Cape Cod community considers taking down wind turbines after illness, noise

foxnews.com ^ | 02/28/2013 | Molly Line

[massmike]

Two wind turbines towering above the Cape Cod community of Falmouth, Mass., were intended to produce green energy and savings -- but they've created angst and division, and may now be removed at a high cost as neighbors complain of noise and illness.

"It gets to be jet-engine loud," said Falmouth resident Neil Andersen. He and his wife Betsy live just a quarter mile from one of the turbines. They say the impact on their health has been devastating. They're suffering headaches, dizziness and sleep deprivation and often seek to escape the property where they've lived for more than 20 years.

"Every time the blade has a downward motion it gives off a tremendous energy, gives off a pulse," said Andersen. "And that pulse, it gets into your tubular organs, chest cavity, mimics a heartbeat, gives you headaches. It's extremely disturbing and it gets to the point where you have to leave."

The first turbine went up in 2010 and by the time both were in place on the industrial site of the town's water treatment facility, the price was $10 million. Town officials say taking them down will cost an estimated $5 million to $15 million, but that is just what Falmouth's five selectmen have decided to move toward doing.

In the meantime, the turbines are being run on a limited schedule as the selectmen respond to the concerns of nearby neighbors. The turbines only run during the day -- from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- which means they're operating at a loss.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

And what do they think will replace the turbines to treat their water? Coal or oil burning power plants! While that area usually is characterized as a bunch of Limousine Libs, they obviously are, in reality, rich, greedy Republicans who hate the environment.

[cripplecreek]

the price was $10 million. Town officials say taking them down will cost an estimated $5 million to $15 million

Wow, that's quite an...um..."savings".

Even under the best circumstances they'll still need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years at ever greater "savings".

[danamco]

The tree hugger “green” people know how to make you sick at great price!!!

[Uncle Chip]

after illness, noise

not to mention all the dead seagulls that they have to clean up.

[Cicero]

they're operating at a loss

And that's probably after all sorts of subsidies as well as the town's taxpayer money.

Those things are horrible. The jerks over at North Haven in Penobscot Bay put one of those up, right in one of the most beautiful and historic parts of the islands, and you can see it from all over the bay.

I've said from the start that this will be just like all those dams. First they built them everywhere for clean energy, and then they started tearing them down--for the fishes. The windmills will go for the sake of the birds, if not the nearby people.

But, first they have to put them all up, at enormous expense.

[C210N]

the price was $10 million. Town officials say taking them down will cost an estimated $5 million to $15 million...

Surely the source of Solyndra-like Taxpayer-Green-energy-borrowed/printed money that paid for the POS, will now chip in to remove it.... right?

[Rca2000]

NIMBY...
NAMBY...
a and
BANNAA!!

Wonder how many here know whatr those terms mean??

[Rca2000]

NIMBY...
NAMBY...
a and
BANNAA!!

Wonder how many here know whatr those terms mean??

[Rca2000]

Sorry for the double post, slow, intermittent inetenet here at work!! Moderator—please remove onf of the double posts!!

[History Repeats]

“And that pulse, it gets into your tubular organs”

What the heck are “tubular organs”?

[thackney]

Coal or oil burning power plants!

It won't be an oil burning power plant. Maybe Natural Gas but nobody except very remote or otherwise infrastructure limited areas are going to put in a normally run (not just a backup) oil burning power plant.

Some new plants are designed to run on petroleum coke, the solid, coal-like substance leftover from crude oil after the valuable fuels like gasoline and diesel have been removed. Much of the power plants listed as petroleum fueled are actually burning petroleum coke. Even then, it is very few.

[AppyPappy]

The crazy ones.

[762X51]

Windmill maker gets Federal kickbacks. Windmills installed at price. Windmills UNinstalled at a price. Local politicians get greased while taxpayers get hosed. I’d say those windmills did EXACTLY what they were intended to do.

[babble-on]

A useful graph. It should maybe note that renewables on the chart does also include Hydropower. The growth in that category is from the solar wind etc, but the baseline is hydropower dams, built by the government two or three generation ago.

[Da Coyote]

Liberals.

Science is not their friend.

Math is not their friend.

Economics is not their friend.

Actually, I cannot think of any non-felon committing human who is their friend.

[thackney]

A useful graph. It should maybe note that renewables on the chart does also include Hydropower.

The renewables on the chart does include hydropower. Hydropower supplies the majority of the renewables category.

Source:
How much of our electricity is generated from renewable energy?
http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/article/renewable_electricity.cfm

[Deathtomarxists]

common sense could have prevented this waste to the taxpayers. as an avid environmentalist concerned with true stewardship of our resources and who works in the green industry it is my honest opinion that this technology, as is solar, is not to the point we can truly use it as a viable long term resources. However, geothermal, hydro are and we should be pushing resources in that direction. We need a conservative candidate who will push hard on green issues - true stewardship thru such as avenues. Where are they? They have to exist? If you know any please post. We are commanded by God to be stewards of the planet He gifted us. This is clearly a conservative cause that his been corrupted by the marxists.

[thackney]

To better illustrate your point: