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Wind Power Hearing Airs Concerns Over TurbinesBy Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
06:32PM / Wednesday, June 24, 2009
 | | Green Berkshires leader Eleanor Tillinghast takes issue with a state report's sunny data on wind power potential. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Reminding a state panel Shay's Rebellion was fought in the Berkshires, numerous area residents expressed their displeasure on Wednesday night with a bill working its way through the Legislature they say would put too much control over wind-turbine permitting in the hands of a "politically appointed" state board.
"This is about giving away your freedom, this is about giving away your power," said self-proclaimed mountain man Rene Wendell, who manages Bartholomew's Cobble for The Trustess of Reservations and has walked the ridgelines being eyed for possible wind farms. The bill would "streamline permitting," he said. "Those two words should never be in the same sentence."
The public hearing held by the state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs at Berkshire Community College was seeking input into an initiative to develop state lands for alternative energy uses. Prompted by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the effort is also part of a state policy promoted by Gov. Deval Patrick to generate 2,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.
A recent state report identified dozens of sites in Western Massachusetts that could be suitable. The state currently generates less than 7 MW and the county has two privately owned turbines, including Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort's Zephyr. Other projects, such as Hoosac Wind on Florida Mountain, have been in permitting limbo for years.
A bill before the Legislature, the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act, would create a state commission to set standards and streamline permitting to get those projects back on track. "High wind" towns would establish their own boards, comprised of representatives from existing permitting boards; appeals, however, would be determined by the state board.
Dwayne Breger, division director for renewable energy development goes over findings for wind power in the state. |
The bill was frequently commented on during the two hours of testimony by some 40 residents and representatives of a range of civic, business and environmental groups. Each person had three minutes to say their peace to the panel led by Department of Recreation and Conservation Commissioner Richard Sullivan and Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Philip Giudice.
Julie M. Hannum, a Sheffield selectman, gave the example of Daniel Shay's armed uprising against unjust taxation to remind the panel "that means local control is very, very important to us."
She said she had trouble imagining beautiful Washington Mountain top by turbines; on the other hand, Sheffield had been working with a manufacturing company worried about energy costs. Hannum suggested a combination of state and local oversight: "Please take a balanced approach."
Wind turbines have become a controversial issue in the rural Berkshires, forcing civic and environmental groups to weigh the impacts of turbines on the land against those of global warming. While the city of Pittsfield is eager to have Pittsfield State Forest evaluated as a potential site, Green Berkshires is waging war against wind farm projects.
Praise for Zephyr has been leavened by fears of 400-foot towering turbines littering the county's mountain ranges; damage to the wildlife habitats and residents' health and quality of life; exploitation of state lands held in the public trust for the benefit of private industry; and disruption of the scenic vistas that attract tourists so important to the area's economy.
Some people said no turbines should be built (one well-received suggestion was to spend the money to buy everyone a photovoltaic panel), others called for strict and transparent guidelines and greater local control.
Yet energy has become a pocketbook issue for businesses and residents alike.
"Just saying no is not a long-term viable option locally or nationally," said David Rooney, president of Berkshire Economic Development Corp. "We have to have an honest discussion on the environmental and economic options."
Berkshire Chamber President Michael Supranowicz gives testimony on local energy needs. |
Berkshire East Ski Area in Charlemont will be the second ski resort in Western Mass. to install a turbine, said General Manager Jon Schaefer. "We believe it's essential to maintain our business."
Giudice said it was an issue that people were passionate about. "It's part of the process. People come out and talk and listen to each other ... We know we need to talk to people and get their perspectives and weigh it."
The panel will reflect on the oral and written comments it has received from the Pittsfield hearing and an earlier one in Bourne, where another cluster of wind sites have been identified. "We'll be having a lot of discussion on what will be the next step. That's part of the democratic process."
Laura Dubester, co-director of the Center for Ecological Technology, urged a careful and thoughtful approach to place turbines in appropriate sites and preserve fragile state lands. The effects of climate change on the state's ecosystems was just as important to consider, she said.
"We want the outcome to be well-designed projects we feel good about," she said. But "the fear of too many should not be the basis for saying we can't have any."
Western Mass residents are encouraged to submit written comments on the wind-power intiative to Steven Clarke, Director of Wind Development, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 1020, Boston, MA 02114 or to Steven.clarke@state.ma.us. |
| Kilowatt for kilowatt, wind power causes much less damage to the environment than dirty power. Have any of these anti-wind nimbys read a newspaper in the last 30 years? Green Berkshires (who have left a trail of lies going back to the Mt. Everett Tower) uses the Karl Rove play book - planting dangerous buzz words etc. Confusing the issue is a good as winning the argument. I'd like to actually see some pro wind people at this meeting on Tues. | | from: Nick Thielker | on: 08-09-2009 |
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Responsible green energy is an important part of MA future. MA has a long history of being enviornmentally friendly and being in the forefront of change for this country. Everyone has a voice but in the end we all know a solution to the use of coal and oil for electricity must be found. Project like this need to be moved forward and tested.
Highways are ugly but to be practical we build and maintain them everyday. Wind, water and solar energy is the same. | | from: Paul Birkenstock | on: 08-02-2009 |
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| FYI...if we don't start using green energy to clean up the environment it won't matter whether you're poor or have health insurance or not...we're all living on the same planet; are you really arguing that this is NOT an important issue?????...just because you have another soapbox, doesn't entitle you to criticize people trying to do something good for the community! | | from: | on: 07-30-2009 |
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I wish I saw as much concern over poor people that have no health insurance.
Please turn the buffoon filter back on | | from: Tech Support | on: 07-18-2009 |
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I would like to commend Ms. Tillinghast and others speaking out on the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act. The State government is seeking to override local controls and limit the public’s input by allowing wind developers to appeal to a state board that clearly seeks PREDICTABLE (as written in the legislation) outcomes for wind development on both public and private lands. Communities may not decide what is best for their community and there is a reason why the State wishes to remove this local decision making.
If wind turbines did not create noise, flicker, strobe red lights across the sky, explode the lungs of bats, decapitate birds, shed ice, catch fire, throw blades, collapse and potentially pollute with oil, I’d say, go ahead and standardize the rules and make it so residents and businesses could ALL share in the benefit to no one’s detriment. But that is not the case. You are sacrificing some for the monetary benefit of others and those on the chopping block deserve the ability to fight for their rights in Massachusetts across Massachusetts.
As to whether someone should have the right to speak out, it is my understanding that Article 97 “protected” public lands belong to ALL in the Commonwealth, here for everyone to enjoy and they are targeted by the State’s Report as well. Fragmenting wildlife in these sensitive areas is detrimental and “mitigation” can never return it to its natural state.
The name-calling is truly sad to see, but you see I’ve been there, because I’m a NIMBY now living under a large turbine. I just wish that those who think this will save the earth will have as much consideration and compassion for those who feel the detrimental impacts and recognize beforehand that destroying the environment to save the environment doesn’t work.
Educate yourselves.
| | from: | on: 06-26-2009 |
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To Savoy resident quick to comment,
Savoy will NOT be able to govern itself if the state takes away the towns mechanism. The governor nor any other person in office will be living with the devices on a daily basis. Educate your self. Besides, do you participate in any of the town's governmental capacities? Will you be living adjacent to any such proposed structures? Are you property values going to be affected being in close proximity? Disruption by construction. Will you be affected by noise, lighting and FLICKER!? Probably not from the tone of your comment or lack of knowledge. | | from: savoy resident | on: 06-26-2009 |
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As a resident of Savoy I find it very insuling that Ms. Tillinghast has the nerve to stick her nose into our business. In a letter to the Transcript she attacks one of the developers of Minute Man energy for living in a large house in a wealthy community. She lived in Mt. Washington surrounded by large homes, most of them being "spare" ones to boot! How about she keeps busy fighting the needless development of land in her own town. Most likely they are all friends of her "upper crust" community and that would'nt do much for her social standing amungst them.
How much of her money has she contributed to Savoy? Does she camp here or shop in our 1 store? Most likely not, but I bet she visits the nice shops and restaurants of South County.
The residents of Savoy are more than capable of governing themselves and have decided to pass a by-law that would allow a wind turbine facility if constructed within the parameters of the adopted by-law. The residents of Savoy passed it last year by vote so I would hope that Ms. Tillinghast would respect that and to put it frankly - mind her own business and let us govern ourselves! | | from: savoy resident | on: 06-25-2009 |
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Julie M. Hannum, a Sheffield selectman, gave the example of Daniel Shay's armed uprising against unjust taxation to remind the panel "that means local control is very, very important to us."
I agree totally. In the case of the Hoosac Project, the local population has voted in favor of it, but their voices are silenced by the likes of outsiders such as Eleanor Tillinghast and her abuse of the legal system. | | from: Tim Bakke | on: 06-25-2009 |
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Julie,
Shay's rebellion was over 220 years ago. I am struggling to find a parallel here. We're not over-taxing farmers to steal their land in order to erect Wind Turbines. We are trying to save the earth,and protect it for future generations. This isn't Boston trying to bully the smaller communities of Western Massachusetts. Wind turbines are very economically feasible, and have minimal impact on the environment. Would you rather have a coal plant erected near you? | | from: | on: 06-25-2009 |
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