Can anyone imagine 22 giant wind turbines overlooking Roxbury Pond? The fate of that possibility will be decided by the three town selectmen who must rule on the validity of a petition brought by 91 citizens.

I am not against wind power, but to build these highly visible projects that cause noise and flicker pollution in areas where so many people enjoy solitude seems unfair. Many of the local mountains are being targeted as possible sites. There is a place for such projects, but not at the expense of health issues associated with them.

It seems that there is a rush to get such projects approved before town residents become aware of the consequences; and there are well-documented consequences available, if people choose to seek them out. There is an independent, scientific study by acoustic consultants George Kamperman and Richard James titled “The How-to Guide to Siting Wind Turbines …” It does not deal with visual pollution, environmental impacts, costs, flicker or green power. It deals only with health risks from sound. It is a thorough study and should be required reading for any community before agreeing to wind farm  presence.

There is reasonable doubt that noise pollution will be an issue. Denying the townspeople’s petition for an ordinance change, as requested by Angus King, would be a disservice to the community. Also, perhaps King should have had a Department of Environmental Protection permit before singling out Roxbury and spending the money on this project.

Ernie Gallant, Rumford

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