June 9, 2010: Wind turbine problems

WHY SOME SUPPORTERS IN A CAPE TOWN ARE CHANGING THEIR MINDS ABOUT WIND TURBINES.

THAT AND MORE COMING UP NEXT.

"GREATER BOSTON,"

JUNE 9, 2010.kO GIEWK GIEWX

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON," POWER BUT AT WHAT PRICE?

THE CONTROVERSY OVER A LAND-BASED WIND TURBINE.

PLUS, FIVE YEARS AFTER A SHUTDOWN.

A NEIGHBORHOOD RALLIES AGAINST THE CLOCK TO SAVE A BUILDING SERVING FAMILIES FOR 80 YEARS.

Closed Captioning brought to you by AFLAC: Ask about it at work.

>> Rooney: GOOD EVENING.

WITH ALL THE OIL POISONING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, WHIPPED POWER IS LOOK -- WIND POWER IS LOOKING BETTER EVERY DAY.

IF YOU ASK OPPONENTS OF OFFSHORE PROJECTS LIKE CAPE WIND, THEY'LL SAY TURBINES ARE MUCH BETTER BUILT ON LAND.

NOW A DISPUTE BETWEEN A SMALL GROUP OF NEIGHBORS IN A CAPE COD TOWN SEEMS TO SHOW THAT EVEN THE GREENEST OF GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS, NO MATTER WHERE IT IS, CAN HAVE A DOWNSIDE.

WHEN FALMOUTH GOT INTO THE WIND POWER BUSINESS THIS SPRING, THE TOWN HAD CITIZEN SUPPORT AND THE PERFECT SPOT, A 300-ACRE PARCEL OF TOWN-OWNED INDUSTRIAL LAND.

>> THIS IS A GOOD PLACE.

THE WIND WE EXPERIENCE ON THIS SITE IS THE SAME AS OFFSHORE WINDS.

>> Governor Schwarzenegger: HEATHER

>> Rooney: HEATHER HARPER SAYS THE COMBINATION OF A 400-FOOT TALL TURBINE IS A WIN/WIN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE LOCAL TAXPAYERS.

>> IT PAYS FOR ITSELF AND WILL PRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL $300,000 THAT WILL BE USED TO OFFSET ENERGY COSTS.

>> Rooney: SINCE SHORTLY AFTER THE GIANT BLADES HAVE BEEN TURNING, IT HAS NOT BEEN GENERATING AS MUCH ELECTRICITY AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN.

>> IF IT GETS UP TO 20 MILES PER HOUR, THE BLADES SHUT DOWN.

>> Rooney: WHILE THEY MAY APPEAR SILENT FROM A DISTANCE, UP CLOSE IS ANOTHER STORY.

LIKE NEIGHBORS LIKE BRIAN FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY.

>> WHEN IT FIRST CAME ON, WE WERE IN SHOCK.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

IT WAS A RHYTHMIC SOMETHING THAT CAME RIGHT THROUGH THE HOUSE.

THERE WAS NO WAY YOU'RE SLEEPING THROUGH IT.

>> Rooney: AT OTHER TIMES, MOSTLY AT NIGHT, HE SAYS THE TURBINE TURNS LIKE A JET ENGINE.

>> WHEN IT FIRST CAME ON, I HAD TO HAVE A NOISE MACHINE AND EARPLUGS.

>> Rooney: MARK HAS A HIGH TOLERANCE FOR AMBIENT NOISE, BUT HE FEARS FOR HIS WIFE'S HEALTH.

>> I DON'T HEAR IT, BUT SHE WILL, AND SHE'LL GET UP AND PACE.

>> Rooney: AND TOWN OFFICIALS HAVE TAKEN THEIR COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY ENOUGH TO SLOW THE TURBINE.

AND THE NEIGHBORS SAY THEY'RE CONSIDERING A LAWSUIT TO BLOCK A SECOND TURBINE.

EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THEM SUPPORTED THE FIRST TURBINE.

>> EVERYBODY WANTED A RELIEF FINANCIALLY WITH THE POTENTIAL THIS WOULD GIVE US.

AND ALSO SAVING THE WORLD, DOING OUR LITTLE PIECE.

>> Rooney: HE SAYS HE IS CONSIDERING MOVING.

HEATHER HARPER HOPES IT WON'T COME TO THAT, BUT SAYS THERE AREN'T ANY PERFECT SOLUTIONS TO SATISFYING THE MODERN NEED FOR ELECTRICITY.

>> THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT IT: THIS IS A VERY LARGE SCALE PUBLIC USE IN A PUBLIC USE SYSTEM.

AND THERE WAS NO EXPECTATION THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY PROBLEMS.

WE'RE ALL PART OF THE SAME COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO DEVELOPING RESOLUTIONS.

>> Rooney: AND JOINING ME OR THOMAS KUNZ, DIRECTOR OF THE B.U.

CENTER FOR ECOLOGY.

AND PATRICK CANNON WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD THAT OPERATES TWO WIND TURBINES.

WELCOME.

>> GOOD EVENING.

>> Rooney: IT STANDS TO REASON IT WOULD HAVE NOISE ISSUES.

>> IN THE BEGINNING, WE HAD PEOPLE CONCERNED WITH WHAT NOISE THERE IS.

THE CLOSEST FOUNDATION, AS WE PUT IT, AT HOME IS 1100 FEET AWAY FROM THE TURBINE.

WHAT THE NOISE REALLY IS -- IT IS NOT MOTOR NOISE.

IT IS A WHOOSHING SOUND OF THE BLAZE INTERRUPTING THE WIND.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY DON'T PARTICULARLY CARE FOR IT.

BUT, THEN AGAIN, THERE WAS RECENTLY ANOTHER SEGMENT DOWN, AND THERE IS A NEIGHBOR NOT 300 FEET FROM THE TURBINE, FROM A MUCH LARGER TURBINE.

HE LOVES THE SOUND.

>> Rooney: HE LOVES THE NOISE?

>> HE IS TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF ADD ANOTHER ONE, 300 FEET FROM HIS HOME.

SO IT IS NOT HORRENDOUS.

WHEN YOU GET ABOUT -- TO ME, WHEN YOU GET 300, 400 FEET AWAY FROM IT, IT STARTS TO DIE OUT.

IT IS NOT A WEARING MOTOR NOISE, AND IT IS NOT CONSTANT UNLESS THE WIND IS BLOWING.

AND IT IS ONLY THE WIND -- LIKE DOWN ON HULL, ANYWAY, IT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE WAVES CRASHING ON THE SEA WALL.

>> Rooney: WELL, ONE IS A FORCE OF NATURE AND THE OTHER IS A MAN-MADE NOISE.

>> WHY IS IT MAN-MADE?

>> Rooney: A WIND TURBINE ISN'T MAN-MADE?

>> THE TURBINE IS NOT MAN-MADE, BUT THE WIND IS NOT.

AND WE'RE IN THE FLIGHT PATH AT LOGAN, SO WE'RE USED TO IT.

>> Rooney: YOU'RE USED TO ANNOYING NOISES.

>> AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN HULL WIND ONE WAS GOING UP, THEY HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME GETTING WHAT THE DECIBEL LEVEL IS OF THE TURBINE BECAUSE EVERY MINUTE YOU'VE GOT A PLANE GOING BY.

SO THAT IS A DIFFICULT THING.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE SOME CONCERN THERE, BUT OVERWHELMING THE TOWN SUPPORTS THAT TURBINE.

AND ANOTHER ISSUE THAT COMES UP IS THE FLICKER EFFECT WHEN YOU GET THE SUN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN LATE AFTERNOONS.

BUT OVERALL, WE GET THAT.

>> Rooney: ARE THERE OTHER DOWNSIDES.

I WOULDN'T WANT ONE 1200 FEET FROM MY HOUSE.

THE RUSTIC BACKGROUND --

>> THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE SOUND, IT IS MOST PREVALENT AT NIGHT.

THE WIND CAN BASICALLY CARRY SOUND AWAY.

BUT AT NIGHT, WHEN THE AIR IS RELATIVELY CALM, THIS THUMPING SOUND IS MORE PRONOUNCED.

AND THE THUMPING SOUND I OFTEN DESCRIBE -- I'VE WORKED AROUND TURBINES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THE THUMPING SOUND IS REMINISCENT OF BEING AT A ROCK CONCERT.

WHEN YOU'RE CLOSE ENOUGH, YOU CAN FEEL THAT THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY COMPLAINS ABOUT.

BUT NOT EVERYBODY CAN HEAR THAT FREQUENCY.

IT IS SOMETHING IN ADDITION TO THE SOUND, THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY -- NOBODY HAS MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT THE WIND TURBINES ON WILDLIFE, PARTICULARLY BIRDS AND BATS THAT FLY OVER THESE PLACES.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE AT HOME, BUT IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, IN EUROPE AND CHINA, THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOWN THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF CERTAIN SPECIES OF BIRDS AND GOLDEN EAGLES IN CALIFORNIA, AND HAWKS IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND BATS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE BEING KILLED.

>> Rooney: RIGHT.

>> SO IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE -- YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT SOMETHING GREEN.

WE ALL WANT TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT --

>> Rooney: I DON'T WANT TO SOUND COLD, BUT YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SOUTH -- IF YOU HIT A FEW BIRDS -- I DON'T WANT TO HEAR OF ANY BIRD GETTING KILLED, BUT ISN'T THERE A TRADEOFF?

>> WE'VE HAD TWO TURBINES, ONE FOR 10 YEARS AND ONE FOR A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS, AND WE'VE HAD YET TO HAVE ANYONE BRING A BIRD AND SAY IT WAS HIT.

I'M NOT SAYING IT HASN'T HAPPENED --

>> Rooney: IT IS A DANGER --

>> IT CAN BE SAID THAT IT MAY HAPPEN, BUT WE HAVE DIRECT EXPERIENCE, AND WE HAVE DONE PRE-AND POST-STUDIES ON BIRDS IN THE ESTUARY AREA, AND FORTUNATELY WERE WERE --WE HAVEN'T YET HAD ANY ENDANGERED SPECIES.

>> I THINK -- THE PLACEMENT OF WIND TURBINES IS MUCH LIKE BUILDING HOUSES, OR BUILDING SOMEWHERE.

THE LOCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT.

IT MAY BE THAT HULL IS A BENIGN PLACE, AS FAR AS ACTIVITY AND IMPACT ON BIRDS AND BATS.

THE ISSUE IS REALLY AS THE WIND ENERGY BUILDS OUT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ACCUMULATIVE EFFECT.

ONE OR TWO TURBINES MAY NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON ANY --

>> WE'RE AT EITHER END OF THE TOWN.

AND CERTAINLY IT WAS NOT A WIND FARM.

>> BUT THERE IS INCREASED INTEREST IN THE WIND TURBINE.

THEY TURN ON THE LIGHTS AT FRIDAY NIGHTS.

SO THERE IS NO FREE LRCHL WHEN IT COMES -- FREE LUNCH WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ANY KIND OF ENERGY.

WHETHER IT IS BIOFUELS OR OIL OR GAS.

THERE ARE DOWNSIDES.

>> Rooney: IS THERE A WAY TO CUT THE NOISE?

I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT IN FALMOUTH?

DO YOU KNOW?

>> THERE ARE WAYS TO CUT IT.

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IF YOU HAVE FLOWN IN AN AIRPLANE, YOU NOTICED THE TIPS ARE UP.

THAT REDUCES THE SOUND.

AND PART OF THAT REDUCTION OF SOUND IS BECAUSE IT CUTS DOWN ON THE TURBULENCE AROUND THE WING TIP.

THERE ARE WAYS THAT THE INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO MITIGATE SOME OF THIS.

BUT THE REAL SOLUTION, I THINK, IS TO -- BEFORE WIND TURBINES ARE BUILT ANYWHERE, AND YOU'VE DONE PRE- AND POST-CONSTRUCTION, A LOT OF THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T DO THAT.

>> Rooney: HOW MANY FEET DO YOU HAVE TO GO BEFORE YOU DON'T HEAR IT AT ALL?

>> MY EARS -- I THINK IT STARTS TO DIE OUT AFTER 300, 400 FEET.

AND I'LL JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.

THAT FOUNDATION THAT I TOLD YOU WAS 1100 FEET AWAY, AND THERE IS A FELLOW THAT LIVES THERE, HE LOVES TO HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN BECAUSE HE LIKES THE SOUND.

>> Rooney: THAT'S A LITTLE RARE.

THANKS FOR COMING.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: WHEN WE CONTINUE, IT IS DOWN TO THE WIRE FOR THE CHANCE TO SAVE A SCHOOL.

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