Elena Powell makes an emphatic point during a recent meeting at Town Hall, while her husband, Edwin, listens. (Photo By Claire Cox)
LENOX — Whether the town will have a windmill atop one of its peaks has become the object of both a careful feasibility study and vehement opposition.
At the center of a discussion among residents of Lenox and neighboring Richmond is the proposal to erect a 140-foot, 1.5-megawatt wind turbine on a site 1,800 feet high near Reservoir Road to generate enough electricity to power an estimated 250 homes.
Members of the Lenox Wind Tower Committee, made up of three Lenox residents and three from neighboring Richmond, unanimously supported trying to go ahead with the project after a 90-minute meeting at the Town Hall on Sept. 9. They selected one of two potential sites on a mountain overlooking the town of Richmond, which Lenox officials hope will collaborate in the project.
Opposition to having any turbine in Lenox was expressed by a Richmond couple, who did not want it looming over their backyard, and by Rene Laubach, director of the Pleasant Valley Sanctuary in Lenox, who expressed concern about possible disruption of bird migration.
Elena and Edwin Powell, who have lived in Richmond for 36 years, were adamant in their opposition to the project and to wind towers in general. Following the meeting, they said they did not want to have to see the proposed tower through their bedroom window and felt it would be too noisy and have an adverse effect on tourism.
The couple went home to start organizing a campaign to halt the project and planned to send letters to Richmond residents to “educate them†about wind towers and their drawbacks.
“There is nothing wrong with wind power — but not on the small hills of the Berkshires,†Edwin Powell said. “It’s fine in places where there are steady winds and it’s isolated from populations, but not when it’s going to be right here on the forefront, on our valuable ridges here in the Berkshires, which are the gilded goose on which Berkshire County now exists.â€
At the end of the meeting, the committee decided to continue working, with the support of the Lenox Selectmen, to take the next step toward erecting a tower. That step calls for seeking an answer to a crucial question: Will the slope be too steep for transporting three 2-ton rotor blades to the mountaintop?
The answer could determine whether the project can go forward. A favorable answer would result in erection of a temporary “MET,†a tower designed to test wind speed and frequency for a year. Erecting the actual tower would call for clearing an area the size of a football field to make room for guy wires to hold the tower in place. Trees would be trimmed to provide a path for the wind. If a wind turbine followed, it would need a much smaller space.
The discussion was led by Town Manager Gregory Federspiel and Kristin Burke of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative in Westboro. Burke reviewed a 10-page study on “Siting considerations for a MET wind resource monitoring tower and for a Wind Turbine.†The study was prepared by Sally D. Wright of the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
The study was conducted with the authorization of the Selectmen, who voted to support the project as an economically and ecologically sound way to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Members of the Windpower Committee, who responded favorably to the study, are Jamie Cuhillane, chairman of the Lenox Environmental Committee, committee members Rick Gregg and Andrew Bloom, and Woody Printz, Roy C. Jones and Stephen Corydon of Richmond. Also at the meeting was Nancy Nylen, associate director of the Center for Ecological Technology in Pittsfield, which has supported the windtower proposal.
During the Town Hall meeting, Laubach presented a MassAudubon position statement strongly supporting “public policies and private projects that advance energy conservation and efficiency†and the development of wind farms as a renewable energy source to replace burning fossil fuels.
Speaking for himself, however, Laubach questioned the wisdom of having wind-tower blades endangering birds. He said he was concerned about adverse effects of the proposed tower on the wildlife protected in the Pleasant Valley Sanctuary, which is affiliated with MassAudubon.
Edwin Powell described the sanctuary as “the apple of the Audubon Society’s eye in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.â€
Nylen commended the town for taking a leadership role in examining ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ways that benefit the environment and economy of the community and region.
“I am impressed by the thoughtful approach that the town is taking in carefully studying the feasibility of generating electricity from wind power,†she said after the meeting.
She recommended that the town hold a public forum at which citizens can ask questions and obtain information to make sound decisions about wind energy.
Eleanor Tillinghast, co-founder of Green Berkshires Inc. in Great Barrington, which is dedicated to preserving farms, mountains and open spaces in the Northeast, said in an interview that the organization is opposed to all windmills.
“We believe there are better ways that are more cost-effective and efficient to ameliorate global warming, to reduce pollution and to cut back on demand for fossil fuels,†she said.
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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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