Imagine That: Most Fairhaven Wind Turbine Complaints Come From People Who Opposed Building Them

In an amazing coincidence, a supermajority of the complaints filed against two new wind turbines in Fairhaven, Massachusetts have been filed by people who opposed the idea of building them in the first place:

In the letter, [Fairhaven Wind developer Sumul] Shah wrote that 42 percent of the 132 complaints had been lodged by plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the town seeking to dismantle the turbines. An additional 22.5 percent of the complaints were lodged by others who had publicly voiced their opposition to the turbines before they were operational.

"This makes one question the validity of many complaints or the rationale for why people are complaining," the letter reads.

Town officials and wind power opponents are of course shocked, SHOCKED that gambling is going on in here anyone would question the sincerity of the complaints. Noise tests are set to begin as soon as weather conditions permit.

Extensive reviews of all available scientific evidence have shown no connection between wind turbines and health effects. However, the health effects of coal-fired power plants (like the one just upwind in Somerset) are clear and deadly.

The truth is that unless you're standing right under them, wind turbines are nearly silent. I visited the Fairhaven turbines and it took me nearly a minute of standing silently to hear the turbines' faint, gentle woosh over the patter of drizzle and chirping of birds. The loud hum of a nearby longstanding electrical transformer has apparently not drawn health complaints, nor has the constant racket from a neighboring truck depot:



Here's a much closer look at (and listen to) the Fairhaven wind turbines from the Mass Climate Action Network.

Meanwhile, preliminary plans are moving forward to create more than 1,000 jobs by building an offshore wind turbine shipping hub in neighboring New Bedford.