Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sally Collopy, a resident of Fairfield, who is part of the Oppose Swanton Wind group.
[O]n Oct. 12, the Fairfield Selectboard held an informational meeting with the residents of Fairfield. About 50 people attended, a good turnout for a small community, on a Monday night and a holiday weekend.
Participants at the meeting discussed the proposed Swanton Wind industrial turbines to be placed on Rocky Ridge in Swanton. This location is also on Fairfield Pond, the beautiful natural resource so many people enjoy. Travis and Ashley Belisle, the developers, were there, along with representatives of Vermont Environmental Research Associates (VERA), Martha Staskus, John Zimmerman and attorney Anthony Iarrapino. Noticeably absent in this proposed project was Alan and Kim Bourbeau. According to the proposed project area, turbines 6 and 7 would be on the Bourbeaus’ land. Where do they stand in signing a contract with the Belisles?
VERA made a brief presentation with glossy photos touting the glories of industrial wind. To the uninformed citizen, it actually could have sounded good. But not a single person in the room supported the Belisles and Bourbeaus or this project. Why is that? Because we know the truth!
We know the truth about industrial wind and the victims who suffer because of it. We know that it is an inefficient source of energy that our electric companies don’t want and don’t need. We strongly urge our government and the Public Service Board to respect and value their motion to dismiss the project.
It’s insulting to accuse victims of industrial wind as being willy-nilly because of emotion. Yes, they’re emotional, and have every right to be.
We know that noise standards for these turbines are too high at 45dBA averaged over an hour. The World Health Organization says 30dBA is the recommended rating for a good night’s sleep. We know that people who can’t sleep call the wind company’s “noise hotlines” leaving a message that is rarely responded to. Their complaints go unanswered for long periods of time by the Public Service Board and the Department of Health. Isn’t our government supposed to care about its citizens? People’s homes are bought out or abandoned, others still live with the torment. Our governor, the Public Service Board, Public Service Department, Department of Health, and other state agencies have been contacted many times over the years regarding this serious issue, all to no avail.
What does it say when Travis Belisle, the developer who built the residential area in a beautiful spot on the backside of Fairfield Pond, proposes to place the largest turbines yet in Vermont closest to homes compared to any other project to date? Does it matter that their neighbors don’t want it, the Selectboard doesn’t want it, Green Mountain Power and other electric companies don’t want it? Is it OK to destroy what’s considered a high value habitat block in the region, and threaten the amazing habitat on Fairfield Pond?
What does it say if this project goes in despite all these oppositions? Many victims of industrial wind have approached the governor over the years, begging him to do something about their health issues and inability to leave their “sick zones.” Many victims have contacted the Department of Health, the Public Service Board, the Public Service Department and legislators over the years about Vermonters health and safety, again, to no avail.
Is the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Agency of Natural Resources following their guidelines and goals of their 2015 State of the Lake report and the recently passed Shoreland Protection Act? They strictly regulate what trees you can cut on your camp lot. Yet when they clear-cut, blow up ridges, build roads, destroy wetlands and high value habitat blocks, encroach on neighboring properties, and use tons of cement putting monster turbines on a hill over Fairfield Pond, they say it’ll be OK.
What do you think when Rep. Tony Klein, chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, says at the recent REV conference regarding renewable project opponents that “a positive regulatory process that we’ve seen for the past 40-plus years undone willy-nilly because of emotion”?
It’s very disheartening to hear Rep. Klein say victims and those afraid of being the next victims are willy-nilly with emotion. Rep. Klein, watch and “listen” to every PSB testimony in relation to wind. You’ll see how “positive” the regulatory process is. It’s insulting to accuse victims of industrial wind as being willy-nilly because of emotion. Yes, they’re emotional, and have every right to be. They have been ignored by our government for years. Not being emotional would be very sad. It means they’re so beaten down and broken by the system that they’ve given up — given up their rights as Vermonters. Very sad indeed.
Right now it’s Sheffield, Lowell and Georgia Mountain. Up next is Swanton, Irasburg, Windham and Grafton. Shame on our government for treating their citizens this way. Shame on our Department of Health for doing the governor’s bidding and not respecting its oath to protect the people. If these seven 500-foot-tall industrial wind turbines go up in this residential neighborhood, destroying people’s lives, Vermonters will have their answer about our government.
