NORTH ADAMS — More questions than answers are blowing in the wind, as communities throughout the region grapple with impending wind farms and predict more windmill projects could lie just over the horizon.
Local battles have already seen environmentalists who decry the state’s and the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels fighting to block one of the “green energy†alternatives, in the interest of preserving scenic views and protecting migratory birds and endangered wildlife. A group of 12 wildlife biologists, botanists and ecologists this week petitioned the state’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to halt projects in Florida, Monroe and Hancock — and possibly elsewhere — until the “cumulative†effect of potential wind farms can be studied. The state’s own Division of Fisheries and Wildlife also wants the effects on migratory birds studied, even as enXco Inc. prepares to build 20 windmills in Florida and Monroe this summer or fall.
“What gets me is that the state pushes windmills but appears not to have regulations to deal with them,†said Pamela Weatherbee of Williamstown, who was among those who signed a letter to the foundation and EOEA Secretary Ellen Roy Hertzfelder. [See letter, Page 10]. “They’re going to be faced with lots of little sites all over the place.â€
She referred to an initiative by the state and the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Collaborative to help study and fund through federal dollars “community windmill†projects built by municipalities on town-or city-owned land. According to the collaborative, about 40 Massachusetts communities have expressed interest.
Meanwhile, developer Dale Osborne has upped the ante in Hancock, reducing the number of windmills proposed there from 18 to 10 but making them much more powerful and larger — 320 feet tall, as opposed to less than 200 feet. That would mean they, like exXco’s, would require flashing red lights at night.
In a case illustrating some confusion over state regulations, the local lawyer for a Washington state developer who wants to build up to 20 windmills on the Hoosac Range in North Adams confirmed Monday that they are strongly considering an appeal of the North Adams Planning Board’s decision to deny even the building of a wind-measuring tower on land owned by Michael Deep. Lawyer Thomas Rumbolt said denying developer Mark Smith the right to measure the wind to see if a windmill project was feasible was akin to asking a customer to buy a car without taking a test drive or insisting that a couple get married without even dating. It also boiled down to a matter of money, Rumbolt said.
“It would be very difficult for an investor to spend a half a million dollars to submit an entire plan when you need the basic information first to determine what that plan will be,†he said.
But, taking a page from the Berlin, N.Y., Zoning Board of Appeals, which has denied a Williams College plan to erect a wind-measuring tower for a potential windmill project in that town, the Planning Board cited a state regulation that does not allow “segmentation†of a project in environmental reviews, under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). Rumbolt called the decision “unprecedented†in this state. Others speculated that communities in which officials don’t want windmills could use the segmentation law to block them, while communities that want windmills because of increased property tax revenues and lease payments could ignore it. Florida and Monroe, for example, allowed wind-measuring towers for enXco long before the company submitted its final plans or undertook the MEPA review process.
“I don’t understand how a developer could be expected to pull together a multi-million plan without knowing the wind resources,†said Jana H. Brule, stressing that she was speaking as a resident, not in her capacity as Florida town administrator.
A spokesman for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs told radio station WNAW last week that the city Planning Board had misinterpreted the MEPA regulations, but Chairman Michael Leary doesn’t think so.
“They’ve indicated verbally that our interpretation is incorrect, but we went by the written interpretation,†Leary said Tuesday. “It’s one thing for an environmental affairs official to tell a reporter we misinterpreted it. It’s another thing to put in writing that wind-monitoring towers are not part of an overall project.â€
Defining “segmentation,†the law (CMR 301, section 11:01c) states that, in determining a MEPA review, a proponent of a project, all state agencies and the EOEA secretary “shall consider the entirety of the project, including any likely future expansion, and not separate phases or segments thereof.â€
State environmental officials did not come up with an official response to questions about segmenting the MEPA review in time for this article.
However, Leary said, the Planning Board, in its 8-0 decision to deny the wind-measuring tower, cited other concerns, including the aesthetics of windmills near one of the scenic entranceways to the city and their possible effect on local tourism.
“My concern was the economy,†Leary said. “We could end up someday having hundreds of windmills, all with flashing red lights on them. I don’t think 50 to 100 red lights on the Hoosac Range would be good for the economy.â€
The board also noted that zoning regulations restrict the height of any structure — including towers — in rural zones and that Smith would need to apply for a special permit to build one. Rumbolt said Smith has repeatedly tried to get an application for a special permit but so far hasn’t received it.
The Berkshires are not alone in struggling to weigh the benefits of wind farms against their potential effects on the environment and scenic views. Vermont Gov. James Douglas wants a commission to study the alternatives, as his state prepares to cope with impending proposals, including the expansion of the 11-turbine wind farm in nearby Searsburg. The dilemma on Cape Cod, where a huge offshore wind farm on Nantucket Sound has been proposed, has been well publicized.
The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Issues Committee is also about to get into the act, according to Nathaniel Karns, the commission’s executive director, although any recommendations it might make would only be advisory. Karns said Tuesday that the regional plan for the county, approved in May 2000, took a somewhat nebulous stance on windmills.
The plan states that planners should “encourage the use of solar and wind power energy generation where appropriate, provided that the facilities are sited in such a way as to not significantly distract from aesthetic wilderness, recreational of ecological values.â€
“Depending on whether you’re pro or con windmills,†Karns said, “you can probably read whatever you want into that statement.â€
Therein lies the problem, according to Weatherbee and numerous others. So far, windmill projects have generated more questions than answers, and the region and state — if not the nation — could have to move swiftly to find those answers. Nowhere is that more evident than in Berkshire County, which boasts some of the nation’s most beautiful scenery but also some of its highest winds — at least where they have been measured.
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State Fire Marshal Offers Cold Snap Heating Safety Tips
STOW, Mass. —With temperatures expected to dip into the teens overnight this week, Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine is reminding residents to stay warm safely and protect their loved ones from some of the most common home heating fires.
"We're expecting very cold weather in the nights ahead, and home heating appliances will be working overtime," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "Heating equipment is the leading cause of carbon monoxide at home and the second leading cause of residential fires. Whether you're using gas, oil, solid fuel, or space heaters to keep warm, be sure you keep safe, too."
State Fire Marshal Davine said there were nearly 6,000 heating fires in Massachusetts from 2019 to 2023. These fires claimed eight lives, caused 139 injuries to firefighters and residents, and contributed to over $42 million in damage. And in 2023 alone, Massachusetts fire departments reported finding carbon monoxide at nearly 5,000 non-fire incidents.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Every household needs working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of their home. Check the manufacturing date on the back of your alarms so you know when to replace them: smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after 5 to 10 years depending on the model. If your alarms take alkaline batteries, put in fresh batteries twice a year when you change your clocks. If it's time to replace your alarms, choose new ones from a well-known, national brand. Select smoke alarms with a sealed, long-life battery and a hush feature.
Natural Gas and Oil Heat
If you have a furnace, water heater, or oil burner, have it professionally checked and serviced each year. This will help it run more efficiently, which will save you money and could save your life. Always keep a three-foot "circle of safety" around the appliance clear of anything that could catch fire. Never store painting supplies, aerosol cans, or other flammable items near these appliances. If you smell gas, don't use any electrical switches or devices: get out, stay out, and call 9-1-1 right away.
Residents struggling to pay for heating bills or maintenance may be eligible for assistance through the Massachusetts home energy assistance program (HEAP). No matter what type of heating equipment you use, HEAP may be able to help you pay your winter heating bills or maintain your heating system. All Massachusetts residents are encouraged to explore eligibility for this free program and apply for assistance.
Solid Fuel Heating
If you use a fireplace or a stove that burns wood, pellets, or coal, always keep the area around it clear for three feet in all directions. This circle of safety should be free of furniture, drapery, rugs, books and papers, fuel, and any other flammable items. To prevent sparks and embers from escaping, use a fireplace screen or keep the stove door closed while burning. Use only dry, seasoned hardwood and don't use flammable liquids to start the fire. To dispose of ashes, wait until they are cool and shovel them into a metal bucket with a lid and place it outside at least 10 feet away from the building.
Have your chimney and flue professionally inspected and cleaned each year. Most chimney fires are caused by burning creosote, a tarry substance that builds up as the fireplace, wood stove, or pellet stove is used. If burning creosote, sparks, embers, or hot gases escape through cracks in the flue or chimney, they can cause a fire that spreads to the rest of the structure. Annual cleaning and inspection can minimize this risk. Contact the Massachusetts Chimney Sweep Guild or Chimney Safety Institute of America to identify reputable local companies.
Space Heaters
Keep space heaters at least three feet from curtains, bedding, and anything else that can burn. Plug them directly into a wall socket, not an extension cord or a power strip, and remember that they're for temporary use. Always turn a space heater off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
When purchasing a space heater, select one that's been tested and labeled by a nationally recognized testing company, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek (ETL). Newer space heaters should have an automatic shut-off switch that turns the device off if it tips over. Unvented kerosene space heaters and portable propane space heaters are not permitted for residential use in Massachusetts, State Fire Marshal Davine said: the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning that they pose is too great.
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