Wind ordinance must be changed

To the Editor:

An interesting concept from our new wind ordinance in Dixfield, written in 2010 and allowed to be voted on in 2012 with no further research. I believe that if you build a home in Dixfield the setback required is to be so far from property lines not from your neighbor’s residence!

But not a wind farm they can ignore the property line their set back is from their neighbor’s residence. Sounds like bias preferential treatment to me. Why would the rule be more stringent to build a home than a wind farm, common sense would dictate a set back from property lines, otherwise our town is allowing the wind developer to take control of your land change its usefulness and not compensate you for it! Beware of this slippery slope.

Have you heard the news? Sixty people who live within a mile of the Hardscrabble Wind Farm in Herkimer County, NY, sue the operators of a 37-turbine wind farm. The reasons, range from noise-induced headaches and sleep disruption to reduced productivity of livestock also the loss of enjoyment of outside activities on their land, and inability to open windows due to noise.

Some include loss of income due to noise, behavior changes in domestic and wild animals one land owner notes that bear, deer, and game birds no longer frequent his land. It’s likely that any attempt to shut the wind farm down would be unsuccessful since the project is operating under valid permits.

So what’s that leave them money? How much for your way of life, your ancestral home, your health and the health of your children? Local noise standards at the Hardscrabble Wind Farm allow turbines to be up to 50dB at homes. People hearing the turbines at around 40dB are indeed being bothered by the noise a recurring theme at wind farms across northeast.

Acoustical consultant David Hessler has stated what is unacceptable to some is a project sound level that falls in a gray area ranging from about 35 to 45 dBA at full 24-hour average sound level. The pro-wind ordinance in Dixfield, written in part by selectman Norine Clarke and publicly supported by selectmen Gill and Withrow, allows 42 dBA at night 830 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 55dBA in the day, and a setback of 4,000 feet from an occupied buildings. This must be changed to protect our citizens.

Our ordinance should be well below the 35dBA gray area and a one-mile setback from property lines to protect our citizens. Do you want to put your neighbors threw the horrendous experiences of others that live near wind farms that were not properly regulated?

Maybe you have read about the complaints from the citizens in Woodstock; they are writing a new ordinance at this moment to protect their citizens from further disturbance from wind turbines, and they are not the only ones doing this.

A proactive government one that does its homework and researches an issue works better than a reactive one. Remember the government that brought you RSU 10 was not very proactive. Now we want out and must spend 50,000 just to look into withdrawing, a reactive government at its best. There will be no withdrawal from the wind turbines if they get built.

Have the citizens of Dixfield lost their ability to read or think for themselves? Are you willing to follow the pied piper of the wind developer to higher taxes, lower property values, high energy cost and untold health issues? Too bad the government in Dixfield isn’t listening, they never let the facts get in the way when shoving their pro wind agenda down everyone’s throats, they believe that destroying peoples lives is a small price to pay for gaining their stupid version of paradise.

They are addicted to the false promises of wind and therefore we must suffer not only fiscally but physically as well. Remember this is no small wind farm they are talking about building here it will encompass three towns Carthage, Dixfield and Canton we must see to it that it is properly regulated, don’t we owe that to our neighbors, to ourselves and our children?

Like Mark Twain said “It's easer to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.”

Norman Mitchell,

Dixfield