to shut down the turbine currently in operation for several months, and to conduct some experimentation and monitoring with the second. The measure was the result of some backroom dealing by the Board of Selectmen, short-circuiting what was developing into a lengthy and tense town meeting debate. The action has been welcomed by those who have complained about health impacts, but the deal doesn’t provide a long-term solution. This issue will be back. Perhaps the signs will, too.

FILED UNDER: Straight talk, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
November 9, 2011 | 12:57 PM | By

Falmouth to shut down one turbine, experiment with another

Heather Goldstone / WCAI

This fall, "Stop the turbines now" signs have decorated yards around Falmouth in the lead-up to a town meeting vote to do just that.

Falmouth’s Board of Selectmen have once again stepped into the breach. This past spring, selectmen took action to curtail operation of a town-owned wind turbine, Wind 1, that has been dogged by complaints from nearby neighbors who say the turbine is damaging their health and quality of life. Now, selectmen have circumvented a controversial town meeting article with a decision to shut down Wind 1 completely.

The move came after the first night of town meeting Monday night ended with voters deeply divided over so-called Article 9 which proposed that operation of Wind 1 be suspended and operation of a second town-owned turbine be delayed until there is more research available on the health impacts of wind turbines, as well as possible mitigation options. According to the Cape Cod Times, Selectmen Chair Mary Pat Flynn met with Assistant Town Manager Heather Harper and Barry Funfar, a representative of impacted abutters, and hashed out a mutually acceptable deal. Here’s what it involves:

  • Wind 1 will be shut down immediately (although I’ve heard it’s turning this morning), at least until next spring’s town meeting.
  • Wind 2 will go operational for two months, starting as soon as possible. During that time, any complaints from abutters will be logged by the town.
  • For the first month, Wind 2 will operate without restrictions. For the second month, it will shut down when wind speeds hit 23 mph – a restriction placed on Wind 1 last spring by selectmen.

The Board of Selectmen voted to approve this measure yesterday evening shortly before town meeting resumed. The first twenty or so minutes of town meeting was devoted to discussion of the measure and ended with a nearly unanimous vote to table the now largely superfluous Article 9 indefinitely.

There are two points I find particularly interesting in this whole affair.

  1. On the distinction between Board of Selectmen and other town governance: Think of the Board of Selectmen as the executive branch and town meeting as Congress. The Selectmen can set policy, but town meeting holds the purse strings. The case of Falmouth’s wind turbines is an interesting one because the measures enacted by the Board of Selectmen don’t (can’t) involve actual financial outlays. But they do have distinct financial repercussions for the town. And the Board of Selectmen has been significantly more willing to act on this issue than town meeting or town administrators.
  2. On the lack of long-term resolution: This latest measure is a major development, to be sure. But it does not provide a permanent solution to neighbors’ health concerns or the town’s financial concerns. What happens to Wind 1 after next spring’s town meeting, or to Wind 2 after the initial two-month monitoring period, remains up in the air. Will Wind 2 continue operating? How many complaints would warrant shutting it down? How will the town meet the financial costs if they opt for permanent shut-downs?

Basically, the hardest questions – about balancing the need for renewable energy and financial solvency against the health and happiness of citizens – remain unanswered.

FILED UNDER: Human Impacts, health, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
September 12, 2011 | 8:48 AM | By

Turbine Noise Stirs Up New Siting Rules

This is the first of three posts by WCAI intern Jack Rodolico discussing how Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Maine are dealing with noise complaints surrounding wind turbines. This post covers new rules in Massachusetts, the next touches on rule changes in Maine, and the third tackles the unsettling issue of turbines and health…

As of now wind turbines proposed in Massachusetts are permitted on a local level. But with an eye toward protecting human health, a network of municipal, county, and state rules will soon change how wind turbines are sited on Cape Cod.

From the Bottom to the Top

According to Steven Clarke, the Assistant Energy Secretary with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, “There are no statewide standards for citing any energy generation source that is smaller than 100 MW of installed capacity.” For perspective, all turbine facilities in Massachusetts come in well under this threshold.

But town councils on Cape Cod, the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, and the Massachusetts legislature are all advancing new rules for siting turbines that aim to keep neighborhoods quiet. The town of Bourne passed rules this month, while Barnstable County and the state could pass legislation within the next year.

Quick guide to decibels
  • When it comes to sound, there’s a distinction between what’s generated and what’s perceived. The decibel scale is an indicator of loudness (perception) that is calculated from the actual power of the vibration, or sound, generated.
  • There are different decibel scales. The dB(A) scale is intended to reflect human hearing capacity and is most commonly used. The dB(C) scale is sometimes used in industrial settings because it gives more weight to low-frequency sounds that are harder (or impossible) for humans to hear.
  • The decibel scale is logarithmic. That means that adding 3dB is a doubling of sound, and adding 10dB is a ten-fold increase.
  • 50dB(A) is roughly equivalent to the background noise in a busy office, 60dB(A) to normal conversation.

Each set of rules starts at a similar baseline but diverges on specifics. While all call for limits on turbine noise, each might wind up setting different limits. Everyone agrees that a sound study is the best way to determine appropriate noise levels for a given neighborhood. In other words, an unbiased engineer studies your neighborhood and says, “People living here are used to a certain sound level.” But things get sticky when answering this question: How loud above ambient noise levels is appropriate? Here is what Bourne, Barnstable County, and the state have to say so far.

Bourne’s new rules apply to all wind turbines. Noise levels cannot exceed 6 dB(A) above ambient sound at the closest property line. An overall cap is placed at 65 dB(A) during the day and 40 dB(A) at night.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Human Impacts, Mitigation, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
August 16, 2011 | 12:01 PM | By

Report weighs options for Falmouth’s turbines

Heather Goldstone / WCAI

A sign in a Falmouth yard calls for the removal of wind turbines that have sparked health and quality of life complalints from nearby residents.The sign depicts three turbines - two town-owned and one privately-owned.

The controversy surrounding Falmouth’s municipal wind turbines is no longer confined to the adjacent neighborhood. Over the weekend, I saw two professionally-printed signs – in yards more than two miles from the turbines – calling for the turbines’ removal.

That’s one option that’s considered in a report delivered to Falmouth town officials earlier this month by the environmental and infrastructure consulting firm Weston & Sampson. (Quick aside here: the sign depicts three turbines, presumably the two town-owned turbines plus a privately-owned turbine nearby. That third turbine is not part of this report or subject to town actions.) Here’s what I’ve gleaned from Cape Cod Times and Falmouth Enterprise coverage of the report.

Basically, there are five options on the table:

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Mitigation, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
March 17, 2011 | 12:02 PM | By

Wind 1: curbing health complaints could wipe out financial benefit

Last week, several people pointed out that the financial math for Falmouth’s wind turbine, Wind 1, didn’t quite seem to add up. The argument was pretty simple:

$5,000000 owed ÷ $375,000 annual savings = 13 1/3 years to break-even

That assumes no interest on the loan, no maintenance or repair costs, and no change in energy prices – all rather unrealistic. Sean contacted Falmouth town officials for more information on their financial projections, and here’s what he found out:

Below is detailed information about costs and power generation that was taken from a report written by Gerald Potamis, the town of Falmouth’s wastewater superintendent, and presented to the Zoning Board of Appeals on February 8th.

According to the report, Wind 1 produces enough electricity to meet the wastewater treatment plant’s annual energy demand of 1,211,000 kWh. Overall it produces approximately 30 percent of the town’s annual power demand of 11,500,000 kWh. Excess power from Wind 1 goes into the region’s electrical grid, and the town is reimbursed for that extra power by NSTAR through a program called “net metering.”

According to Potamis, “it is projected that Wind 1 will generate about $440,000 in annual revenue, and will offset (avoid) more than $120,000 annually in onsite energy cost for the operation of the wastewater treatment facility.” When debt service ($360,000 annually) and other costs ($75,000 annually) are taken into account, overall Wind 1 is expected to provide at least $125,000 per year in net financial benefit to the town.

As of January 25, 2011, the town had spent $4,846,440 on Wind 1, a number which includes construction costs, engineering and design costs, issuance costs. The total cost is expected to reach $5,142,000.

Finally, in terms of revenue, in its first nine months of operation, Wind 1 generated $354,905 in total actual revenue. That puts the turbine on track to meet the estimated $440,000 in annual revenue for 12 months of operation.

It’s worth noting that Potamis’ report was prepared before the Board of Selectmen voted to turn off the turbine when wind speeds exceed 23 miles per hour – a measure aimed at curbing complaints coming from nearby neighbors about health problems they say are caused by noise from the turbine. Potamis has said that move could cost the town $173,000 in annual revenue. If that estimate proves accurate, that would wipe out the net financial benefit provided by the turbine.

FILED UNDER: Mitigation, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy
March 16, 2011 | 9:55 AM | By

Wind turbines and health: uncertain science, responsible policy

I invited David McGlinchey of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to be part of a live chat about what we do and don’t know about the potential health impacts of wind turbines and, importantly, how we move forward to shape responsible siting policies with incomplete science. We got a lot of comments and questions. It got a bit chaotic, at times, but this is definitely something I’ll try again. Thanks to all who joined in. If you missed it, here’s the whole conversation.

FILED UNDER: Mitigation, health, The Falmouth Experience, wind energy