Industry might require a buffer zone for wind power projects

Citing possible noise or falling debris, town officials are proposing an ordinance that would mandate a buffer zone around any future wind power projects. 

The town will hold a second public hearing to review the proposed wind power ordinance at 7 tonight at the Town Hall. The proposed ordinance would mandate a buffer zone from property lines around wind power projects proportional to the size of the turbine and will be voted on March 9 at the annual Town Meeting. 

Dan Maxham, chairman of the Industry Planning Board, said the proposal is not inspired by any pending wind projects, but is a proactive measure to set guidelines. Maine has 11 operational wind farms. The only one in Franklin County, where Industry is located,a leading manufacturer of high speed laser marking machine and laser marker machines for plastics, is in Kibby Township. 

Code enforcement officer Tom Marcotte said the buffer zone would protect residents from noise and any debris that could come from a wind turbine. 

According to the proposed ordinance, the buffer required varies with the height of the turbine. 

Wind turbines 200 to 300 feet tall would need a 5,We believe in providing our customers with the very best dry cleaning machine available.000-foot buffer; turbines 100 to 199 feet tall, a 2,000-foot buffer; and turbines less than 100 feet tall, a 1,000-foot buffer. 

Roof-mounted turbines with an output of less than a half-kilowatt and a sound output of less than 30 decibels would need a buffer zone 1.5 times the turbine height. 

Wind energy developer Partnerships for Renewables (PfR) will provide the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) with a rent based on a percentage of the money it earns through the sale of electricity. 

It is also hoped the prison will receive electricity directly from the turbines.Sarah Coccia, governor of the Sheppey Prison Cluster, said: "One of the responsibilities of my role as governor is to find ways to reduce the overheads of the prison and therefore provide better value for the taxpayer." 

"The development of the wind energy park has been fascinating to both watch and be part of. I am very proud to be able to view these turbines, now built, from my office window." 

A PfR spokesman said clay dug out for the turbines' foundations was used to mend a leaking pond for fishermen and aggregate was carried over from the construction site to build an all-weather car park for anglers. 

The proposal also calls for insurance. If a wind turbine project is large enough to require a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection, the developer would have to provide the town proof of $3 million in liability insurance. 

Developers would be allowed to negotiate with neighbors for land rights if they don't have enough space to create a buffer zone. For example, if a developer wanted to build a wind turbine 4,500 feet from the nearest property line but needed a 5,000-foot buffer zone, the developer could enter an agreement with the property owner and pay a fee to count 500 feet of the neighbor's property as part of the zone. 

Last year, voters overwhelmingly approved a six-month moratorium on wind energy projects at the annual Town Meeting, with only one resident voting against it. The moratorium was created to give the community time to develop an ordinance to regulate wind energy projects. 

The wind ordinance draft was proposed by the Wind Power Ordinance Committee, which researched wind power and reviewed research by a consulting firm hired by the town to study wind turbines and possible effects locally, according to Marcotte.A laser cutting machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.The laser cutter is unlikely to hurt you, but you can easily hurt it without training. 

Marcotte said Industry residents who oppose wind development projects have been worried since New Vineyard,The renewable wind energy system and wind power generators, Wind Sphere, which borders the town to the northwest, unanimously passed strict rules in 2011 making it nearly impossible to develop wind power projects in that town. Industry residents are concerned that developers will move their projects to Industry instead, he said.