2014 Response from Vermont Public Serv

Baily and Seager Therrien, March 9, 2014

HISTORY OF THERRIEN FAMILY PLEA FOR HELP, 2012 - 2014

Response from Vermont Public Service Board to Luann Therrienʼs email of Feb. 6, 2014

Steven N Luann Therrien Dear Ms. Therrien:

The Board members have received and reviewed your e-mail dated February 6, 2014. The Board understands that your family has concerns regarding noise impacts from the operation of the First Wind generation facility in Shefﬁeld. However, the Board is not an agency tasked with providing legal representation or legal advice to individuals or entities, whether they are parties in a Board proceeding or not. Accordingly, the Board is unable to undertake on your behalf any of the actions you describe in your e-mail. If you have already done so with respect to this matter, you may choose to contact the Department of Public Service with your concerns.

Sincerely,

Susan M. Hudson

Clerk of the Board

Like · · Share · March 6 at 3:47pm ------

March 6, 2014 Luann Therrienʼs post on Facebook group Victims of Industrial Wind, which she started:

I would like to thank First Wind and all their supporters for making our lives a complete nightmare!!!!

Every aspect of our existence is now consumed by someone else's greed proﬁt and unrealistic goal set for renewables. So blinded by the set goal and money to be made that the damage done to land home and health is the least of their worries. 2 We have been told by our Drs. to not work. We have no disposable $, what we have we hold onto tightly in our effort to ﬂee. With the price of everything including gas we cannot afford to escape even short term. We cannot leave our home for any length of time without putting at risk our home and belongings due to the remote area with the thugs that like to break in rob and destroy places. So if we go it all has to go either with us or into storage.

We are stuck. We have been begging for relief for two years! Our families for the most part are unable to help. Not like anyone has the room to house 2 adults & 2 toddlers and all if our worldly belongings.

Even as I write this I feel selﬁsh because we are far from being the only ones facing this exact same circumstance with many are worse off. I know what we face on a daily basis and my heart breaks for them.

Those who should be held accountable will not help. They have everything they need (money, Government backing, and ﬂawed laws) on their side.

I have always been a person who in my own self-righteous mind could not understand how people were pushed to the limit where suicide seemed like the only option. I am getting to where I understand how and I hate it.

Luann Therrien ------March 1, 2014 Facebook page post by Luann Therrien Steven N Luann Therrien My head has been driving me crazy all night. Kept awake for hours with ears ringing and doing that darn ﬂutter thing like they are draining ﬂuid. A friend reminded me to add the cause, no it is not being caused by a cold. Wind turbines are the culprit. ------February 27, 2014 Facebook page post by Luann Therrien Steven N Luann Therrien **********WANTED************ Cheap place we can make our home. A repo/foreclosure without major damage would work. We do not mind a place that needs work but preferably not an entire redo with maybe an acre of land. Please not in the middle of a city or town. Oh and lets not forget..... Not within 5 miles of wind turbines or proposed wind turbines.

Anyone have any ideas? ------February 25, 2014 Facebook page post by Luann Therrien Steven N Luann Therrien We do not need "studies" to prove we are being negatively impacted by Wind Turbines, we are our own case study.

After a few consecutive days of low to no audible noise and the kids are well behaved this morning!!!! Annnnd the dog is back to normal. 3

On the days of and for a few days after audible noise things are certainly not normal, or what we have come to call the "new normal" in our home. The children for the most part are not happy, they are cranky loud and can be downright obnoxious! The dog also exhibits odd behavior. She will hide under the house and refuse to come in, then once she does come in she lays in odd spots in the house or she becomes my shadow. Luann ------February 22, 2014 Facebook page post by Luann Therrien Steven N Luann Therrien Lovely day on the hill today. With all the noise from the wind turbines ( 49 - 52 dba ) cannot hear the interstate at all. Thank you so much First Wind for covering up one noise that is extremely intermittent and mostly non existent on the weekend. ------February 21, 2014 12:41 am Facebook page post by Luann Therrien Steven N Luann Therrien Up an not amused. Interstate is silent, but then again maybe I just can not hear anything else over the blasted wind turbines! Ears ringing like crazy, super sound sensitive. Kids are restless. Currently outside sound measuring at 35 apparently that level is too loud. ------SEN. LEAHY STAFFER PHONES THE THERRIENS, Feb. 21, 2014 From: luann therrien Date: February 21, 2014 4:47:36 PM EST To: Annette Smith Subject: Leahys ofﬁce.

Just received a call from one Tom Berry. We had a short discussion and said he is looking into what he can do.

Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

------

Facebook post by Luann Therrien, February 18, 2014

Steven N Luann Therrien Should prove to be a long night. When I just stepped outside I could hear the wind turbines over the logging equipment just down the embankment from our house. 4 ------Senator Leahy Response to the Therriens, Feb. 4, 2014

From Senator Patrick Leahy Feb 4 4:29pm

Dear Ms. Therrien:

Thank you for contacting me about the Shefﬁeld IndustrialWind Project in Vermont. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

Climate change, driven by our consumption of fossil fuels, is upon us, and we are way past due to reduce our use of fossil fuels at the community, state and national level. I believe federal support for the development of wind energy, along with other renewable energy sources, should continue. I have also worked hard for many years to protect Vermont's communities and improve their quality of life. From the ﬂanks of Jay peak in the north, to Glastenbury Mountain in Bennington, I understand that large scale wind development can bring massive change.

At the federal level, I have long supported the development of a diverse array of renewable energy resources. Although I recognize that wind power is certainly not appropriate everywhere, I believe the federal government should encourage new wind power generation with the understanding that decisions on location and zoning are best left to state and local communities. While I do not play a role in the review, siting, or permitting process of these projects, I have been following Vermont's wind energy projects closely.

You mentioned the importance of protecting our children. We must strike a careful balance between developing our natural resources and protecting them for future generations. Commercial scale developments, such as the Shefﬁeld wind turbines need to be the subject of stringent review for compliance with local, state, and federal standards, with ample opportunity for citizen input. There are many locations where larger developments are simply incompatible with the natural and human environments.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please stay in touch.

Sincerely, PATRICK LEAHY United States Senator 5 ------F eb . 2, 2014 - Do n ati o n fro m 12 year o l d to th e T h erri en s

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February 1, 2014, Facebook post by Luann Therrien

Daily life next to an Industrial Wind Power Plant:

As tired if not more so when we get up as when we went to bed.

Ears constantly ring.

Pressure in our heads and face.

"Hmmm, think I am hungry. Ugh, no I am not. Time passes, yeah I am hungry (stomach clenches again) NO I AM NOT." Finally get a window of time where you can eat. Then its, "oh geeze why did I eat? Ugh my stomach hurts!"

Get moving around trying to get just basic jobs done and suddenly you are either majorly dizzy or want to be sick, or both! So you put yourself into a time out until it passes. Then get up and try again. After a few rounds of this you just give up. THIS ADDS TO THE DEPRESSION.

We love our coffee. Mmmmmmm. Not so much anymore. Steve had stopped having coffee because it made him sick. Now I am getting to that point. Not amused.

WHAT IS THIS DOING TO OUR CHILDREN???????

Like · · Share · February 1 at 8:58am

------Facebook post January 30, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien

It is so unbelievably frustrating to be accused of being an opposer of EVERYTHING!

We did not oppose this project.

We were living our happily ignorant secluded life.

We attended no meetings in town or rallies.

We seriously thought, how bad could a wind farm possibly be.

Steve was working a fulltime job with overtime. Driving truck for Myers containers and has a cdl. Now he doesn't even want to drive our car.

I was happy raising our boy and pregnant with our second child.

I was in awe watching the turbines being erected.

We never complained to anyone about anything. 7

The noise of the work they had to do, yes we could hear it from our home.

We didn't make a fuss about the trafﬁc tie ups due to the equipment then all the parts and pieces being delivered. We did complain once, Steve was headed to work at 3 a.m to ﬁnd one of their delivery trucks abandoned on a snow covered hill, no lights no cones no driver. Abandoned the truck and left the truck blocking the road. Steve had just enough reaction time to put the car into the snow bank instead of hitting the truck. He later went and talked to someone at the site about it and frankly their reaction was that they could care less.

We didn't go public with that.

We had no idea what we were in for even with people trying to warn us, not until the turbines started. Still we did not think it would be that bad, so we would have to suffer a little noise.

We could not have been more wrong.

We are both unable to work as our Dr.

We are both on anti depressants Steve is on motion sickness pills. Yes this is due to living too close to this Industrial Wind Power plant.

The industry is well aware of the negative human impact.

Like · · Share · January 30 at 8:39am ------8 Ca le do n ia n R e co rd, Ja n u a ry 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 maroon Shefﬁeld Board Rejects Family Request For 1Iillind Farm Relief lmy Ash Hilton Etel'l' Illl'rlter

SHEFFIELD -- The team reoen’llyr denied a plea from a local family for nailed so they can move away from the wind turbines near their home.

Steve and Luann Therrlen and their two children live less than a mile from Industﬂal turbine: at the First Wind project. "I‘ll say may are suffering from noise from the wind . __ turbines and theyr want net. "‘5' ‘ ‘13 Marne J FILE PHOTO BY AMT ASH NIKON: The couple low-id out recently that their plea to the town's select board for $12.”, enough Shave Therrlen, at a Shefﬁeld for a down payment on a home away from the aalectboard meeting in Dee-amber, heroines. was denied, Luann 1herr1en said pleads 1with the heard to hem he and Ill! Tuesday. family relocate to another town, away from the wind turbines, seeking a In a letter to the couple, Hamel! Aldrich, illmudo“... Pl'fl'l'lll'lt f" I home II chair ‘3‘ “1' select “I”: "m“: ""9““ another com munity. On the edition of Individual reylew and based in part an advice m m"m“ m m.“ mm from the Town's attorney: Richard H+ Sludek. m that Hunt. the members of the Select Board have determined that we must decline your request for funds.

'Also considered In making this deoemlnadon Is the fact that all dloburaernenta or allocatione of monies received from the wind farm project [which the town hosts], heyoro the payment of Its messed taxes, must be brought before the voters of the town.“ Aldrich stated.

soeyen Therrlen attended the December select board meeting pleading for help and telling the board that his family was Ill and needed to relocate for their health.

Attorney Saudelr stained. In part. 'In my opinion, this Is not a Town problem and the select board should not authorize the payment of Town money to try a: sohre It. without its Inclusion as an item In the Town budget or specific authorlaetion by the voters at an moi or special town meeting. The fact that the Project {ﬁrst Wind} pays the Town on annual amour-it pursuant to an agreement does not change this ooi'icluolon.‘ 9 Ca le do n ia n R e co rd, Ja n u a ry 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 , p. 2 “The State Public service board has jurisdiction over the operation of the Project," Eaudelt continued. “In its review of proiects of this Itlnd, the FEB sets noise standards for their operation...the Board has reviewed noise complaints and the Department of Public Service has had a noise expert conduct tests to determine whether the Project has been opei'a'dng within the required limits. This Is the proper way to enforce noise standards; if the Public Service Board finds that the levels have been violated, It has many remedies at its disposal, Including levying a flne on the operator and, In extreme call-asI shutting down the Project. If the complainant feels the P53 has not adequately addressed his or her concerns, the courts may provide an alternative avenue to seek relief]

The Theirrens. who are aided in their quest by the advocacy group llll'ermonters for a Clean Environment. have a noise monitoring device set up at their home to log results and have asked for a buyout from First iIlllrinrl. The company said no.

First Wind says its noise levels are within the accepted levels set for its Public Service Beard-issued Certificate of Public Good. independent testing done by the state was done last year and failed to find anything that could be used to help the couple.

The couple went to the governor and Luann Therrlen testified last year before the 1liliern'iont State Legislature when a moratorium on wind farm construction was being mulied. The Therrlens recently sent a letter to state officials, but have so far not received any comment, said Luann Therrlen.

The letter says, In part. '{we} are pleased for the further investigation into the noise Issue Indusb'ial Wind Turbines have on Individuals who live in close proximity to the protects. we understand this will do nothing to help residents Impacted by already existing Industrial Iii'II'Ind Power Plants. That said, we request a written binding statement that living In too close proximity to the Sheffield wind project will not be harmful or have lasﬂng Impacts to us or our still developing chi Idren's health.“

The letter continues. “If the yen-hoot law makers and those who approved these industrial projects to be placed In close proximity to residents have no doubt harm Is not being done, a written statement of guarantee should be a simple taslt. If a letter of guarantee Is not a possibility we feel It Is the lGovernment's responsibility that put us In this predicament and are In charge of protecting Its citizens to assist us in being removed from harm's way.“

Luann Therrlen said she sent the letter via email on Jan. 12 and Jan. 21, “without so much as one rest-wise.“ to every member of the House committee on Health Care. the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, the House Committee on Human Services, the Public Service Board, various agency and departments heads. and the Vermont Congressional delegation and Gov. Peter Shunilln.

'If First Wind. the Town of Shefﬁeld or the Government are not willing to buy us out, we feel the least one of them could do Is provide us with a written binding guarantee thatwe are suffering no short or Iong-btrm health Impacts by living In too close proximity to Sheffield‘s First 1il'Il'Ind industrial power plant,"I she stated.

John Lamontagne. spokesman for the Boston-based First wind, said there Is no new comment on the situation. when contacted recently about the 11'Iarrlan's situation. 10

------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 28, 2014

Steven N Luann Therrien Have a response from the man himself....(right) President Barack Obama.

Dear Luann:

Thank you for writing. It sounds like you are going through a difﬁcult stretch, and I appreciate that you took the time to share your story with me.

Please know that I will keep ﬁghting for people like you every single day I hold this ofﬁce. Here in Washington, we need to focus on what really matters: reversing the forces that have battered the middle class for decades and making this country work for working Americans again. The road ahead may be long, but with hope and persistence, I know we can make it.

Thank you, again, for writing. To ﬁnd information about jobs, child care, health beneﬁts, housing assistance, and other public resources, I encourage you to call 1800FEDINFO or visit www.USA.gov.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Like · · Share · January 28 at 5:34pm · ------LETTER SENT TO LIST BELOW BY LUANN THERRIEN, JANUARY 27, 2014

From: luann therrien Date: January 27, 2014 12:26:36 PM EST To: Annette Smith

Update: no response from anyone. Sending my letter out to papers as

Letter to the editor or editorial/opinion.

This is the letter we sent via email on January 12th & 21st 2014 without so much as one response.

Sent this to every member of: *HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE *HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY *HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES *Public Service Board 11 Also to: Deb Markowitz, Doug Racine, Geoff Commons, Darren Springer, Chris Ricchia, Liz Miller, Peter Welch, Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy, Harry Chen & Governor Peter Shumlin.

Public Comment Docket # 7156 First Wind's Shefﬁeld Industrial Wind Power Plant

The Therrien family is very pleased for the further investigation into the noise issue Industrial Wind Turbines have on individuals who live in close proximity to the projects, we understand this will do nothing to help residents impacted by already existing Industrial Wind Power Plants.

That said we request a written binding statement that living in too close proximity to the Shefﬁeld wind project will not be harmful or have lasting impacts to us or our still developing children's health.

If the Vermont law makers and those who approved these Industrial Projects to be placed in close proximity to residents have no doubt harm is not being done, a written statement of guarantee should be a simple task. If a letter of guarantee is not a possibility we feel it is the Government's responsibility that put us in this predicament and are in charge of protecting its citizens to assist us in being removed from harm's way. Sadly noise is not the only harm being done. Impacted residents can also expect to be ostracized and have people not understand what they are dealing with having people openly making fun of their situation.

This is an example of the sort of non understanding and mentality we frequently encounter. Recently Steve went to the Sheffield Town Clerk's office to place a complaint about the excessive noise we were getting from the Industrial Wind Project to have Kathy the Town Clerk say to him, "I have been through Pennsylvania and everyone is fine with the Wind Turbines." Shortly after, Steve attended the monthly Select Board meeting. Steve brought up Kathy's statement asking her if she stopped and talked to anyone living near the turbines. Her answer was no she had only driven through.

Also at the Annual town meeting a newly elected person of the Town's Planning Commission stood up and in response to Steve's plea stated "If my family was being harmed I would just move."

During the State of The State address it was stated, when parents struggle the children suffer. We are struggling and our children are suffering due to no fault of our own.

We look forward to your response.

Mr. & Mrs. Steve & Luann Therrien 12 ------From: luann therrien Date: January 21, 2014 4:00:19 PM EST To: Annette Smith

We had a WIC appointment today and Steve asked if they would be the ones to place a complaint about an Industrial Plant behind our home. We gave them more info and this is what they gave us.

Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

AN* {MONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Potential Impact on the Public’s Health from Sound Associated with Wind Turbine Facilities

October 1 5, 2010

Report Prepared by:

William Bress, PhD. Environmental Health and Toxicology Chief William Irwin, ScD, CHP, Radiological Health Chief Austin Sumner, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist for Environmental Health

1 13 ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 15, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien ugh..... hungry but not. bouts of motion sickness. what a lovely way to begin a day. luann

Like · · Share · January 15 at 9:03am ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 6, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien Just received an email from First Wind in response to last nightʼs noise complaint::::::::::::::::::

Sound Complaint 1/05/ 2014

Claude Cote CCote@ﬁrstwind.com

Date: Monday, January 6, 2014 11:17am [email protected]

Bruce Chapman

Hide details

I checked with operations and site conditions were normal at the time of your complaint.

Also see my prior e-mail of 12/09/2013 on compliance.

Claude A. Cote

Vice President

Safety & Compliance

P: 617-960-9660

C: 857-636-2734

F: 617-960-2889 ccote@ﬁrstwind.com 14 ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 6, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien So Saturday night Steve spent the night at a friends house, needed to work on our van and needed it to sit in a warm garage over night. Guess what??? Yesterday morning he woke up feeling GREAT! Had coffee & breakfast, not something he has been able to do. After lastnight here at home... Yup, feels like hell.

Like · · Share · January 6 at 9:33am ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 6, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien Lots of turbine noise through the night. Steve called First Winds #1-800 we could care less number# Later we will received an email stating they checked operational data and they are running within guidelines that they are in compliance and we should review operational standards blah blah blah. In other words they are backed by the State, we are no body in their high ﬁnance world, our lives do not count and leave them alone. I for one would like to cram their standards in their......

Like · · Share · January 6 at 7:01am ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 1, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien 2014 Therrien household New Years Resolution!!!!!!!

To get the hell away from these wind turbines one way or another!

Get back to living a normal life, what ever that means.

Get a good nights sleep, what ever that is.

Start the day and continue through the day not feeling like hell, not sure we remember how that feels as feeling like hell everyday is the new normal.

Like · · Share · January 1 at 10:16am ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, January 1, 2014 Steven N Luann Therrien 2014 Therrien New Years Dream!

That not even one more family have to live through the hell of residing by an Industrial Power Plant run by Wind Turbines.

That Governments around the world take the plight of Industrial Wind Victims seriously. 15 That all adversely impacted families of Industrial Wind have a satisfactory resolution to their situation and can peacefully get on with their lives.

Like · · Share · January 1 at 10:15am ------LETTER TO VERMONT PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD From: luann therrien Date: December 31, 2013 12:13:28 PM EST To: "[email protected]" Subject: Docket # 8167

Please meet the Therriens. Steve (52), Luann (44), Seager (4) & Baily (2)

We consider ourselves to be hearty people. Living off grid and in the middle of no where is not easy but we love where we live.

We have lived at our home in Shefﬁeld, for almost 17 years, the land has been in my husbands family since the 70's. Our neighbors for two years now have been 16 turbines that line the ridge behind our home.

Before the turbines were built, we felt we did not know enough about Industrial Wind to have an informed opinion. We did not oppose them being built. We did not oppose the many inconveniences during construction that comes with a project this size. And yet we are still called N.I.M.B.Y.S.

We did not oppose the project, not until it was up and running and creating noise. Creating noise that unlike what the wind developers will try and make you believe- IS distinguishable above natural sounds. I have never heard anything in nature make a repedative whoosh whoosh whoosh sound for up to five days straight. And the only thing I have heard sound like a jet flying overhead, is a jet flying overhead. This has now been going on for over two years now.

It has been said that with all power comes sacrifice and problems. The problem is, my family is the sacrifice. In order to stop the continuing damage to our health and sanity we will have to sacrifice the land where we have lived, loved and planned to spend the rest of our lives. But when it comes to sacrificeing our dreams or ourselves there really is no choice. Currently we are unable to move, we have our residence on the market with no one looking. Unable to work means unable to move. We have no money, no jobs no way to prove to a home owner we would be able to pay our bills. Now we are looked down upon because we are having to survive off the State and people either do not or do not want to understand what has been done to us.

The noise for us is at it's worst when the wind is coming from the S/SE. When we are not getting the worst of it, other families are. The prospect of more storm systems blowing up the coast is about as frustrating as the noise itself. Know it's coming and not a thing we can do about it.

Steve was gainfully employed up til a little over a year ago, had started a new job that was perfect for him but had to give it up. The effects and stress of living in too close proximity to Industrial Wind became too much. We are suffering terribly, my husband and I have all the 16 signs of Wind Turbine Syndrome- (1) Sleep disturbance. Not simply awakened, but awakening in a panic (“ﬂight or ﬁght” response). (2) Headache. (3) Tinnitus. (4) Ear pressure. (5) Dizziness. (6) Vertigo. (7) Nausea. (8) Visual blurring. (9) Tachycardia. (10) Irritability. (11) Problems with concentration and memory. (12) Panic episodes associated with sensations of internal pulsation or quivering, which arise while awake or asleep. (This latter involving other, non-vestibular organs of balance, motion, and position sense.) My husband is feeling desperate because there is nothing he can do to protect his family. I've been feeling more agitated and working on unreasonable. Not a good combination with two little ones.

Since November 2012 both my husband and myself have been prescribed anti-depressants + sleeping pills + motion sickness medication.I honestly had no idea just how bad I had gotten because it came on gradually. My husband gets sick to his stomach often having to vomit and can feel the rise in his blood pressure. For over a year now he has had what can be described as a painless migraine, a constant pulseing in his head. Know if we do not feel well, we know our children do not feel well. The children are too small to articulate how they are being impacted. But when we get a lot of noise we see a deﬁnite change in their behavior and not for the better. No one will admit that there is a problem associated with living in too close proximity to wind turbines, needless to say they will not tell us if our still developing children will have long term damage. Most nights both of our children have restless nights and both regularly cry out in their sleep.

They deserve better. We deserve better.

We went through hell to have our children. Certainly was not my choice to have our first child at 40. We went through loss (one at five months along), tests, and operations. On our fifth try we had a healthy boy, and we now have a two year old baby girl. And instead of the joy of raising our babies, there is a feeling of being helpless and hopeless.

We have contacted First Wind. Their only worry is that they are in compliance, and cannot set precedent by giving a homeowner money. But precedent was already set when they placed an industrial park behind our home. Since the beginning of the project First Wind has maintained that there were no residence within a mile of the project, told this to the State to the papers to everyone. They have just recently admitted that we are less than 1 mile from the project.

Some pro wind experts say 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile is too close, other studies say 1.5 miles is too close. The 16 turbines are all from just under 3/4 of a mile to just under 2 miles from our home. So almost all 16 are too close for some studies. The human factor of living with the constant annoyance of these machines does not matter to the wind companies.

Your option is to place a complaint with the wind company to only be told in a heartless email that they are in compliance. This is an example of the emails we have received:

From Bruce Chapm… BChapman@ﬁrstwind.c… [email protected]

Brad Drake, Claude Cote

Mr. and Mrs. Therrien, 17 We received your sound complaint from this weekend.

After review, the facility was found not to be having any unusual conditions.

Please reference the previously e-mailed Sound Protocol if you have any questions.

Best Regards,

Bruce S. Chapman

Regional Operations Manager – East

FIRST WIND ENERGY, LLC

129 Middle Street, 3rd Floor

Portland, ME 04101 office 207.228.6878 inter-company phone 226878 mobile 207.554.0994 fax 207.221.1605 bchapman@firstwind.com www.firstwind.com:

They do not care because they are not required to care.

First Wind was only required to conduct one year of sound monitoring consisting of four sessions for two weeks each. They were allowed to oversee the entire process. Hire their own sound experts and have a say as to where the monitors would be placed. Before the first monitoring was done they had come up here and asked about putting putting a monitor here and we adamantly said yes we just did not want one place in our home. When they chose not to place a monitor near are with our residents it was obvious to us that the monitoring would be gamed. The three day sound monitoring that was done by the state turned out to be a joke first when was not supposed to know when the monitoring was to be done but they had contact with the sound expert who was then delayed for 3 days before setting up the equipment. months later after the study finally was released there was clear evidence of curtailment that First Wind denies. They claim they were running at full capacity, three different sound experts not in their employ looked at the results and said they were only running at 1/5th of their capability for the conditions of those 3 days. What other Industrial Companies get to get away with this? Vermont Yankee? No. Any Industry except for supposed green energy does not get to do this.

Please, I ask an behalf of every family that lives near or will live near a project to give this matter some much needed attention. 18 I thank you very much for your time.

Mr & Mrs Steve & Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

Phone: (802) 673-9089

Physical: 2924 New Duck Pond Road Shefﬁeld, Vermont

------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, Dec. 27, 2013 Steven N Luann Therrien On this journey we were forced into has led us in directions we never thought of going.

From doing an interview for WPTZ channel 5, numerous interviews with various newspapers, nervously testifying at the Vermont State House twice, that had us on WCAX 3 news and in the papers, again. To starting a Facebook group for Victims of Industrial Wind. Have to say that is one of the bright spots in all this, Facebook has given us a chance to connect with many wonderful people. Unfortunately many are in the same predicament we ﬁnd ourselves. Many have been forced to ﬂee their homes due to the illness wind turbines create, quit their jobs and be treated as if they are insane by many. Not a fun way to live. As I said above a life we were forced into.

We have also been forced into begging. Begging for a way out. We have written to absolutely everyone we can think of. Mostly without response or the response of ''we are so sorry for your situation".

We HAVE TO MOVE. Be it a rent to own, owner ﬁnance, possibly someone looking for a home they need tending to in which we may reside.

One of the ways we have been begging is on a site called gofundme, our link is http://www.gofundme.com/Family-ill

This is no fun for us but what we gave been reduced to. If you or anyone you know could help, please do. In one way or another it would be most appreciated.

Thank you

Like · · Share · December 27, 2013 at 12:03pm 19 ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, Dec. 27, 2013 Steven N Luann Therrien Steve had dry heaves AGAIN this morning. Thank you First Wind for making us feel like we live in a houseboat and we live no where near water.

Like · · Share · December 27, 2013 at 9:17am ------Facebook post by Luann Therrien, Dec. 26, 2013 Steven N Luann Therrien The New Year is almost here. We had hoped to be moved off the mountain and away from the Industrial Power Plant behind out home before 2014, not looking like a possibility. If anyone knows of a rent to own home or an owner ﬁnance situation, we wouldn't mind a custodial house sitting please let us know. Thank you.

Like · · Share · December 26, 2013 at 1:30pm ------From: luann therrien Date: December 7, 2013 9:30:40 AM EST To: Bruce Chapman Cc: Claude Cote , Brad Drake , Chris Recchia , Susan , "[email protected]"

Subject: Re: Shefﬁeld Sound Complaint Dec. 04, 2013

Steve is having dry heaves this morning.

As in having motion sickness.

Last I checked our place is not a houseboat.

This is the reality of infrasound.

Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822 20 Dec. 6, 2013, Caledonian Record SHEFFIELD llllll'll Plllllli lllll Illlllllll HIIIM Wlllll lllllllllll lllllil Ask Select Board For Help Wrth Down payment On New Home

“AMY ASH NIKON Staff Writer

Ahomeowner whose family has beenpleeding for help relocating from their modest home near the wind turbines has now asked the town’s select board for help with a down payment to relocate. Steve Therrien, who lives a little less than a mile from some of the 16 turbines owned by Boston-based First Wind, appeared ‘Wednesdavr night at the Sheffield Select Board, seeking townmonev for a down payment. He said he and his wife, Luann, have a chance to buy a home that is available with owner financing. Initially, the Therriena had asked the town to be}r them outoftheirhomeandmefiflaeresoflanduponwhiehit

SEGHHIIII,PB§BA5 21 kids." implind Thai: 11 in Rescue bond. ”Windinuniwd...mmfly continued frnrn Page A1 nut] in 5H out of than." said mThcymnnimnwith Tharricn.“DnyauruJi1=thufl1il flu: mdnnnlhni: can hurl: nfl'mls that can In last- nfih: town is $12,000 fur the ing‘? My kids unuld hi: pann- damn-mm nenflylramfllwnukilhinkflut mann'iywuainmm- wouldbcammlmnjwmn- fnlmkhgahnynmfi'nmihuhn- mmdamjurhullhifiw." hinnnwnmfim‘ilfmd. "I."».! L" “1" lb” 5-“ Than-inn pimdndfinrflnbnud First Wmdminuimthnwind Share 'i'henien pieacis with the mmidulwlphgflmflnfibrwilh daelnpmentiswfthinnniflmm- Shefieid Seiect Board on adnwnpnymmi. piianwsmdudsmduinmuis— Wnasday night in haip his "We‘re gain; in mud in ink: amid Cmificui: uf Publicfimd. family remain away from me this undu- Idvimmt and tall: but in: mph: and animate: wind tar-hm mathesajs are with uur may.“ aid bani nwldngtnhalpthem. inchiding making him. his wii’eand their mmmnm “Sunburn: fnraCleanEnviInn- nun smaii chiidmn iii. 3m mt. maintain: that In: incl nf “H'Ilbuhnnenmh‘slifl nuiuthnfiimilyismhjmdmin nilhlhennnnmmity. Aldflm. mfinglhmilLand hvnflihd "I'm nut yum many of any On Thursday, Luann Tim-rim mpnblic ofliniais. includhig the m“bcmu11wrimuwm saidfllehnmflnfilnilyhnpuh :hy’s meeting. Impartial by mmctoisuMn-fmilysnum Inwnphaming mmiuion mun- influmnlal inmmcwnnld lull]: hu'mdanli-wind prnluiu'ficilh pltemnrtglgaJtismtin “Thcp'njnct mnainsinnnnqnli- Billet. Shcfliield. mwiihalamannndm" 'Ihmimnplaimddimhcfm- “Saying Ihia is mini: tn in mmmuwmwhy’n ilyisunnhlcinahcppmpu'ly,“ smndswchilifinh.finhmfliril mat-“ting, said plcas fnrhnip thus 11151..r with up “hmdizzy. anally what ailnfthisil."nid flrhm fallmundmfmmd mus. Hi: slid ifit 'Iliflll an]! Luann Thin-inn. “Unfair Th1 [hafntnilyisdupmltemgfim handhisuihhuwnidlivewiih PW“ Mamnmdnnun- tmlhaflfifldwtnwn mbInaacinglfischiktcnwiflidmt fnreinmilalinn.Un&jrnmgm- at" Shffldd mim SSIMW I chlauflerfluiruyulnilnnking mmdidmidniudulyhyiu year in um: um! anppJ-mennl up ufingismnrefllmh: Indhis nifimuinmlkcmflutwmfl Wage-adminlmm wifi cm bur. “Ynu‘w m: my hennhlnn." 22 EMAIL FROM DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS DIVISION TO THERRIENS, DEC. 3, 2013

On Dec 3, 2013 9:25 AM, "Paruch, Susan" wrote: Hi Luann,

I do understand your frustration. That is part of the problem (as I see it) with how the monitoring plan and complaint investigation process was set up for First Wind. Basically, because the initial sound monitoring that First Wind did over the ﬁrst year of operation implies that there would never be a noise violation at your residence, First Wind is not required to investigate any noise complaints you might have in the future.

I think this is not a good process. Unfortunately, it would take a Board order to change it. However, I do know that I am not the only person here at the Department who believes as I do.

Brad Drake sends me messages of the replies he sends to you of the complaints you send to First Wind, but he doesnʼt include your actual complaints to First Wind.

In the future, my suggestion is to just contact me with your complaints. I still hope to use all the data Iʼve been gathering to eventually make changes in how noise (and other wind-related complaints) are investigated, and I think itʼs helpful to have as accurate a record of complaints from consumers as possible.

Again, I wish there was something I could do right now to help you and your family. Unfortunately, any change to the process will most likely take longer than either of us wants.

Susan

Susan Paruch

Vermont Public Service Department

Division of Consumer Affairs & Public Information

112 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05620-2601

802-828-4015 23 ------

From: luann therrien Date: November 27, 2013 1:36:10 PM EST To: Annette Smith , Chris Recchia Subject: Fwd: FW: Shefﬁeld Sound Complaint

They simply do not care. They could care less if the ground opened up and swallowed us whole.

Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

(802) 673-9089

2924 New Duck Pond Road Shefﬁeld, Vermont

------Forwarded message ------From: "Claude Cote" Date: Nov 27, 2013 1:18 PM Subject: FW: Shefﬁeld Sound Complaint To: "[email protected]" Cc: "Bruce Chapman" , "Brad Drake"

Luann,

We received your sound complaint a few hours ago.

I conﬁrmed with the operations center that the site has normal operating conditions.

Attached is the prior sound complaint response with the extrapolated values for your reference.

This message is intended only for the designated recipient(s). It may contain conﬁdential or proprietary information and may be subject to the attorney-client privilege or other conﬁdentiality protections. If you are not a designated recipient, you may not review, copy or distribute this message. If you receive this in error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you. 24

. I ‘

D u n kl GI H 91 CollegeColleqe Street,Stt'eet, Burlington,13urlinqtOtl, VT 05401 Rebeccar'iebeccCl E.I':. BoucherDoucher *., Eileen[eileen!. l. Elliott[]Iiott Andrew N. Raubvogel a“n d e rs tel 802850-1003802.860.'1003 |I faxfa)( 80285031208802.860.1208 ElizabethE:liLabelh H. CatlinCaUin GeoffreyC3eofll'OY H. Hand Mark A. Saunders www.clunkl‘elsaunderscomwww.dunkielsaunders.com Brianf3rian S. DunkielDunl,iel •*' Jessica A. Oski Karen L. Tyler ELLIOTTl:LLIOTT |I RAURAUBVOGEL BVOGEI. |I HAND

June 25, 2012

By HANDHAND DELIVERYDELIVERY

Mrs. Susan Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 State Street, Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620—270105620-2701

Re: Docket No. 7156 —- ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project

Dear Mrs. Hudson:

Vermont Wind, LLC (“Vermont("Vermont Wind”)Wind") isis in receipt of the noise complaint dated June 11, 2012 ﬁflIedled by Steve and Luann Therrien with the Vermont Public ServiceSelvice Board (“Board”)("Board") concerning the ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project (“Project”).("Project"). The Board requested that th Vermont Wind respondrespond to the complaint by June 25‘“.25 . As explained below, the noise monitoring data for the Project demonstrates that Vermont Wind\'\!ind isis in compliance with the noise limitslimits set by the Board. Further, the Therriens do not qualify for additional monitoring at their residenceresidence under the Board—approvedBoard-approved noise complaint protocol because the projected sound levelslevels at that locationlocation are more than 3 dBA lower than the noise limit.

To provide context on the noise monitoring requirementsrequirements applicable to the Project, Vermont Wind provides the following chronological background on the development and approval process of the noise monitoring plan:

' 0• Per condition 10 of the CertiCertificateficate of Public Good issued for the Project, Vermont Wind fiflIedled a noise monitoring plan on March 31, 2010 with the Board, and submitted a revisedrevised plan (in responseresponse to comments from other parties) by letter dated May 26, 2010. The Board approved the plan by Order dated SeptemberSeptem.ber 1.0,10, 2010. The noise monitoring plan details the operational monitoring requirementsrequirements for the fifirstrst year and complaint responseresponse procedure.

0• On October 26,26,2011, 2011, the ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project became operational.

0• As requiredrequired under the noise monitoring plan, VermontVennont Wind fifiledled a map with the Board on January 12,12,2012 2012 depicting the precise locationslocations of the sound monitoring stations. These locationslocations were chosen per the procedures outlined inin Section 3.2 of the noise monitoring plan and after personnel from VermontVennont Wind contacted landownerslandowners at the locationslocations identiidentifiedfied inin Appendix B of the noise monitoring plan. 25 F rom: "Bruce Chapman" Dat e: Nov 26, 2013 3: 16 PM Subject : Shef field Sound Complaint To: " lmt t herrien@gmail. com" Cc: "Brad Drake" , "Claude Cot e"

Mr. and Mrs. T herrien,

We received your sound complaint f rom t his weekend.

Af t er review, t he f acilit y was f ound not t o be having any unusual condit ions.

I n addit ion we did check t he complaint line and it was operat ional.

At t ached please ﬁnd a copy of t he prior response required by t he Sound Prot ocol f or your ref erence.

Best Regards,

Bruce S. Chapman

Regional O perat ions Manager – East

F I RST W I ND ENERG Y, LLC

129 Middle St reet , 3rd F loor

Port land, ME 04101

of ﬁce 207.228.6878

int er-company phone 226878

mobile 207.554.0994

f ax 207.221.1605

bchapman@ﬁrst wind. com

www. ﬁrst wind. com 4.1, firstwind- EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE 26 EMAIL FROM AGENCY OF HUMAN SERVICES STAFFER, NOVEMBER 4, 2013 From: "Donahue, Shaun" Date: Nov 5, 2013 9:08 AM Subject: FW: Vermont family needs aid. To: "[email protected]" Cc: "Racine, Doug"

Good morning Ms. Therrien,

I am responding to your recent email on behalf of Secretary Doug Racine as I represent his office in the northeast region of the state. I can see from your email that the issues you are coping with have certainly challenged you and your family. I did review the services offered by the Agency of Human Services and I see that you and your husband are both enrolled in the Reach Up program and are currently under a medical deferment through your physician. It was not clear to me if you or your husband had actually applied for disability benefits and I would urge you to apply as soon as possible if you have not already done so. Your Reach Up grant is relatively low due to the information on file regarding your housing costs. Our records indicate that your annual cost is approximately $1,300, if this is not correct; you should update the information with your Reach Up caseworker. The records also indicate that your family is enrolled in Medicaid and that you are receiving a SNAP (food) benefit and have been approved for seasonal fuel. Another service that you may not be aware of is employment assistance through our Vocational Rehabilitation office, and your Reach Up caseworker could assist you in being connected to them.

You may also be eligible for assistance through the local Community Action Program, which offers a food shelf, and emergency assistance with utilities and heat for families.

Aside from those resources, there may be some information speciﬁc to the wind farm project available through the Agency of Natural Resources, and/or the Department of Public Service. I will make inquiries to both of those ofﬁces later today and get back to you with anything I learn.

If you would like to contact me to discuss this further, I can be reached at the information below. I am typically in the Newport ofﬁce on Tuesday and Thursday.

Thank you,

Shaun

Shaun F. Donahue

AHS Field Director, Newport & St. Johnsbury Districts

67 Eastern Ave, Suite 4 100 Main Street, Suite 240

St Johnsbury, VT 05819 Newport, VT 05855 27

O (802) 751-0168 O (802) 334-3915

C (802) 279-6105 C (802) 279-6105

F (802) 751-3203 F (802) 334-3360 [email protected]

------

EMAIL FROM LUANN THERRIEN, NOVEMBER 3, 2013

From: Lmttherrien [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2013 12:09 PM To: Racine, Doug Subject: Vermont family needs aid. To whom it may concern,

We are a family of 4 ages 51, 45, 4 & 2, we are desperate for help. Not sure we can make it through another winter. (Us having children so late in our lives is a whole other heart breaking story.)

We are already ill. Our Drs. have advised us not to work. We do not have the money to move. Fund raisers have been done to help us but it is not enough. Around $6000.00 has been raised. Not having money or jobs is not a combination lenders will take a chance on no matter how sympathetic to our plight they may be. We have ﬁled for disability but the process takes many appeals and a lot of time. Time that we do not have.

The weather system is changing and the noise from the 16 Industrial Wind Turbine project behind our home is about to become unbearable. Even if we could stay here, due to our illness we have not been able to properly prepare for the coming winter. We will freeze.

But beyond that the only way for us to become well and whole again is to move from our home & land that we love. Where we had planned to spend the rest of our lives.

We have found a duplex in Barton for $70,000.00. One unit has been rented for four years, the owner was elderly and has been moved to an elder care facility. This is a place that we could make our home with some help. The structure is in good shape. Basic updates could be done throughout but not necessary for habitation.

We have tried every avenue we can think of. Please isn't there anyone out there who will help?

Sincerely. 28 Steve & Luann Therrien

Mailing: P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822 Home: (802) 673-9089 Email: [email protected] Physical: 2924 New Duck Pond Road Shefﬁeld, Vermont

------

ARTICLE ABOUT POTENTIAL HARM TO CHILDREN FROM SLEEP DEPRIVATION October 14, 2013 Luann Therrien wrote:

They know this and do nothing. http://www.chw.org/display/ppf/docid/28018/islisting/yes/thispage/1/newsnavid/39911/ router.asp

SLEEP DEPRIVATION HAS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR CHILDREN MILWAUKEE (3/6/2008) - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleep loss and sleep disorders are chronic conditions for an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans.

Sleep is especially important for children. Lack of sleep has been linked to serious health issues and poor school performance in children and adolescents and irritability and overall fussiness in infants and toddlers. According to the National Sleep Foundation, two-thirds of American children age 10 and younger have sleep problems.

"Sleep is the primary brain activity for infants," said Lynn D'Andrea, MD, medical director of Pulmonary Services at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "Chronic lack of sleep can affect a young child's development."

"School-age children who do not get enough sleep may see their grades drop," D'Andrea said. "A child who is not getting enough sleep may have a shorter attention span, difﬁculty learning and an inability to concentrate. He or she also may miss more school because of illness." In addition, research has linked lack of sleep to physical inactivity, weight gain and other risky behaviors such as use of alcohol and tobacco.

For teens, drowsiness can be deadly when they get behind the wheel of a car. Studies have shown that drowsy driving is as dangerous as drinking and driving. The National Highway 29 Trafﬁc Safety Administration estimatesthatdrowsy driving causesatleast 100,000 police- reported crashes and killsmore than 1,550Americanseach year.

Most sleep problems are treatable. For many children, adopting good bedtime habits is all that is needed. Following are tips to help your child sleep:

Infants (newborn to 18 months) Sleep needed: 10 to 18 hours of sleep a day (including naps). - Develop daytime nap and bedtime schedules and stick to them. -Create an enjoyable bedtime routine that you do every night with your child. -Establish a safe sleep environment. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants be placed on their backs in a crib without soft objects and bedding such as pillows, quilts and stuffed animals. -Put infants to bed drowsy but not yet asleep, to encourage them to fall asleep on their own.

Toddlers and preschoolers (19 months to 4 years) Sleep needed: 11 to 14 hours a day (including naps). -Develop a bedtime routine such as having a snack or reading a story. Make sure the routine ends with your child in his or her own bed. -Create a bedroom environment that is the same every night – cool, dark, quiet and comfortable. -If your child is afraid, suggest a blanket or stuffed animalforcompany. -If your child wakes in the middle of the night, try to redirect him or her back to bed with minimal interactions.

School-aged children (5 to 12 years) Sleep needed: nine to 11 hours a night. -Talk to your school-aged child about healthy sleep habits and why they are important. -Enforce consistent sleep schedules and bedtime routines, even on weekends. -Make your child's bedroom the best environment for sleep – dark, cool and quiet. -Avoid having a TV or computer in your child's bedroom. -Balance your child's schedule. Neverlet activities take the place of sleep. - Teach your child to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Overweight children are at risk for sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder.

Teens (13 to 18 years) Sleep needed: nine hours a night. -Help your teen plan a schedule that includes the necessary sleep time and stick to it, even on the weekends. -Encourage your teen to develop a bedtime routine that involves quiet activities like reading or listening to soft music. -Create a good sleep environment – cool, dark and comfortable. -Limit caffeine, especially after lunchtime. -Teach your child to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Both will help him or her maintain a healthy weight. Overweight children areatrisk forsleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder.

Children's Hospital has the only pediatric Sleep Clinic in the state that is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Children with sleep disorders are evaluated in the Sleep Clinic. A pediatricsleep laboratory isavailableforchildren who need additional testing. If your child hasa sleep problem,talkto hisor her doctor or call (414) 266-2790.Americans are sleep deprived. According to a recent study sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleep loss and sleep disorders are chronic conditions for an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans.

Sleep is especially important for children. Lack of sleep has been linked to serious health issues and poor school performance in children and adolescents and irritability and overall 30 fussiness in infants and toddlers. According to the National Sleep Foundation, two-thirds of American children age 10 and younger have sleep problems.

For teens, drowsiness can be deadly when they get behind the wheel of a car. Studies have shown that drowsy driving is as dangerous as drinking and driving. The National Highway Trafﬁc Safety Administration estimatesthatdrowsy driving causesatleast 100,000 police- reported crashes and killsmore than 1,550Americanseach year.

Most sleep problems are treatable. For many children, adopting good bedtime habits is all that is needed. Following are tips to help your child sleep:

School-aged children (5 to 12 years) Sleep needed: nine to 11 hours a night. -Talk to your school-aged child about healthy sleep habits and why they are important.] -Enforce consistent sleep schedules and bedtime routines, even on weekends. -Make your child's bedroom the best environment for sleep – dark, cool and quiet. -Avoid having a TV or computer in your child's bedroom. -Balance your child's schedule. Neverlet activities take the place of sleep. - Teach your child to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Overweight children are at risk for sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder.

Teens (13 to 18 years) Sleep needed: nine hours a night. -Help your teen plan a schedule that includes the necessary sleep time and stick to it, even on the weekends. -Encourage your teen 31 to develop a bedtime routine that involves quiet activities like reading or listening to soft music. -Create a good sleep environment – cool, dark and comfortable. -Limit caffeine, especially after lunchtime. -Teach your child to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Both will help him or her maintain a healthy weight. Overweight children areatrisk forsleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder.

Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

------

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA, SEPT. 24, 2013

The White House no-reply@corresponde…

Sep 24, 2013

The White House, Washington

Dear Luann:

Thank you for writing. I have heard from many Americans concerned about environmental issues—from pollution reduction to the well-being of our national parks and wildlife. Americaʼs natural resources and landscapes are among our most precious treasures, and we have an obligation to protect them for future generations.

That is why my Administration continues to take action to preserve and restore our land, water, and air. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we increased funding for hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure construction, and projects that improve our Nationʼs parks and wildlife refuges. I also signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act—the most extensive expansion of land and water conservation in more than a generation. And my Administration has taken comprehensive action to ensure the integrity of the water sources Americans rely on every day for drinking, swimming, and ﬁshing, and that support farming, tourism, and economic growth.

I have also been proud to designate nine national monuments for permanent protection, including Chimney Rock in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado; the San Juan Islands that are home to bald eagles, orca whales, and harbor seals in Puget Sound; and the Rio Grande del Norte, over 240,000 acres in New Mexico containing scenic stretches of the Rio Grande gorge and extinct volcanoes rising from the Taos Valley ﬂoor. These monuments open more opportunities for Americans to connect to the outdoors, provide jobs and economic 32 beneﬁts for local communities, preserve our heritage, and protect Americaʼs special places for future generations to enjoy.

To safeguard our natural heritage and historic landmarks, I was also proud to launch the Americaʼs Great Outdoors Initiative. Building on input from tens of thousands of people across our country, my Administration is joining with communities, landowners, sportsmen, businesses, and partners at every level of government to reconnect Americans with the natural world and lay the foundation for a more sustainable planet. We also established the ﬁrst comprehensive National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes—ensuring healthy ocean and coastal resources for the many communities and economies that rely on and enjoy them.

We have also taken important steps to reduce the harmful emissions that contribute to climate change and pollute our water and air. For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. Its effects—including warmer temperatures, extreme weather, and sea level rise —are being felt across our Nation and around the world. Today, the United States is on the path to a cleaner and more secure energy future, and the dangerous carbon pollution emissions that threaten our communities have fallen to their lowest level in nearly two decades. We will continue to reduce air pollution through clean energy technology, energy efﬁciency measures for our buildings and appliances, and achievable pollution standards that are reducing toxic pollutants and saving lives. As part of our efforts, we set the ﬁrst-ever national limits for mercury and other toxins from power plants, which will prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms each year.

Changing the way we produce and use energy is essential to protecting our environment for future generations. We established the toughest new fuel economy standards in history, which will double the fuel efﬁciency of our cars and light trucks by the middle of the next decade— saving American families money at the pump while slashing carbon pollution and oil consumption. We also established the ﬁrst-ever national fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for commercial trucks, vans, and buses built in 2014-2018. Our Nation is becoming a global leader in advanced vehicles, and auto dealers are selling more hybrid vehicles than ever before. I am also calling on Congress to use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. The Trust will support research into a range of cost- effective technologies, including advanced vehicles that run on electricity and alternative fuels.

Thanks in part to my Administrationʼs investments in clean energy—the largest in American history—the United States has doubled renewable energy generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources. I have also set a goal to double renewable electricity production again by 2020 to build on our momentum and create tens of thousands of American jobs, while continuing to improve the health of our natural environment for all our children and grandchildren.

Thank you, again, for writing. We all share the responsibility to help protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land that supports and sustains us. My Administration remains committed to tackling these and other tough environmental problems—not only for the sake of our natural world, but also for the long-term wellbeing of our families and our economy. I encourage you to learn more about our efforts at www.WhiteHouse.gov/Environment . You can 33 also ﬁnd out more about t he Americaʼ s G reat O ut doors I nit iat ive at AmericasG reat O ut doors. gov.

Sincerely,

Barack O bama

Visit W hit eHouse. gov ------CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD L ET T ER TO T HE EDI TO R, Sep t. 11, 2013

the (Emile, September 11, $313 Letter to the editor

Den't ignore pamfial impacts of law fi'equmcy sound from turbines Tolhllflmr. mmnmflmdntflmdwfinfim. agimfinmhighhlcudprmmmdthaflhgmd amaflchfldnnhuvcbunmflngrflkiflemm muldnmfimeutwhnwuauingcn {Um-c fromfindmrhinuaineedmfihefieldwm 33mm: include tin.1:li1:lulr vac-121m, irritnhility, Project began. Dnhugult i5. Luann Then-1H1 nfiyninenandprablemwithmncentnfinnand hand-delivered a letter to Gm:Bhumlin mummy.) Hewentmaaehiadnetnrwhnnhe signalling 13mm, li‘l'incnaacthc wind mcdmhebafllod. The man wentunmfiun pmjnetnarmmdtheatnmnndeufl'aringfi'nmwind and. mimflnucly. his symptom: disappeared. Thamnnceturnadfiumvneatiunandhia Shumlinmfimuchmdwmrhcmhcflmgiu amateur-3m. Themflythingthlt. himanidenel‘whattheywmfndngntthahandl ehang‘edinhiaenvimnmentwnnmallindhuhinn. nfBig'u'l’ind. Thefinwnm’etepidreepmadhad Ahngwithelcetririly,windturhinflpmducn mmmiuauandmnciuflutmhcfinginu highmmnuafluwfi-aquancynniuand thin-situation In factncnaufthcccmmimur inmdibleinfi'amu. nd. Whmpleadm‘ethcirma mmdning ' untheirbehall‘. finca-lfi-demhal' neuhng" unwindturhune' nu'ua. Inupitaofwhntthemte'aelfiafheahhuflfimr winddwelnpanuaethaannlnflufauundlinn hunidnlnutil. tmhnvclumcoiefidlnn gum library. airaqunncyncinmd'mfl'uwnd mppncfingwindturhinaayndmm Windmrhina willnuthefiuundinaquietlihrlry. mumtflmudem-miucdbythedHcin Whlnthafiihhemflmdlndfiim Mbutmmbypmfimiuanddincficn. A MminPq'bhlemdm'bdeaudihh hmmmnhcflmnmhflmcnmm mdandhnwmnmfimfimhubaenmnf windturhina. Amunlnmginamnduminium mmplinnmwiflfltaC-ertiflmtaufhbflcfimdnn dalmaqdject.hwfl'equcmymiI-amd inludihleinhmndmaybcimmctmmplfl hmlthmnrelhnnthenudihlenniaetheymmplain Court advocates for taut. Imuflnsmfiflimpamofhwm unhanndilifnlmndfiemnindmhinm children needed Wandmulamfllmnfinuatepnt mklivingnmmdpmjadlinharm'lwaf. Rightnuw,tharenraci1fldmninvulvedintha Mthmhuhhnfl-hflumdqulfityml Dfl-annmunwhmilyflmnwhnnndhflp. Richard H Rummy Thardcn‘tnaedm—jmtfimeandatmfim. Inmaechnan’hfldmhanheen Nlnpcflflinw ------34 Cal e doni an Re c or d, Se pte mbe r 6, 2013 ht t p: / / c a l e doni a nre c ord.c om / m a i n.a sp? Se c t i onID=1& SubSe c t i onID=145& Art i c l e ID=99388& T M=28858.73 Harem: ammo-o an NVDA Committee Explores Industrial Wind Impacts Janldfar Harasr fisvaiand Ital‘fllirl'lor

BARTON u P‘i'mtll'l'litf to Industrial wind turbines Is maltlng people I". and the state's pro-gram to increase the use of remwable energy:r sources I! a “sham.“

That's the massaga a oomrnlttaa axpiorlng the Impacts of Industrial wind projaots haard Wadnesdav waning at tha Barton Town Clark's Di'ﬂoa.

111a committee was: formed by Mord-leastern 1lul'erI-ntlnl'lt Development Aeaoclaﬂon following "W's July 2012 recommendation that all Industrial wlnd devetopment be swipended for three years until more Is kmwn about ":5 Impact on local commuritlas. L 's'dlck tn mural .— Forrnar stats sanator Jim Greenwood, who PM“ I” Jennifer Harley Mud looks at aoonornle development for Hmsald ltaua Tharrian spaalta ahout tha u“... the oomrnittaa was charged wlth examlnlng haaIth prohiams his famly has aul'l'arad big wind’a Impact on thlngs like aesthetics, which ha IIIIII'H'II ara dua to I“. ma; property values, and health as well as: doing a pruninltvho hduatrlill wind mmis oust-beneﬁt analysts. 51mm

When the sommitht-e's work Is deniall It will Isa-o a report, which Is upontad In Jamnry. Erannwood said.

On Wednesday evening, the oornml‘ttaa heard from Kevin B. Jonas. Smart Grid Project leader for the Institute for EnergyI and the Envirorunent at 1item-lent Law School. and , Steve 111errlen. whose fan-Ill? ls suffering from - - _- - III healti'l, whlol'l doctors say I: caused hr wlnd r! tltll'tlll'le syndrome. The Then-lens live on mick Pond Read, less than a mlle from flue mrbines In First Wind's Sheffield development. whila iogioaliy It woutd maka sansa that i *fl'u‘ '3 3'1""9'! Horse-,- Cleve land “WW “I“: bl sold twioa, Jonas told the Phfltfl ll'f Jennifer oommlttaa that Is mm mm m-exactly .... nrwhat r-n-w-H- Is happening mv In mmemnwnm»lttaa “flint-t“ (REF-i- am has resulted In Inoraalad alum rats- and hemasad use olfoaal hula fur-mug I1 1Ili'arlnorlit. 35

CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD 9/ 6/ 13, PAG E 2 T he SPEED Legislation in connecucut may eliminate part of the problem. Jones said. Proposed legislation there would ban the punchase ol“ REEs if projects are meeting other state‘s renewable energy goals, he said.

pro-gram {Bauhainabiy Prload Energy 'I'm lnsulted that the Connecticut Legislature Development} purports to promote b'le development of ln-atabe energy sou-tea lhat had to fix Vermont's pro-bierns,‘ Jones said. UH “with full: as 'IFIIUII W Hill mt But even llr passed, that still leaves eldent possible that the economic henel'ils ol‘ Massachusetts as I big purchaser of Vermont “min-ft!WUMSMWMU‘HWM REEs. economy in general and to the rate-paying dtlssns In particular. If the state doesn't get rid of SPEED! and move mnmsalomeeeawlmdtlsmnet he a renewable portfolio standard ill-IFS), all inu'eaee ln renewable energy sources In New that will be left betIn Vermont Is 'a pile of “I”W lMMfli ll'l IKE-Flt I'IHI I'll' fl'fl coal and some all barrels and some spent fuel mte‘s carbon footprint. rods,“ Jones said. 'll'lle‘ya done nothing For the climate and harmed the economy,‘ Jones said. wlile a lot Therrien told the committee that wind turbine 0' woof-m Ind out-ofncountry canoe-nines syndrome is real and It's serious -- something have made a pile of money. his Family has found out firstl'land. finse companies like Green Mountain Fewer. which owns lot-adorn community Wind in Nunerous studies indicate that living within Lowell, strip the REC: and sell them to othu' hyo miles of Industrial wind turbines In a man. what‘s left is a "residual mist mountainous terrain ls unsafe to human composed of so percent fossil fuels and +0 health. Then‘Ien said. nulear for Vermont-arr consolation. ‘rhle ll l-l'lounalstant with 'li‘ennont's climate goals. he Therrlen said he and his family members have said. experienced sleep deprivation, panic attacks, "It's lhe sham ol‘ the SPEE} program," Jones stroke-like symptoms, motion sickness with said. 'n‘a the moat fundamentally flawed nausea, uncenuollable blood pressure, and Ill renewable energy policy in the chum-y." health and agitation In general. Their dog just Joneeeald Vermontlstneonly state do!!! cowers under the house now, he said. with renawable III-Fm PDHEIII " to HIGH fl'll aaleol' flE-Cebscl-le financial de'b'lmentof Humidity seems to Infinsll‘y the problems. he “WNW:- said. “When Sandy came through last yearll i'll'l honest I'i‘J'II'l‘illhll Il'flm nogram “Dill my house was literally vibrating: Therrlen leave no money for developers. Jones said. said. clearly emodonal shown the problem.

'Jeeua Christ. what I tragedy.‘ committee He said his kids were waking up In tears. and member Hark Whom said. he woke up wild-l airb'eme numbness in his II I! dill-unfit for the state to claim it's face, which hasn't completely abated. producing green energy If It allows the sale of llECsy Jones said. 'lt‘s a renewable energy Therrlen said he's had three days this summer Poul mini,- I shell genie:I he said. when he actually felt well. teghiadon In Connecticut may eliminate part ol' the problem, Jones said. Proposed For ‘l'herrien, it tool: about sh: to eight months legislation mare would ban the purcrlaaa of before he felt the effects, but a visitor to the RECa lfprojecta are meeting merm'a house had bed spins after being there one fll‘lfll’lm ll'lli'mf DIM“. ll I-Illl. right. 36 CALEDONIAN RECORD, 9/6/13, P. 3

A men came to do a study of the health effects. paid for by the state. of which First Wind was supposed to be unaware, Therrlen said. But First lWind caught wind of the study anti "dialed badt' to one-fifth Its capacity. while claiming it was at full capacity. Therrlen said.

Dr. Harry Chen, commissioner of the Department of Health. has never interviewed the Therrlens, nor has he visited the sibe, Thernien said. Same goes for the Department of Public Service and the Public Service Board, he said.

Sound levels around the facility are monitored, but monitoring devices are plaoecl where First Wind knows the sound will be lessened. Therrlen said he asked for one near his house, but it never happened.

Therrlen has been trying to sell his property, and has asked First Wind to buy him out -- all to no avail.

A Canadian study group is trying to correlate proximity to turbines to cortisol levels In humans, Whltwortl'i said. But that won't be done for another year, Greenwood said.

”We know this is a scam,‘ Therrlen said. "This Is aiiuptoustonotletthese people dothieto us."

------37 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, AUG UST 20, 2013 ”EWIJ Shefﬁeld Family Unhappy With Governor's Take an 1lliflnd Amy Ash liken Staff iill'rIier

sHamsLo -- s snernalo ramiiy's piee m Gov. Peter Shumlln begging for relief from wind turbine nolsa did not produce the hoped-For rasulu.

Luau-m TIIII'IHI'I hand-delivered a lettEr to the governor on Aug. 5 on behalf of her family and 12 others near three Vermont wind proJects. She received a personal response from the governor dated Aug. 13.

Thar-Hen lies with her husband Sieve and ﬂielr tare children within a mile dl‘ turbines operated by First Wind in Sheffield. The letter sent to the governor from the 13 a. ﬁlm to enlarge ‘— famllles requested that he call personally and ' ' visit their homes to 'get a bettBr FILE PHDTO B‘I“ MW ASH NEON understanding or how we are being afiectad." Luann and m and their m "In.

In the governor's response he wrote. 'i children appear on their Steffi-aid property In this file photo. The famly understand you have been In dose contact salted Gov. Shumlln to help them fhd with the Iinferrnont Department of Pubiic relief from wind turbine noise but any Sen-flee regarding your concerns and I would they got an unsatisfactory response. enmurage you to continue to work wlfll them. I am also aware of the dockets before the Public Ear-rice Board {FEB} related to wind energy generation and sound levels. Finally, I am hopeful that the work of the Energy Generation Siting Policy Commission. and the lefisle'flue corn mltbee work building upon that rI.‘i|:ir.;|rl:II wlll help resolve some of these issues moving foreard as local communities take an active role in the energy planning process. My administration is closely monitoring all ’d'rese developments and is aware of the perspective of time living in close proximity to wlnd Mints} ' f x | . dtcllclt to enlarge shumlin said he has forwarded 111errien'a File Photo ietter to Commissioner Chris Reed-Ha at the Department of Public Service {DPS}, "so that THE tum“. It “I. am "I.“ my. his office remains up to date on your Sheffield. ooncerns. Thank you for your oondnued moose! on this Issue and will keep 1rour tendon-is In mind as we move forward! 38 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, AUG UST 20, 2013, P. 2 Annette Smith, executive director of Ilien-homers For A Clean Environment, on "BMW expressed disappointment In the response, saying “the governor's letter to theTl'len'llns Is lone deai' to the difference bebween public politicsr moving forward and public health Issues occurring now.“

. I GweFo rwa rd'""l _ _ She was orltlem of the independent noise sbidy FundrBISI'ng oonductedatthe “Infill home births state, noting In an email Monday that, 'Chris Recchle's studyr did QWEI'DMEIfd.CDm harm to the “unions and there are no ongoing . discussions with the PSD. There Is no noise docket Raise “am far a M Cine I" before the P55 regarding the “realms or "HEEL “'5 QUICK. 535? arid Shefﬁeld,‘ Smith went on, or the governor's Secure, reference to time: being the case. and stating, "The energy eltlng commission's recommendations do 0 nothing for the Thames or anyone being vleomieed by already—constructed wind projects."

An Independent noise monitoring report conducted at the Tharrlln residence was unable to make a concrete determination, but the state noted diet the report I'stnoriglir suggests that the facility was operating within" noise levels accepted as part of the Shefﬁeld wind project's Certiﬁcate of Public Good.

The Thomas have asked the town of Shefﬁeld. which receives more than SEED,” a year In boxes and supplemental payments from First Wind, for help, but none has come. The couple has also asked First Iiiil'lnd of Boston to buy them out, but me oompany has said It Is not willing.

to addition to the “unions, from the Sheffield area, also signing the reoent letter to the governor were Paul and Carol Brouho of Sutton, who fought the Sheffield wind project: from the Lowell project, Paul and Rita Martin, Carl Cowlee, Kevin Mcfirath, Robbin and Steve Cleric, Don and Shirley Nelson, Jim and Kathleen Goodrich, Gordon Spencer, Gilbert and Uncle Hill and Leonard and Hargurlte Thompson. on of either nibeny or Lowell. From the Georgia project, two families signed the letter, Scott and Melodie McLane and Reggie Johnson and Shirley Phillips, both of Fairfax.

Luann Then'len, asked about the tennis“: home being on the market, said, “As for our house, It hasn't been shown since It was listed and it looics like we'll have to well: away. night now, our best hope is to become homeless in order to protect our health:I 39 ------LETTER TO FORMER GOVERNOR JIM DOUGLAS, AUGUST 20, 2013 From: luann therrien Date: August 20, 2013 5:02:22 PM EDT To: [email protected] Bcc: [email protected] Subject: Therrien family of Shefﬁeld, Vermont

Dear Jim Douglas,

The Therrien family of Shefﬁeld, Vermont would like to thank you for speaking up in an effort to stop any further destruction of our beautiful state by the construction of Industrial Wind Turbines.

We feel human the factor of living in too close proximity to turbines has not been addressed.

There should have been a contingency plan in place to keep people out of harm's way.

Why is our duty as we become more and more ill to prove the damaging health impacts and devaluation of our property.

We have contacted anyone we can think of in the Federal and State levels and the response if any has been 'we are so sorry for your plight.'

We have acquired our own sound monitor to keep track of sound emitted by the project by our home.

As the injured parties we feel it is not our responsibility to suffer further ﬁnancially or physically.

How can you put a price on a family's health and well being?

We realize no one group wants to step forward and come up with a resolution to our growing plight. If the three responsible parties (the State of Vermont Town of Shefﬁeld and First Wind) would come forth and combine efforts no one entity would suffer an exorbitant amount to help us move to a home that is safe.

No one seems to want to know or understand our situation. We have been told by our doctors that we cannot work, if you cannot work you cannot collect unemployment. If you can walk talk and use your hands you cannot collect disability, until the situation is resolved this will not change.

As we do not have the means to remove ourselves from the situation not of our own making, sadly we have been reduced to begging- http://www.gofundme.com/3k4q10 40 That said, it is a sad day when homeowners who have been perfectly happy with where they have been living are reduced to desperation. We were here ﬁrst.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Steven & Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

(802) 673-9089

2924 New Duck Pond Road Shefﬁeld, Vermont

------

POEM BY LUANN THERRIEN, AUGUST 10, 2013

On Aug 10, 2013, at 8:58 PM, luann therrien wrote:

N.I.M.B.Y. Next It Might Be You!!!!

We wonder what we have done to be the unlucky ones, Being forced to live by an Industrial Wind Farm with ofﬁcials claiming they do no harm.

We need Industrial Wind they said with a grin, to save our planet for our future children.

Parts are built and shipped from over seas, all in the name of going green, OH PLEASE!

Our Governor has stated, Birds bats and bears are expendable. If turbines were sited by his home and loved ones would he say that still?

When talk of all this started we did not put up a ﬁght, little did we know they would bother us day and night.

Round and round the blades are turning, up and down my stomach is churning.

Ears are ringing day and night, sleep disrupted by fright or ﬂight. 41 Sleep deprivation is no way to live, at a reduced price our home we will have to give.

Our home and memories we will have to leave behind, but it is that or lose our minds.

Where will we go? We do not know, to a place where wind turbines will never be built in a row.

Have been waiting for P.E.T.A. to show up any day, claiming living near wind turbines is cruelty to animals and take our pets away.

We have been told sacriﬁces must be made, while already rich people are being paid.

People that proﬁt will never live near a turbine, Expect us to suck it up, tow the line.

I ask you to look into my children's eyes, and continue to repeat your lies.

Luann Therrien P.O. Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

(802) 673-9089

------EMAIL TO BILL STENGER OF JAY PEAK, JULY 15, 2013

From: Annette Smith Date: July 15, 2013 10:41:35 PM EDT To: Bill Stenger Subject: accidents & emergencies by Steven N Luann Therrien - GoFundMe

The Therriens set up this site in an attempt to raise money to move to a safe location for their family. The Goal is not the full value of their home, but rather a place that is available that they could move to immediately. Can you ﬁnd 5 or 10 people to donate $5,000 or $10,000 to make this happen? They are really sick and we need people like you to pull together and get these folks relocated. Thanks for whatever you are willing and able to do. Annette 42 http://www.gofundme.com/3k4q10 43 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, JUNE 21, 2013 datum: VCE Seeks Hearing for Therrlen FBI'I'IIIV Before Publlc Servlde Beard infill-intent Minter

Mmfor I then Environment WEE}. the DInbtrvbeI-Id rim-mm urn-Ilium" that huhenldvmfimfwevurunmlforo Mildfen-lily mingling with null“ from the wind project went-d by Hal: Wind ul' luslnn. I: now “than :- hearing him KM Full“: Service lot-rd at which fflfl'tllr rut-rotten would

.ll ' mw- tic: h the wrung to tmnt Hm; Wind p" Mr and: m enierge en miend I" “Flirt wllflfll In FILE PHOTO I't" AMY ASH HEIDI" mmthe lernII-r, Steve end Ltlrlt “I'll-rile, e: pert or en elem-pogo redeem to Muffi- “MINI!”ll en IWnotee monitoring etud-p MI!by H'Itt. mmdflflwaakflfl'flmbrfltfl Mlfllmfl l' II'E Vll'i'i'tflflt MIC MEIDm fll'fllfl:

'rne lottereeitnnelislto net-e more teedngdoruere-ie‘l'hlnhnhomehreflrm with uperlenoe In ierge—eeeie wind project: end tttet: the betting be done iii-dependant of'tne wind ten-n dereldper knowing the testing period this time. \I'CEEIlterIHra'lfleel drummmumnnmwmmm operelleneteiflIuencefltepoeluveemeenteoffltemHmTherepnflendelnDHIMItd newidin Indeed-omen“; underflteflertlflcete ermeneeeed {amine-eon Hrlt |iiiitnn moperetethewlndprejeot. The ‘tl'll'l'l'lnfl new: SEMI: Deperflt'iertt [FED], tellewlng months or nolee eernpteiru ournlng Front W! on henna" or tl'iieflnet-rlelntll lent fell ned monitors ineteited; in December, a ceneuitent opent three tie-re collecting Hound dete- neer theTIiIrrIlrI horne. leeuiteorthoeetnreedeye otemnd moniuutngnerereteued newbrute PSI: and filed Hlfl‘t the Pub": Service Hoard. Hm Itld ten-ed e {IE to allow the NIH! pfldlcl to run before it Began oeeretldnn more men me were and. m letter new. "the report filed Wednesday] was done In pert become of our reader meetings. with the Department. during mien men-commenter." aueeetn Hillier (who III. In undernner to become the Governor“! met at Stern eeitnevdedded met even it the Maid projedre eeund monitoring reports flied win-i the P53 inditete the prudent II In ennui-nee, ll' people are maturing end being nennem tnet II net alt-1|. end herma- Intreetiqetlon ie mmrtted.‘

rumSmlth. umclutter of FEE. leld Hm: Wind III-w lbw: the not" munlwrlng Ind would not Mme. Che-u tn the report one" 'I'ilﬂt '1e epeede. mmlm wind speeds at me new yet low power output. The report doesn‘t even tell-t em why the met omwill so itiiiinI given the Mind eardrum-1|. If than was autumnal. that: emit! “plain It. In! presumably the! lnl'urmetlnn In: I" Won-ruby Bruin-totem Dewm'utd Smith.“ 44 1' She was critical or Public service Department Commlssioner Christopher Recchla not discussing or disclosing the Thatrlerl case in his cover letter to the P55 accompanying die independent sound testing report. The Department did not disclose, either in the report cover letter or In the report Itself, the numerous complaints that the Tharrlsns have been making to the Department about their increasingly desperate situation,“ the letter from VCE states.

John Lamontegne, spokesman for First Wind, said the company did not ourtall operations when they found out about the testing.

'The project was not curtailed during the beating,“ he stated.

In response to the VCE letter to the P53 about the tesd ng resulls, Lamontagna Issued this statement on Thursday: 'VCE may be disappointed with the facts, but the report clearly demonstrates that the testing done during a three-day period provided nether evidence that the Shefﬁeld Wind project has been in compliance and usually 'substandilllyI below' the state sound standard."

'The Letty {sound consulting) report also clearly demonstrates that the project was at full operation during the December testing. To claim anything be the coho-cry would be disingenuous,“ Lamontagne stated.

1lII'l‘StE, In the letter criticising the Independent testing, states that LHII'II'I Tharrlllt, during the testing period, sent an e-mall to ‘ll'CE stating that the wind speed and conditions were optimal for the very loud turbine noise that disturbs her family, but she stated, *Up now at 1 e.m. Imagine our surprise we are not being rocked out of the house by turbine whoosh and jet sound. First time in a long time that we are hearing mostly normal wind sounds.‘

I'Luann‘s full emails give a clear Indication that First inrlncl was changing their operations because they were tipped off that monitoring was going to be happening," stated Smith I'1'lils report shows more than a passing indication but they severed power during the heels, lust from iooicing at the gl'apnhs.‘I

'VCE find: It lncom prehensible that the Department did not plclt up on or point ou: the low power output at high winds, Indicati ng that the turbines were manipulated to reduce the noise levels during the test period," Smith's letter notes.

Geoff Commons, director of public advocacy for the PSD, said of the report, “While the Reports ﬁndings are not as robust as we would have liked. this was our first foray Into conducting sound monitoring at a wind-powered generating l'acili‘ty.III

'illil'e gained valuable experience and insight Into the challenges associated with measuring wind-hlrbine sound, partiouiarly where the sound In question arises during vEry speciﬁc weather conditions that may not coincide with the times when monitoring Is being done," said Commons. "l'll'e are committed to worltlng with the Board and others to address these Issues as we continue to advance the state‘s renewable energyr goals."

It Is not yet known whether VICE will be successful in its effort to have the I'll-thus testify before the F53 about the effects oil turbine noise. 45 CALEDO NIAN RECO RD, JUNE 20, 2013 ht t p: / / c a l e doni a nre c ord.c om / m a i n.a sp? Se c t i onID=1& SubSe c t i onID=145& Art i c l e ID=95948& T M=31231.09 fiflflfltila e:o1:oo AH DPS Commissioner to P55: Wind Levels OK near Sheffield Family's Home Amy fish lllson Staff 1Writer

SHEFFIELD —- After waiting months for the results of an independent noise monitoring shady, a Sheffield femlly has been told the noise levels from the nearby First Wind turbines are acceptable.

Steven and Luann Therrien and ti'reir two pro-schooI-eged children received state-wide attention when tray begged for help, saying the noise from the turbines were negatively affecting their health;

The family, who have been helped by the non-profit Vermonters for a Clean Environment, hed pinned their hop-es on the independent study.

The molten: who completed the study notes that the ﬂierﬂens sold conditions durlng the three-day monitoring period were not as bad as may often are. The consultant recommended a longer sludy period to try to document the . . . conditions the fa mliy says are destroying their quality of life. ..

In a statement released Wednesday. First Wind spokesman John Lamontagne said, "We are glad that the state's findings have provided further factual evidence that the Shefﬁeld Wlnd project is and has been in compliance with the sute's sound level requirements. The state's findings are consistent with our own comprehensive. independent quarterly sound monitoring efforts. Those tests, conducted ever four seasons totaling eight weeks, have all consistently shown that the project has always been well within the established sound standards."

Lamonlagne pointed to the summary assessment In the report, which stated, "Based on the measurements obtained at the fl'serrien residence during the three-day period, it was difficult to find any measurable noise produced from the Sheffield Wind Turbine facility. The levels recorded are .. evidence of the traffic noise on 1-91. and, during the later it. click to enlarflg i. two days, various effects of high velocity wind turbulence.“

Luann Therrlen said Wednesday she was concerned that the u“..3. independent sound monitoring consultants met with First FILE “Hafiz: Wind staff when they came to monitor the noise at her home in Decern berr which VCE echoed. 11,. mmfamily “I 46 Sheffield are pictured this lprilg, not long after they began publicly asltinp lor Ali the benefits ' heir fume noise- ,. problems they on of Dark Chocolate thaM finW111 “MEI?“ “pudendum IMns null- (Dec. 19. the first day H" "mm” “In" PM '.-1.-.5:i'iflui all the of the three days of fat and sound monlborlng}, calories ”93'm “‘3 9W 9'“ stuclt or lost or something that caused him to call the first Wind site person. That meant that first Wind C % V knew they were in the Chimnelqi TRY NOW 1 area,‘ said Annette -- Smith. exetmiI-re director of Vermonters for a Clean Envirnmnent.

Smith said the testing was ﬂawed for that reason.- and she believes First Wind adjusted operations based on knowing the sound Monitoring was occurring those days.

"The “indie point was to do it during normal dentitions. and ﬁrst Wind absoluteiy should not have known that the monitoring was taking place.“ stressed Smith.

Lamar-tapes said the turbines were in full operation during the testing. First wind provided operating data, as requested by the sound monitoring firm. that demonstrates the turbines were operating to their maximum ability based on the wind speeds during those three days, Lamontagne said.

The family has asited First Wind to buy them out, but ﬁrst liiiilnd has declined.

DPS Commissioner Christoe Reocia, In a two-page cover letter accompanying the noise report filed Tuesday with the Iii'ermont Public Service Board, stated, “The Noise Report reveals that noise levels from the operation of the Sheffield facilltles fell below 4511M outside the nearest residence during the monitoring period. These measurements further Indicate that noise ieyeis Inside the residence were likely below the do use limit outlined In condition a of the CPS 47 [Certificate of Public Good issued to the wind project by the Public Service Board as a condition of operation]!

Reocia continued. "The Department remains committed to developing monitoring and enforcement procedures to protect Vermont residenis from unreasonable noise related to commercial wind facility operations. At the same time, it seeks to balance that concern with granting developers the ebility to permitll construct and operate feclilties In a. predictable and fair manner in Vermont which advances our renewable energy goals.“

Smith, the head of VCE, "The Therriens have been complaining to the FED {and the ooyemor) for more than a 1iii-ear. They are holh sicli:r they both have letters from their doctors telling the"! not to work, thtty have both been put on medications. and their situation is severe. They have reached out to First Wind and been told that the project is In compliance."

I'Thls essentially Ignores the 1ivory real damage being done on a daily basis to the Therrlens," Smith stated. she said instead of spending funds on "this joke report."I the state should be looking to "help the Therriens find a place to live that is not destroying their health, their family, and everything they love, like their home.“ 48 L ET T ER TO T HE EDI TO R, JUNE 7, 2013 511mm: How To Be A Good Neighbor And A True Vermenter - Steve and Luann Therrlen

mhhlflhflfllflhflflflflllTfl-Hmfllfllr Te Ihe Indian The Therriln family er Shlflllill we like in “and eur wrap-min in the Deane funny. El'lil'l'llin is need at Hermann people -- he sacrificed em: and elim- fli'i'lflllll when he real linhhed Indium-lei Wind Til-hing In Vermont. 11: hear him say he was Idll'lfi en e gee-d nelfl-Ihnr and lrua Vin-mariner In an lnluit tn every item.

Hr. SMMIII'I, fllIIIII EH“: ulll‘ifi fill HITI'II.

.I. we Vermenier turn: wen" wane in help I neighbor. Hut eel-elm out In agreement and eii'er their own raw-rei- n: enuncil. melting e sen-lilac at e neighbor fer their awn gain.

Being Mm Shurniln is and his hurrah-1d In the Stein m" Vanna-It -- he knew fuil II'lldl ﬂ'ln In" Ind met Jerry hid upﬂum.

. I GweForwa rclTIMI saunnn uld *wlth all power earne- ucrlliee end FundraiSing prehiemm' Appaffl'ifl'rthflflaflll unbeuldifwu are his neighbor and live In Vern-lent. glvefnma rdmm Raise Money fer a Lewd One in mllfléflfl 77:33:?“ h" mm" m” Heed. It's Lid: Eleven! SEW”. q ’ We knew. beeeme Shumlln hel llfl'lflfld uh

Slave end Llﬂlll TIIIH'IIn 0 Shefﬁeld. in. 49 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, MAY 10, 2013

SHWEDIS 5:55:01) AM At Lowell, Shefﬁeld: DPS Commissloner Concerned About Turblne Noise Rollll'i Sl'l'lﬂl'i Stiff etli‘

The Vermont Department of Pub": Sewloe lo collecting and lnveetlgallng noise complaints caused by the three large wind project: In Vermont.

DPS Commissioner Chi-la Reochie said Thursday that the amount and nature of the complaints warrant the investigation to see if the noise I5 treatlng a pub“: nuisance for reeldenfi who "we near the Georgla, Lowell and Sheffield wlntl projects. 'I want to get to the bottom of this." Reed-Ila CflUItTESY PHDTD “M I“ m "h“ w" “I d' Tle'ea turbine: on Lowell Hot-main tum He may take the evldence to the state udlltv “MN I house ”“3“ I" “m regulators on the Public Service Board and ealt Hofirath, WM '1“ complain-ad in"! them to I'I-I'illlult! their noise standards, m“"a“ 133 m Vfim under which wind projects are now operating. Dapa l'tfl'l'lflt 0" I’ll": film-

"I am considering aching them to reconsider,“ Wesaid.

This is the first time out DPS as the state's consumer watching Ie dealing wlth a potential public nuisance Issue.

It's comparable to the illusions”I of Natural Resources, where Reccl'ila was deputy secretary, reacting to complaint: of email from the Harem-m landﬁll or from a pig farm. “- "11'nat's a fair comparison," Reoohia Halo. counter no one ennui-sienn- Chi-h mun. 50 CALEDONIAN RECORD, MAY 10, 2013, P. 2

“No one should be creating a nuisance on someone's property,“ he said.

Examining wind turbine noise is complicated, Involving topographv, wind direction, design and other Issues, he said.

But DPS must react, he said.

"We are the public service board. We are going to be responsive to people's concerns.‘I

On Thursday, Lowell wind project neighbor Kevin Hctirath ﬁled a new complaint with DPS and shared It with The Record.

At 12:3!) a.m. lrsdav, McGrath wrote an e- mail and sent a tape of turbine noise to Susan Paruch of the consumer affairs division of DPS, saving the noise was above standards of 45 decibels:

'The decibel readings In my home are now 44 with all the windows closed. The outside readings are now 51 and this has been the case for the last two hours. I cannot sleep.‘

Two hours later, McGrath added this:

IIIt sounds Hire an airport behind mv home and me plane never Ianr:ls,'I saying he is experiencing a bum throughout his house and has a headache.

Since October, 105 complaints about the big three wind projects have been collected bv the DPS division on consumer affairs and public Information, not Including this complaint from HoGrath. 51 CALEDONIAN RECORD, MAY 10, 2013, P. 3

Some of those complaints are from the same people. Twenty-three different people have complained. In one case In November. 31 people joined to file a petition about wind noise about the Lowell wind project which prompted Green Mountain Power to atﬂult and»; operations.

Some complaints are speciﬁc and were lllnteljiI i'rom turbine malfunction and were passed on directly to turbine operam, Room; saldt

li‘2itl'iei's noted less-detailed noise complaints, some from people who lived farther l'i'l‘Ml' from turbines and were not expected to be bothered by noise, he said. “We are compiling and comparing them new“ to i:|uartierl'5ir noise measurements made at sites around the wind projects, Reochla said. Except for two instances, the Lowell turbines passed Inspection this winter. inspections are ongoing.

The oomplalnu will be analyzed by a noise expert over the summer, he said.

There are three options. DPS oould:

-- ani'oroe standards If Iii'iolations are found;

-- set: up a better system for utilities to respond to complaints;

-- request the FEB change Its noise standards if their aren't a|:i|:IrtipI'lal:e+

The DPS could pursue more than one option, Residue said.

Annette Smith of Vermonters for a Clean Environment Is also oomplllnp confidential eomplalnts.

Some HEP: turhlne nelghhors are not comfortable mining to the state or turbine operators but want to pet the word out, she said.

'There are a lot of people living in the area arotmd the Lowell Mountains who are interested In taking action In a meaningful way: Smith said. 52 CALEDONIAN RECORD, MAY 10, 2013, P. 4

'Ihey say that oompialnts to the state or P55 and to the turbine operators 'have resulted In no response,“ she said, adding that state ofﬁcials are not Interested. don‘t care or have no ability to respond. one out the DPS In the latter category.

Smith said she heard from outspoken neighbors like Luann “Ionian, Sﬂriey Nelson and McGrath who experienced noise ave-might Wednesday and Thursday.

licrath said to DPS and The Reoord that noise has devalued his property.

"This is simpiy wrong and I should not have to lose thousands of dollars in property value or peas-e of mind. No one should have to defend their home.“

The rest of his email to DPS was detailed.

”It Is 02:30 and there is a constant vibration- Illie horn tl'iroughout my home with the windows closed. The noise outside la a constant swoosh followed by a mechanical dunking noise.

I’li'lease asl: GHP if this is normal or if something failed up there? This cannot possibly be (ii-i. No one can possibly tolerate this type of sleep deprivation," MeGrad'i wrote.

"l'io one should have to live like this. I can not sleep In my own home!"

Both the DPS and Vermonters for a Clean Environment will oontiinue to coiiect and s‘ludy mmpiaints.

Anyone who has a noise oomplaint can oontact the DPS directly at the oonsumer affairs hotline at 500-622-4496 or at Susan.Paruehilistaoe.vt.us.

Dr anyone lnrho wanis to parﬂcipate In Smith's confidential survey can contact her at windreporllng.oro.

Smith said she is providing details about the survey to the DPS for their research without names unless me eomplalnanis want to have their names attad'ied. 53 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, MARCH 5, 2013 31'25J'Ell113 Elihu-El AH Shefﬁeld: Town Attorney Defers To State In Family's First Wind Problems Amy Ash lllliton ”Writ-r

SHEFFIELD -- The Sheffield tot-in attorney has advised thetom nethepetlmolved in e family's request for help moving away from the First wind faeillty.

m and luau-In Thu-rho and men two chlltb'en live In the shadow of a dozen industrial wind turbines here. and have begged for help for e year. saying they ere Ill and unable to sleep because of the noise.

Steve Therrlen recently implored the town's select heard at a regular mature and lawn more publicly. before the assembly gathered It the annual Town Meeting. to help the femlly l'inendeily so they can relocate. .1- ms: to enlarge -

The family has also aslted First Wind of Boston. who owns the wind project. to buy tI-iem out. but First Wind has not Indicated it willingness to do so and malnteins all sound testing at the wind development are within Ibflmbll I‘Iflflii under UK comm Certificate of Puc Good with the Vermont Public Service Board. Became of the onnolng concerns Hlfifl expressed by the couple and those who are edited-ling on their behalf. Including “WM-if!- flill‘ 0 Eli!“ El'tVII‘dI‘I'I'III'It. UH ' - Vermont. Department of Public Service last fall 1- dldt to enlarge A commissioned a study of its own to test noise condoms eround the lentil-r“: modest home in the woods. the results of which ere still not avallehIE. and whlch was delayed due to First Wind still needlhg to not some data to the state. accordlng to a one official.

The town of Sheffield promised to seek an opinion from the town IﬂDI‘M'f on m T'ltltrllet‘srequestd-Iat some ofthe 552mm paynterttfrorn Hrst'lhllnd to Ihe town helpthe family rein-late. At arerual meeting. when the same Issue was raised. some tewnspeoﬂe sale Hret Wind. not the town's supplemental payment. should we: the Thorn-me.

Town nunrney Richard H. Saudeit has responded In a letter to Town IltileriI: Kathy ﬂavnlnd dated March 11. Saudelt. of the Montpelier lew firm of Cheney Saudel: ILGrclt PC. wrote. "This attention to he!“ with Etudes by both the Depem'neht end the developer is In example of the regulatory process woritlng the way it was intended to wed-It Once the Department study ls complete. the Department {DPS} will decide what action to ialte - whether to Inform the Board {Public Service Boerd] that the project generetee mountable loves of nelsc at certaln em:or not. if the Information warrants Board action. l‘n'l sure It will be tslten.‘ 54 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, MARCH 5, 2013, P. 2

IIEWI Saudek advised the town. 'il'l light of the above, there is no reason for the Town to get involved in FEEL—1". EMPLOYE' this matter. If the study shows the noise to he too STucK I" A great and. after hearings. the P53 agrees; the P53 has broad discretion to devise an appropriate remedy!l 198"!8 00”MUTE? The Then-lens. who reside at Isl-Ii Did Duck Pond Road on land that has been in Steve's family for m many years. asked the town for a copy of any eat the"! to m g: " correspondence related to their request, and were WI “”13 J sent the letter. with a note from Malt Aldrich. chair and Ireplred. of the Shefﬁeld Select sci-rd. which stated. 'ficrmally advice we receive from our attorney is kept confidential. but we see this letter as being pertinent in this particular issue. lt'ilur attorney, Richard Baudelt, advised us to send this on to you for your information. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.‘

Luann Tharl'lali said. "We are suffering and becoming more iii try the day. I:Iur children are suffering due to others' actions. The tot-tn is directly beneﬁting at our espense.‘

Luann 'I'Illi'l'len said she 'hod one person tell me everyone In town is benefiting equally from the wind fall,“ which Is split between reducing the town's property taxes and investing In more projects. "The: Is all well and good...hut everyone in town Is not suffering equally. We are desperate to relocate to prevent further deterioration to our health and sanity.‘

Of the town attorney's response. Amelie Smith. esewtlve director of the Derby-based Vermonters for a Clean Environment. Inc... said. "The letter from the town Included the letter from attorney Richard Seudek In which he claims that the attention to noise with studies Is an example of the regulatory process working. me Therelens came to the town with a request to use some of the wind project money to assist them with relocating neariy a year after they complained to the Public Service Board and the Department of Public Service that the wind turbines were making their family side. This an hardly be called the regulatory process world ng, " she said.

'What is happening to the Therrlens warrants action now. not months from now after Inanlmate noise monitoring results are completed," Smith said. '1he Thenlans are the host monitors, and the'y both have lemurs from their doctors indicating til-2y are too siclr to work. and their condition ls related to the wind turbines. The letter {from Saudek. Sheffield's town attorney) further says there Is no reason for the Town to get Involved In thls matter.‘

Smith said that is morally wrong.

'rhat mayI be a legal opinion, but it is not a compassionate or humane opinion. especially considering that the Town of Shefﬁeld is getting about a half a million dollars a year for the next to years. A compassionate town would step up In this situation and put the financial winch'all to good use and provide assistance to the Then-lens in moving.‘ said Smith. 'Thalr health and the health of their children Is being seriously damaged."

Smith went on. 'They did not oppose the wind project. and they are doing everything that state agencies have advised them to do. It is time for the townspeople of Maid to rally around this family and arrange to use the winch" money to help them reiocate.‘ 55 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, MARCH 12, 2013

3mm13 Results Of State Sound Testing At 'I'Iterrlen Property Delayed entrust liison Meter

SHEHHED "Shefﬁeld residents LII-III and Steve ‘I'I'illllln ' . ere erurIoLniv snorting the neeulte of sound mono conducted - et their home In November. ' ‘

Lete lest veer odditionel sound tesﬂng was conducted It the Therrien'e home. which Is dose in the lid-ermine Sheffield Iivinti project. operated bv First wind. TbeTIten-ilno end the 1it"Iri'i'ioni: Public Service Deperb'nent Ire stlli wilting for the reeuite.

A noiee expert. brought in by the Vermont Depertment of Public Sen-doe, neutered sound result: from o noise monitoring devioe for trees dove. Thet date has been reported to the state as part of an Independent sound report In response to the tenure oonocrrie. illicit to enleroe file fernllv continues to express deep mnoerri about hove FILE FHDTO 5" ”I“, ASH their son; the noise -- eudlble end ineu-dlbiae .. is lmpectlng their rerniiy'e sleep and healer. "11“" Since the additional beefing was done by the state, the couple mmmnrmfir "him have teetil'ied before the Gov'emor'e Energy Eitlne m I "1:... writ :v Commission. the Men's select board and oi the annual '11,:t m. d :‘I'rIF meeting in Sheffield. pleading for help to relocate. lg“beren‘:ornplel:rml P Geoi'l' Commons. director For public odvocecv lor the Iii“ "'dlfld lfl lI-Iiillll Vermont Department of Public Seirvlce, admitted to will from the wind frtisb'etion oi; the piece vivid-i rel-lien First; Wind Io providing hl'iiinos they live loss. requested deta In e phone conversation lest week. “fl“;tllufl'flm In

in s subsequent statement. tome-ions wrote, "The Department has mounted Inronnatlon from First Wind in nu "Hm 5" MW in" correlate with the monitoring date and provide it more HIIDH meeningful report. Due to mIe—communicetion end some loci: of clarity In the request for technical date, we have not yet “gummgglh received ell of the information from First Wind. 5' ill id Select losrdI!" beg: from problems he sews be. his iiirl'leIr end their two pro-school sped ' chldron ere hevinn due to There s a Car for you on He added that Ilvhp so near the turbines First vrlnd has other Fist Win-d assured them development In Shol'lleld, mat the vvltere 16 hduetrlsl scale requested an. NIH hll'llll'll‘l I'll“Ml" would b. it operation for ebout I provided VHI‘ and I I'illf m. without duev; 56 CALEDONIAN RECORD, MARCH 12, 2013, P. 2 the timing of ©AUTMDEm :1:...... report will be dependent on Iwhen they receive the infdrmation from First Wind.

John Lamontagne, First Wind's spokesman In Boston, said late last week, I‘Al‘ter seeking clariﬁcation on the scope of the Information needed. we provided the relevant operational data be the DPS on February 15. We received a request from the DPS last week seeking additional data. We have requested a call with the DPS to discuss this additional request." Tryingto move

TheﬂIIrrhns reside at 2924 Duck Pond Road and have been asking for help with their contents for a year this spring; from their home. they can see 12 of the 16 turbines. They approached the select board in February asking for help to move off their property.

Annette Smith, executive director of Vermonters for e CIEIl'l Environment (USE), who has been advocating for the famlty's righla, said that since that meeting they have heard “Zip! zllﬂ'll Nada!”

At last week's annual town meeting, Steve Thenhn submitted a letter to the Shefﬁeld Select Heard. stating: 'As we see it the town Is benefiting at our expense. «Our home has become basic and unlnhabitable. The tee-n needs to do the right thing to take care of the residents Impacted. We are asking the town to use the money they are receiving to move us to a home that Is safe.‘

Shel‘ﬂeid Town Clerk Kathy Newiend, speaking on the been Select Board's behalf, said that the town has contacted Town Attorney Richard Saudek and had not received his opinion as of the March 6 meeting.

First Wind has been found to be In compliance with the sound levels set as part of its Certificate of Public Good issued by the 1lieu-mom Public Service Board, but there have been criticisms raised abdut the tes'dng, because it was done by a eonsultant hired by First Wind. The Therrlens have said that system Is akin to a to: guarding the hen house.

Spokesman Lamontegne confirmed that the Titanium asked for a buyout in the immune-$150300 range. but sand the company had not discussed nor pursued the request further. 57 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, MARCH 12, 2013, P. 3 In the recent ll‘lflfll report sent to the Sheffield Select Board by First Wind's new operatbons manager. Brad Drake. he touched on sound testing at the project. and said. ”In all four seasons of testing. the project was found to be in compliance with the PSB’s sound standards. To date. the project has received a total of two sound complaints. The fact remains that the project has been In cornpllanoe at their structure as determined by specific analysis." conducted by first Wind's sound testing firm. Hessier and Associates. he stated. '[n addition. we have met with this family on multiple occasions but have not been able to ameliorale tl'iair some!

------

CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, F EBRUARY 9, 2013

exempts First Wind Conﬁrms Therrien Buyout Request Amy Ash Nikon Staff Writer

SHEFFIELD .- A statement was received from ﬁrst Wind. the company which owns and operates the 1d turbine wlnd project here. regarding a proposed buyout belng sought by Luann and stove Therrlen. who live in of a rnlle from one of the airtime. and have been pleading with the company. the stale and new the town. to do something to help them.

First Wind spokesman John Lamonugne. late Thursday. said. 'WI did receive a call from Lualll Thal'lﬂl'l in which she asked that we bur the home from her familyI for “smooc— ISOJIW. We have not discussed It further with her and have not pursued the matter.

'Whiie we recognize that the Tharrlans have complained about the Sheffield project and we have met or spoken with them on several occasions. there has been extensive sound testing at the project and it has been determined that the project Is weli within the spend standards established with the state Public Service Board.“ he said.

The famllv says they and their two young children are becoming III from the sound traveling from the turbines to their home. and trust Steve Thenien Is unable to work as a result of the stress. lack of sleep and headaches he Is suffering. Luann. his wife. is experiencing the same symptoms. and their twn children are having trouble sleeping and also are not well. Steve testiﬁed this week at the Sheffield Seiect Board meeting.

At the meetlng. Mas Aldrich. the chalrmen of the Shefﬁeld Select Board. said it was public Imowledge that the family had asked First Wind for a huvout.

Geoff Commons at the Public Service inepartmenit.r said an Independent review condttcted by the state this fall Is 1‘In process at this point. our best estimate at this point is that it may be a couple of more weeks.‘ The state. at the mart-lens“ request. and with help seeking assistance from the Vermonters for a Clean Envlronment ad'uI'ociaIcgiI group. agreed to conduct an Independent nelse monitoring study:' at the Tit-Hill! home thls fail. 58 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, F EBRUARY 8, 2013 Ifflfzfila 3:30:00 AM Sheffield Family Pleads For Help From Town My Ash "bran Stair etar

SHEFFIELD -- Sta-lie Tlilfi'lli'l, who live: about it or a mile away from one or the 16 hirblnes belonging to the wind development of First Wind. pleaded with seieetrnen Wednesday to help address the suffering he said be family endurﬁ by Hiring tin close to the Splnnlng blades.

He sold the wlnd development affects hlm and his family in rnultlple ways; they're unable to sleep, work. or function normally, he said. Therrlen was joined by planning nor-omission member keith Ballek. who supported 'l'lilrl'lan‘s oonoerns. Them and Ballet pressed the select board to see what the town ;-_i- click to enlarge ‘ can do in help on.- family. Last week. Luann ‘i'herrien teadfled before a dtate Sonata mmmlﬂiee consideﬂng a hill to put a three-year moratorium on Industrial wind project. creation while more studies, Including those on health effects. are undertaken.

1i'ilednesiday nlght, Lil-lift was borne with the couple's two preschool-aged i:l'|llilr1anl who are having a hard time sleeping, he said. In addition to sleep disruption, said Steve 'l'liel'rlai'l. they‘ve got dark circles around their eyes, and various symptoms from ringing in tense to enlarge A the ears to motion sickness. He said things are only getting worse. "We are becoming very ill due to these towers behind us. We have appealed to everyone, I don‘t know whose responsibility it Is to look after our safety, but we are now sick. I have doctors' notes. I have been put out of work. I want niggestions: said Thari'laii. 'Somsbody la responsible. We need resolution. We need to get out of there."

Select Board ital-lairrnan i-iak Aldrich put on the table that it was public knowledge that the couple has asked First 1Iill'll'lil for a buyout. and asked Thlrl'llli about that, and whether more was any communication abll happening. 59 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, F EBRUARY 8, 2013, P. 2 First Wind spokesman John tamontagne. from Boston corp.bankofarnerlca.00rnl'flusl... on Tl-lursday, said he was aware of a buyout request. but did not comment soecil‘lcaliy on questions related Gel: financial Eumanfl a" to the request. He said he was speaking with other [3ma BteIness WEE!!! - company officials and would respond to the Learn M00! NDW. newspaper's cluestlorlrsII but no statement was received by press time.

o The ﬂiers-lens have been asking for help from state officials and from First Wind of Boston for longer than a year, saying that the family's health has been impacted; and Is worsening, from the noise levels, both audible and Inaudible.

First Wind’s noise monitoring. required under the company's Certiﬁcate of Public lElood issued by the Vermont Public Service Board. have shown noise levels to be within permitted ranges. said Lamontagne.

Alter hearing irom Steve Thenhn, the board. Including select board members Charles Gilman and Audrey Hearne, agreed with Aldrich that they should seek oouluel from the town attorney on what to do with ThenIen's appeal.

”We were sort of caught with our pants done. we didn't know anybody was oomIng," Aldrich said.

Ballek. sitting beside Thanhl'l. said, "From what I understand. If there were anyI noise Issues they [First Wind] were going to oooperabe and work with the town.‘

'We're sacrificed," Steve TherI'III'I said. near boars. 'We did not oppose this, and I'm not agalnst renewable enorgy and m not against trying to benent this world. but It's or little benefit to I'l‘i-E If my family Is suffering at His point If you could lib-0k Irlhil l'l'iyr ItldB' 01MB and see the dark circles, that ain't right; that alrrt right at all.-

Resident Bil'f il'lelloney'l at the meeting. said to “terriers, pointing to the select board members, I'I think you should Invite these people to come and live with you for a few days.”

Annette Smith. executive director for Vermonters for a Clean Environment. has worked to try to ﬁnd the ‘ﬂIeI'l'hns somewhere to live ai'f'ordabiy. perhaps a caretaker situatim'l.

'rne Then-lens have done absolutely everything that they are supposed to do, they have cooperated with everybody... the state Is allowing this." said Smith. '[The mantles] are true Irvsooents.“

“Shefﬁeld ls rolling in dough, so use some of that I: find them I place to live,” she suggested. "The wind company has to be heid accountable. and if the town Is In a position to hold them accountable, step up and do thet...The bown ls rolling In dough at their expense: she said.

Smith said the Tlidl'l'hlis land and home are worth $250,000, and they have stained it would take $100,000 to $150,000 for them to start over somewhere, by leaving the property. and buying a mobile home to put on a piece of land elsewhere.

She said they would like to keep the land that has long been In their family, and that someday, their children might have it. I'llon'te day, the turbines might some down," said Smith. 60 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, F EBRUARY 1, 2013 Ellfmlzi MontpelierWlnd Project Neighbors Take Thelr Case To The Senate

male-t-- Neighbor's of the Lowell and Shefﬁeld wind project: any they are being treated as guinea pigs while the rest of 1rr‘erl'l'mrnt argue: over the value of wind power.

Nerd-least Kingdom residents. like Luann Then-inn of Sheffield and Shirley Nelson of LEVINE", were joined by wind opponents and others to testify before the l“ferment Senate Natural Resources and Energy lCornrnlttee this week. where a bill calling for the moratorium on wind project: la being debated.

The hearing: Thursday and Fnday are the largest forum yet for wind tip-patient, who hope their voices have been heard Enough to push through the moratorium deep-Ito opposition in the House and from Gov. Peter Shumlln. Shumlln treated -a wind project alting :ernrnlfllon, wl'ilch elao has been taking testimony and will visit the Lowell and Sheffield proleete this month. + elicit to enlarge CD U I'w'.TE5"l|r PIC 'I'I'Ierrlen. hm baby daughtEr on Mr hlo. told the tommlttee 11'uraday how the noise from the Sheffield wind project has Luann Tharrlen nl' turned her family‘s llyea upside down. She'l'l'leid, with her

They went from living quietly off the grld to medially being I alllflfifiaggxugie I part of It, near 15 turbines since November 21111. Senate oomrnl h They ent from bel lrn reel to n no fear Illness and "“"tP'fl" “W" “n“ deore:alon. ng pa g “I ' wind turbilee have afleeted her and her 'I have never heard anything in nature rnaite a repetlflye I'Ii'lilly'l health. 'whooah whooeh whooelf lound for up to five day: straight," she testified. 61 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, F EBRUARY 1, 2013, P. 2 IIHIHl-lll HIII'HIHIEI wuhoammbelmflummndlMWMt“ Offline are going through is lllte being constandy beaten down,‘ "Infilleald. waldenu.etiu All power generation requiree eome eaatifloaa. ehe Ell-id? Grill"! 8: Further TDDI' said. "I'he problem is, my family and other families Career. Get Free Info. Learn are the oacrii'lce.‘ Haul They may have to sacrifice the home they have lived 0 at for 1? years. to save ii'IeIr health. she sold.

Nelson. who lives In the valley.r below the Lowell wind project, said "Homeowners living around these existing projects have been ﬂirt-“lied head that Into me role of the guinea pigs as. the health Impacts ol" the noise from rIdgeIIne development is being experienced for the ﬁrst time in Vennont.‘

“Please pass the three~year moratorium to stop any more rldgellne development until the true eﬂeeba of this policy has been studied, understood, and disclosed, and our communities healed.“ urged Nelson.

Neighbors distrust state agencies who are supposed to protect the public. she said.

'e. moratoritrn would be a start to bring back the feeling of oornmunlty that has been starter-a by then developers trrouglleut the state. I'm beginning to understand the concept of water beerdlng,‘ she said.

111ml: families are being sacrificed, llahd Militia Smith, executive director of Vermonters for a Clean Environment.

'Hundreds of 1lirerll'lonliers are now being sacl'll'loetl' to promote the symbolism of a green state, “without developers ever engaging in meaningful negotiations with the people they are most direcliy affecting: Smith testified.

'We support telling a time out on more utility scale wind development until we have ll better understanding of the eooial and environmental costs.

'tll'lnd turbines are simply an Inappropriate technology to be out near where people live and In our meet eenellive envirerrnenta that are critical for adapting to climate change; ehe testified.

'1'here is no question that there big machines are symbolic of an attempt to do something. the question Is, are they doing what proponents cialrrlt Right now. we do not know.

“But sending a message is not an excuee i‘er deso'oying the environment and ruining people's llvea. Couldn't the message be than Ili'el'rnllin't is a leader In protecting communities and lining community—based ways to respond to climate change?I Why allow developers to determine the message for up?" Smith said.

It!MI Hill" Whit UH Gilll'l'll'l'lltfll will fl 'lll'ifl'l I" the Iflffll‘l'fllflfll'l PI‘WII'IIHH fl'IH HIIH.

“The committee said they learned more In that session than In all the research they had done," Smith said Friday.

tine senator asked what can be done to help lite people who are already affected by operating wind projects and other earlaters have pelted followup nuutlons. Smith sold.

The oomrnitine, she said. has gone from focusing on whether the permit proeeeo Is working to the health of Vermonurs. 62 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD, F EBRUARY 1, 2013, P. 3 “t ihlni: they are under a let ei' prueuretedrcpdie meretcrium,‘ Smith said. steer- said newllldleyI hndwthetthereereinemenyunﬂweredquesﬂeneeutihem.

Haalll {tenants

Therrlen said she and her hushed-Id are en antisdepresaania. and her husband Is unalﬂe to wed: due tp their detn‘icrating health frem the stress.

'His doctor has Ill-Illed hlrn frern his jet-i," she said. 'lt's Impussihle te wnrit when you care-let eencentrate due tn lack pf sleep. a certstant pulsing In yeur head like a painless migraine and have the eensl'ant feeling at a head rush nu matter lnIhat m are clelng.‘

Thl'r “Fifi-m presaure en their MI‘II'iIIdI Il'id Iiill'l teem ll'id “Wabout U'illl' hue children.

First 1millind efﬂcials. Til-errlen said, have held the family they are In cempiiance with netse iseeie. She urged the committee to he sure met wind predates are not permitted as close to peepies' heme: as theyr were In Shefﬁeld.

Nelsen and her l'ipn-ili'yI have experienced health impacts. Neighbors- “new ﬁnd they are unable to sleep at night with the triﬂe-sue time. Whit will happen In HIE spring, summer and fall?" Nelsen asked.

'1 ei'ten experience headaches. ringing In rny ears and tighineee like a band amend my head. When the noise gees en and en. 1 find myself bees-mlng Irritable lllle yeu would with a dripping faucet There are things that i didn't experience before. There should else be tesiing I'd-r leer frequents;r scrund,’ she urged.

They he longer see the wildlife they used tn. and became cf epurt battles de net heel mfnrtahle reporting nnlse prublems tn Green Hewealn Peer-H.

Dr. Sandy iteider. a primary care decter practicing in Lyndenvlile. is seeing stc peepie dagnesed with wind turbine syndrome.

ﬁne men was hard he diagnese. lteider said. “He was a healthy aheeneid men with I had treated for several years and knew quite viii-eiIJI

HI HIS I'ilnllfl'i'ilI with m I'I'lldlfll MIR-MI and WIS I'll“ telling PI'IIEI‘IPHEI'I I'i'llfliflfill lJI'lHI I IEZ-I'eet-tall turbine was installed Lees feet i'mrn his heme.

Then lialder said the patient entered from arerlety. serious Insomnia, headaches. ringing in his ears and slight tﬂnlnas.

Fteider made that diagnesls when the paiient were en vacatidn and the sympesme tisappeared ever time and returned when he came bad: home.

"I believe these heelﬂ'i Impacts enema be specifically cited In the bill, with a reegmmendarddn dlrectlng the Vermont Department at Health tn adept a mere- izllresld:II pre- acthre rule In the public i'Ieeith issues raised her these huge tvurliines.‘i lteicler said.

The meraterlum is needed 'ln order to try ts understand mere clearlyr the sacrifices we are asking at our citizens and er the temple: ecology el' eur sensitive and beautiful ridgeiines.‘

Amend eii'lers when testified were Klrn Fried. chair of Hewerk's Planning Cmrnlsslcn which is lighting a potential wind prpject celled Eelien Remwetie Energy in Brighton. Ferdinand and Newark, and Joel Edge of Brighten, who talked about lhe Impact on tourism. 63 1/3/13

Handwritten note from Rep. Peter Welch I am sorry about the turmoil and hardship in your life from the wind towers near your home. As you know, the PTC was in the ﬁscal cliff bill that I voted for. I do support "clean" energy like solar, biomass, wind - but I believe where and whether any projects should be located is a local decision. Not one for D.C.

Sincerely, Peter ------

CALEDONIAN RECORD, LETTER TO THE EDITOR, DECEMBER 11, 2012 12l11f2012 Letter To The President - Luann Therrien

Do not renew the production tax credits To the Editor.

Dear Mr. President 8r. To Whom It May Concern:

Know there are more pressing matters In the world, but this Is what ls pressing on our world.

There really needs to be regulation put In place for when an Industrial Wind Project Is built. For starters, not letting the fox guard the hen house. Currently the wind companies are allowed to hire their own sound monitoring company and oversee the whole process. This should be overseen by an unbiased, independent group that has nothing to gain or lose from the results. With the funding coming from the wind companies.

More regulation; should be automatic that any homes within X distance from a project, the wind company should have to make things right with the homeowner. Nothing like this exists now, everything is in favor of the wind companies.

Some pro wind experts say iv: to 3.“ of a mile is too close, other studies say 1.5 miles is too close. The human factor of living with the constant annoyance of these machines does not matter to the wind companies.

The current way this is done is unfair to the home owner. Your option Is to place a complaint with the wind company to only be told they are In compliance, and to keep a daily noise log. To what end? Good question.

Dr complain to the State where it Is the Governor helping push as many projecls through as fast as possible? No help there.

So what are the real options? Sell? Move? Suffer for someone else's gain and agenda?

Why should people have to sell or abandon their homes? This Is where we have loved, lived and planned to spend the rest of our lives.

We have lived In our home In Sheffield, Vermont for 16 years, the land has been in my husbands family since the late 19705. Our new neighbors are 16 turbines that‘IIne the ridge behind our home. The farthest Is not 2 miles away, and the nearest Is under AM of a mile away. For some studies almost all 16 are too close. We can see the full blades of 12 turbines from our door.

Before the turbines were built, we felt we did not know enough about Industrial Wind to have an Informed opinion. We did not oppose them being built. We did not oppose the many lnconvenlences during construction that comes with a project this size. We did not oppose the project, not until It was up and running and creating noise. Creating noise that unlike what the wind developers will try and make you believe Is distinguishable above natural sounds. This has now been going on for a year. 64 CAL EDO NI AN RECO RD L ET T ER TO T HE EDI TO R, DECEMBER 11, 2012, P. 2 Thai.I ll"l fl-fll’efl‘tfll human “Hardball-lg uwmmflumnflmun I'IIII' haw-mlmfmthamminu. emu-u Iflnnmnuwuunmtlulr burl: man II III: m.All of mm mun-luau In Win! Thrall-I- Syndmma. In If! nu: awn an m.Ill m uncut-Inna Ind lave symptnmn.

I GII'I till you H'I'lffl 'fl'lll don m HIM IIII'HMI- I'l- I'fl ”I'llfl l' mm". W! II“no if”. I: am notfullna myself at all. rm manna-,- saw. “my“, durum slew W Ina-m. And Iran-u mun-way. WHWIMIM my Willlfltfl I‘IEI W Ind can feel Ill! flu in hlfl blood manure. W! In! I mutt-Ha change in our 3 fill all! sun. and If we flu but [all IVE“, we know: may are maklng but Rld! hat [HI nail. Immnhell mmmmmrah. Certainly“: hum-r macaw haueournmmu u 40. We men through In: {aha at Me mm along}. tun, and aparaflnns. an our mun try u: had a hum-q hay, Ind u: how have :- bah-p gm who will he um- Ih January. m Iran-u DI' the m at flfllnfi cur mum. m u - ruling a hang helping: and hapallu.

Hflplul m- pram: cur thlldren frum The Indulll'lll W'Ind From that I'll! bun bull! Hind nut ham. Unlfll h: prfltlfl them rrurn the mutant mun, Ifll'lfl'flflfl and Illflplfll Halt: will! all the "dull affect: Hm: no Huh-a nllh IL

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WI hurl nut-cud Hm wind- Thllr min,- I'D"? II that m In In Dumplllnn. Ind um Ill Druid-Ht by gluing I mmmnlr munn'. WI told ﬁlm WI wound and HM,”u: $150..“ to m I dwbllwldl hunt {law Ind} um I lot In Duh. Wu:my lln-ll Ilium I" hid rrlldl H: up tn “Dim. Thu haw 2-H: Wunl' ﬂit Hum-n flaw.

WI III-n cunt-cud the Shh. HI: hllp wlll mint from m whir- It's our Emmi-1w hllplm flu wind mmpanlu bqll many- wind pram I: qulddr II pullbll. And In I'Ill nld 'III paw-r cum" with I-I-crll'ln Ind whim." And "In: I dflld an IhI plmrwd his 'Wl'l'ld him"!!! 1:: fllr'l'll calling I" DID“!!! mph haw flit turn In WIhl: Iglndl. HI I'll! cult-ad plum-1| TAU—E- . mmlltn lullnfl virtually mrflflng. l-‘ulkl Iqaluit sullr pun-h. Inuit-1t I'IIIIJI'II in. folk: lflllflfi lama“ hydro ham l‘r'l going to klll sum- Nah. I'nlh Inllnlt wlnd Munmm- but: Dr burl may bl (uni-cud." Hl II “inform-d, III! in dfiIlflflunflrlflM urunwunflmundhlmmmnlw-uun flimflfllm nflr tl'III'rI.

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Shim-Id. In. 65 L UANN T HERRI ENʼ S PRO Z AC PRESCRI PT I O N, No vemb er 27, 2012

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------

DEPART MENT O F PUBL I C SERVI CE RESPO NSE TO T HE T HERRI ENS, JULY 17, 2012 July 17, 2012

Mrs. Susan M. Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 St at e St reet - Drawer 20 Mont pelier, VT 05620-2701

Re: Docket No. 7156

Dear Mrs. Hudson:

T he Depart ment has reviewed Vermont F irst W ind, LLCʼ s (“F irst W ind”) response t o t he Boardʼ s memorandum dat ed June 14, 2012 regarding noise complaint s, as well as t he T herrienʼ s comment s on t hat memorandum. 66 The Department believes that there are enough questions surrounding the noise monitoring as to warrant its retention of an independent expert to conduct noise monitoring at the Therrienʼs property. The Department will work directly with the Therriens on this issue and will report the results of its monitoring to the Board.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

John Beling Director for Public Advocacy cc:Attached Service List ------LUANN THERRENʼS LETTER TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD

From: Luann Therrien Date: July 16, 2012 4:28:42 PM EDT To: [email protected], [email protected] Bcc: [email protected] Subject: Response to First Wind Noise Reports and Complaints, Docket #7156

Dear Public Service Board and Public Service Department,

We are submitting the attached report on noise conditions in Shefﬁeld Vermont in response to First Wind's noise reports and response to our complaint about noise coming from First Wind's turbines. We are the people referenced in the report living .75 miles away who are complaining.

Even though we adjoin the project, we were never contacted about it and are not parties to the docket. So we are not ﬁling our comments with the Service List. Mr. Beling, could you please send an email with our comments to the Service List?

Thank you for addressing our complaints. The noise has not been too bad in the last week because the wind hasn't been blowing as much, but we are still getting the jet engine noise, and sometimes the whump whump whump.

Steve and Luann Therrien 2924 New Duck Pond Road Shefﬁeld, VT 05866 802 673-9089 67

9:#;'*./#<.44)#=(.5# !"#$%&'()*#+#$))(,-./*)# >-25?.%1#@"#ABACD# $,(0)/-,)1#"23-'(2%*2/.4#!(025# /*4EF.GH#DAIJKLDJCCL9# +#6250)/'-.4#7(-)*#8(2/'(4# *%.-4H#)*..M%NF.-'O(-2/J2*/# !

July 16, 2012

Ms. Annette Smith, Executive Director Vermont for a Clean Environment, Inc. 789 Baker Brook Road Danby, VT 05739

Reference: Independent Review of Submittal for Vermont Wind, LLC

Project: Sheffield Wind Project

Dear Ms. Smith;

I am responding to your request representing Vermont for a Clean Environment, LLC. to review and prepare a letter presenting my remarks. I reviewed the Noise Monitoring Plan (NMP) and two reports submitted to the Vermont Public Service Board; Report No. 1838-021712-A, Rev A, February 27, 2012, Operational Sound Level Compliance Test, Wintertime Conditions, & Report No. 1838-060312-A, Rev A, June 8, 2012, Operational Sound Level Compliance Test, Springtime Conditions.

I was professionally disappointed to realize that the NMP and both compliance reports were prepared by the same company. The NMP should not be prepared by the company performing the compliance test. The regulatory agency has no way to show independence and lack of bias. This indicates the real potential for a ³conflict of interest´, especially when the company has the developer as a client on other projects.

I was not surprised to read that the Sheffield wind turbine project operation¶s satisfied the Noise Monitoring Plan (NMP) and was unable to protect nearby neighbors from exposure to excessive noise, adverse health and well-being impacts. This is confirmed by the many complaints expressed by neighbors from 0.75 to 2.5 miles away. This is evidence of a structural failure by the noise planners to apply proper public safeguards. These complaints should not be ignored or discredited with a dispassionate µanecdotal¶ Acousticians know that sound instruments and analysis methods are very limited in their ability to identify potential human responses or causality.

I found the NMP promotes poor acoustic practices by enabling compliance sound level measurements to be made with unattended instruments and average the data over relatively long periods of time. There is no requirement for first-hand human listening observations to identify audible sound sources during data collection and analysis. Analyses were performed on sound level monitor data downloaded to computer files. Instruments and analysis methods are unable to perform simple human acoustic tasks to determine sound direction, discriminate individual sound sources and the audibility of pure tones.

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------68 FIRST WINDʼS RESPONSE TO THE THERRIENS, JUNE 21, 2012 From: Andrew Doak Date: Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 3:30 PM Subject: Sheffield Wind Farm - Response to Noise Concerns To: "luanntherrien@ gmail.com"

Mr. and Mrs. Therrien:

First Wind acknowledges the concerns you have expressed with respect to sound emanating from the Sheffield Wind Project, based on a visit to your residence, which took place on May 8t h, 2012 with myself and Claude Cote. I would like to explain our responsibilities under the VT PSB approved Noise Monitoring Plan (as revised May 26, 2010) for responding to your concerns.

Per the plan, we have completed our second of four required sound monitoring events by placing sound monitors at various locations around the Sheffield Project as specified by the noise monitoring plan and a subsequent map dated, January 13, 2012, which was sent to the VT PSB. The monitoring events occurred in late January, 2012 and late April-May, 2012 . Per the sound monitoring plan, monitoring station SM#4 is the closest location to your dwelling and is located southwest of your house near a cabin off of Duck Pond Road.

The recorded sound numbers from SM#4 indicates the interior noise level at a nearby dwelling would be within the sound compliance limit set by the VT PSB for the Sheffield Wind Project. The report, authored by a sound engineer, Hessler Associates, concludes that the Sheffield Wind Project is in compliance with the PSB-established noise limits at all measurement locations during both rounds of sound monitoring.

Per the complaint monitoring section of the sound monitoring plan, Hessler Associates determined the extrapolated value of the highest peak noise level at your residence to be 23 dBA, based on its distance from the acoustical center of the Project. Mr. Hessler has concluded that the noise levels are not within 3 dBA of the VT PSB sound standard of 30 dBA. In turn, under the sound monitoring plan your dwelling is not eligible for additional sound monitoring.

Please acknowledge receipt of this explanation. If you have any questions regarding this process please let me know.

Regards, Andy Doak, Operations Manager, Sheffield Wind farm

FIRST WIND ENERGY, LLC, 1868 New Duck Pond Rd., Sheffield, VT 05866

Work: 802-473-5083, adoak@ firstwind.com, www.firstwind.com ~53 firstwind. GLIIH Iﬂllﬂ‘f. HIDE I'll-l. 91 College Street, 91 Colleqe Stt'eet, Burlington,13urlinqtOtl, VT 05401 Rebeccar'iebeccCl E.I':. BoucherDoucher .,‘ Eileen[eileen!. l. Elliott[]Iiott Andrew N. Raubvogel % um:E F Eltel 802.860.1003802.860.'1003 I fa)(fax 802.860.1208 ElizabethE:liLabelh H. CatlinCaUin GeoffreyC3eofll'OY H. Hand MarkA.Mark A. Saunders em 5 E e :53 www.dunkielsaunders.com Brianf3rian S. DunkleltDunl,iel • JessicaAOskiJessica A. Oski Karen L. Tyler ELLlOTTl:LLIOTT I RAUBVOGEL lI HAND

June 25, 2012

By HANDHAND DELIVERDELIVERY Y

Mrs. Susan Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 State Street, Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620—270105620-2701

Re: Docket No. 7156 -— ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project

Dear Mrs. Hudson:

Vermont Wind, LLC (“Vermont("Vermont Wind”)Wind") isis inin receipt of the noise complaint dated June 11, 2012 flIedﬁled by Steve and Luann Therrien with the Vermont Public ServiceSelvice Board (“Board”)("Board") concerning the ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project (“Project’-’).("Project"). The Board requested that th Vermont Wind respond to the complaint by June 25‘“.25 . As explained below, the noise monitoring data for the Project demonstrates that Vermont Wind\'\!ind isis inin compliance with the noise limitslimits set by the Board. Further, the Therriens do not qualify for additional monitoring at their residence under the Board—approvedBoard-approved noise complaint protocol because the projected sound levels at that locationlocation are more than 3 dBA lowerlower than the noise limit.

To provide context on the noise monitoring requirements applicable to the Project, Vermont Wind provides the following chronological background on the development and approval process of the noise monitoring plan:

0• Per condition 10 of the CertiCertificateficate of Public Good issuedissued for the Project, Vermont Wind fiflIedled a noise monitoring plan on March 31, 2010 with the Board, and submitted a revisedrevised plan (in response to comments from other parties) by letterletter dated May 26, 2010. The BoardBoard approved the plan by Order dated SeptemberSeptem.ber 10, 2010. The noise monitoring plan details the operational monitoring requirements for the fifirstrst year and complaint response procedure.

0• On October 26,26,2011, 2011, the ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project became operational.

0• As requiredrequired under the noise monitoring plan, VermontVennont Wind ﬁfiledled a map with the Board on January 12,12,2012 2012 depicting the precise locationslocations of the sound monitoring stations. These locationslocations were chosen per the procedures outlined inin Section 3.2 of the noise monitoring plan and after personnel from VermontVennont Wind contacted landownerslandowners at the locationslocations identiidentifiedﬁed inin Appendix B of the noise monitoring plan. Vermont Wind selected monitoring location 8M4SM4 which is approximately 1,000 feet closer to the nearest turbine in comparison to the Therrien dwelling.

0• As requiredrequired under the noise monitoring plan, Vermont Wind’sWind's acoustical consultant, Hessler Associates Inc.Inc. (“Hessler”)("Hessler") completed two rounds of operational noise monitoring inin latelate January 2012 and late April and May 2012. Based upon an analysis of the data, Hessler concluded for both quarterly rounds of testing that the Project was inin compliance with the noise limitlimit applicable to the Project as detailed in condition 10 of the CPG, Le,i.e., 30 dBA (interior, 1 hour Leq).Leg). The reports detailing Hessler’sHessler's collection and analysis of sound data were previously ftledfiled with the Board; two additional roundsrounds of monitoring are scheduled for the summer and fall of 2012.

O• InIn responseresponse to a call from Mr. Therrien on or about May 2, 2012, Vermont Wind personnel visited the Therriens at their dwelling in an attempt to understand their concerns on May 8, 2012. Vermont Wind personnel agreed that they would be inin contact with the Therriens after the second noise monitoring report was submitted inin early June 2012. Vermont Wind submittedsubnlitted this report to the Board on June 11, 2012, the same date the Therriens ftledfiled their complaint with the Board.

0• InIn responseresponse to the complaint ftledfiled by the Therriens and following the sound complaint protocolprotocol detailed in Section 4.0 of the noise monitoring plan, VermontVennont Wind engaged Hessler to calculate the expected noise levellevel at the Therrien residence. Hessler estimated, using very conservative assumptions, that the interiorinterior noise level at this locationlocation would be 23 dBA (see Attachment A). As this levellevel isis more than 3 dBA lowerlower than the 30 dBA sound limit,limit, under the noise monitoring plan the Therriens do not qualify for supplemental monitoring at their residence.

0• On June 21, 2012, Vermont Wind responded directly to the Therriens’Therriens' complaint via e-mail informinginforming them that theytl1ey do not qualify for complaint monitoring (see Attachment B).B).

Vermont Wind thankstl1anks the Board for the opportunity to respond to this complaint and to explain the efforts itit has undertaken to confirmconfttm that the Project isis complying with the Board’sBoard's noise limits.limits. As always, please contact me should you have any further questions.

Sinc

ndrew Raubvogel DUNKIJDUNKIEL «:1. SASAUNDERS UNDJcRs ELLIOTT RAUBVOGK\UBVOCEL EL & HAND,H,\ND, PLLC

EnclosuresEnclosures cc: ServiceSenrice ListList Steve and LuannLuann Therrien (by(by email)

2 STATE OF VERMONT PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD

Docket No. 7156

Amended Petition of UPC Vermont Wind, LLC for a ) CertiCertificateficate of Public Good, pursuant to 30 V.S.A. § 248, ) authorizing the construction and operation of a 40 MW ) wind electric generation facility, consisting of 16 wind ) turbines, and associated transmission and interconnection ) facilities, in ShefSheffieldfield and Sutton, Vermont, to be known as ) the “Shef"Sheffieldfield Wind Project”Project" )

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I,I, JennaJ enna Conklin, certify that on June 25, 2012, on behalf of Vermont Wind, LLC, II forwarded copies of letterLetter to 135.13PS13 re: Tben7enThar/“Zen slreNoiJe Comp/aimComplaint by the method noted to the attached service list:list:

ByBy Hand Delivery:

Mrs. Susan Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 State Street, Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620—270105620-2701

By First Class Mail:

Megan Ludwig, Esq. Arthur B. Sanborn Vermont Dept. of Public Service Town of LyndonJ ~yndon . 112 State Street, Drawer 20 P.O.,BoxP.O. Box 167 Montpelier, VT 05620260105620-2601 Lyndonville, VT 05851

Judith Dillon, Esq. C.e. Daniel Hershenson, Esq. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources For the Town of Sutton 103 SS. Main Street, Center Bldg. I-lershenson,Hershenson, Carter, Scott & McGee, PC.P.e. Waterbury, VT 05671—030105671-0301 PO.P.O. Box 909 Norwich, VT 05055—090905055-0909 Richard H. Saudek, Esq. for the Town of Sheffield Gabrielle Stebbins, Executive Director Cheney, Brock & Saudek, PC.P.e. Renewable Energy Vermont

159 State Street P.O. Box 1036\/\_/\/\_/VV\_/ Montpelier, VT 05602 Montpelier, VT 05601 Vincent Illuzzi,Illuzzi, Esq. Jack Simons, Advisory Board Member P.O. Box 226 Clean Power Vermont Orleans, VTVI' 05860—022605860-0226 PO.P.O. Box 22 ShefSheffield,ﬁeld, VT 05866 Kenneth Sanderson, Jr.J r. Town of Burke Thomas A. Girard, Chair 212 School Street ' Newark Town Selectboard West Burke, VT 05871 266 Watch Dog Lane Newark, VT 05871 Michael and Marsha Burrington _ P.O. Box 156 Kenneth Hayes, Chair ShefSheffield,ﬁeld, VT 05866 Town of Kirby Selectboard 346 Town Hall Road Selectboard Chair Lyndonville, VT 05851 Town of Westmore 54 HintonI-linton HillHill Road Byron Savoy Orleans, VT 05860 1708 King George Farm Road Sutton, VT 05867 DonaldDonald Gregory 3767 UnderpassUnderpass RdRd William R. May, Esq. Sutton, VT 05867—974105867-9741 (TownCrown and Village of Barton) May & Davies MarilynMarilyn Pastore, Owner P.O. Box 303 InnInn at MountainMountain View FarmFarm Barton, VT 05822—030305822-0303 PO.P.O. Box 355 East Burke, VT 05832 John W. Kessler, Esq. Julie F. Kelliher, Esq. Paul Brouha Vermont Dept. of Housing & Comm. Affairs ForFor Ridge Protectors, Inc.Inc. Agency of Commerce and Community Dev. 92 Queen ElizabethElizabeth FarmFarm Lane National Life Bldg,Bldg., Drawer 20 Sutton, VT 05867 Montpelier, VT 05620—050105620-0501

RobRob RoyRoy Macgregor Fair-windFauwind Vermont P.O.P.O. Box 52 Londonderry,Londonderry, VT 05148

DatedDated at Burlington,Burlington, Vermont, this 25‘“25'h day of June 2012.

by: (KW QM“ enna Conklin

2 HesslerAssociates,Hessler Associates, Inc.Inc. - ' IAttachmentAttachment AIA CfJII.Vtilfiiiis{.2 trimmings inin EFngilh'erillg i?§iiiu,!ii2§f“(71135112 A w!lstic, II 222% 3862 Clifton Manor Piece SUite B Haymariiet, Virginia 20‘161‘2‘20168 USAUS;'. Phone:Phone "(’03-'73703-753-1602 €502 Fax: 7034534703-753-1522 522 Website·Website: W'Nw.hesslernoise.comwww.l‘ressler'noisecom

June 19,2012

Mr. Josh Bagnato FirstFirst Wind ShefSheffieldﬁeld Wind Project ShefSheffield,ﬁeld, VT

Subject: Noise Complaint from Therien Residence NW of Project VT PSB Memorandum dated 6/14/126114112

Reference: L-061L-06l912-0 912-0

Dear Mr. Bagnato:

ItIt isis our understanding that First Wind has received a complaint via the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) from the Therien family whose dwelling isis located off of New Duck Pond Road northwest of the project inin ShefSheffield,ﬁeld, VT. ItIt isis further understood that the locationlocation of the residence has been veriverifiedﬁed by First Wind employees who visited the property on May 8, 2012.

As detailed inin Section 4.0 “Complaint"Complaint Monitoring”Monitoring" inin the Noise Monitoring Plan approved by the Vermont PSB on May 26, 2010, the procedure for assessing such a complaint isis to fifirstrst determine whether there isis a reasonable possibility that the project-only sound levellevel isis inin violation of the prescribed noise limitlimit of 30 dBA Leq insideinside of the residence associated with the complaint. This possibility isis evaluated by extrapolating the test results from the nearest of the four pie-approvedpre-approved sound-measurementsound measurement locationslocations to the complaint locationlocation to see if the estimated project sound levellevel isis within 3 dBA of the regulatoryregulatory limitlimit of 30 dBA. IfIf so, additional and further fifieldeld testing at the complaint locationlocation isis required to dedefinitivelyfinitively investigateinvestigate whether the project sound levellevel isis or isis not inin compliance with the State noise limit.limit.

InIn this instance,instance, the nearest test position to the complaint locationlocation is Sound Measurement Position 4 (SM4) near another residence on New Duck Pond Road that is 2000 feet south of the Therien house inin a very similar setting. The most recent testing at Position SM4, measured during the springtime sound survey, was carried out between April 25 and April 28 and between May 11II and May 31. These dates encompass a number of the days when project noise was noted by the complainant as being especially loudloud (4/25, 5/20 -— 5/25). The fifinalnal resultsresults of the testing at SM4, after accounting inin a minimal way for background noise and after subtracting the estimated noise reductionreduction of the house (based on fifieldeld tests of the structures at SM2 and 8M3),SM3), are summarized inin the following table extracted fifrom‘om ReportRep0l1 1838- 060312-A (June(J une 8, 2012).

Council ol we u ms: M22.t§ 2: 2221-. '2 crviccs Sérrct. 1‘} It. Hessler Associates, Inc.Inc. ConsultantsCmslllwlllS inin Iingizwering Acoustics II

Table 1 Estimated Nominal Project SoundS01lnd ILevels eve/s at SM4 - IndoorsIndoors Descriptor L90 Leq Peak, dBA 20 23 More Typical Maximum, dBA 15 19 'Average,Average, dBA 7 15

The general meaning of these values is dedefinedﬁned as follows:

Peak: The highest peak level that could possibly be associated with the project -— usually occurring during only one or two 10 minute samples out of the thousands recorded. This measurement cannot be conclusively associated with the project.

More Typical Maximum: This is generally the maximum sound level that was observed on multiple occasions. This value is roughly estimated from a visual inspection of the plotted results.results.

Average: The arithmetic average of all samples of apparent project—onlyproject-only sound, encompassing all wind and weather conditions. This value isis considered the closest to the actual project sound level,level, although the relatively large distances from the project to the measurement positions makes it quite difdifficultficult to dedefinitivelyfinitively measure the project’sproject's sound emissions as distinct from natural background noise. The general tendency isis for all of the reportedreported values, average through peak, to contain signisignificantficant amounts of background contamination making the project levellevel appear higher than itit probably actually is.is.

L90 vs. Leq: The residualresidual sound levellevel (L90) tends to fifilterlter out contaminating noises giving a somewhat clearer picture of the steady, underlying project sound level.level. The average (Leq) level,level, on the other hand, is highly ininfluencedfluenced and contaminated by unrelated noise events, such as trucks on 1—91,1-91, planes flflyingying over, birds, etc. and much less likelylikely to be indicativeindicative of the actual project sound level.level.

As delineated inin the NoiseNoise MonitoringMonitoring Plan, the extrapolation from the nearest measurement position to the complaint locationlocation isis determined from the following formula:

cLpc = mLpm + 20 loglog (Din/Dc),(Dm/Dc), dBA

Where, cLpc = Estimated InteriorInterior Sound PressureLevelPressure Level at the Complainant Location, dBA mLpm = InteriorInterior Sound Pressure Level determined at the nearest Monitoring Location, dBA DmDm = Distance from the Acoustic Center of the Project to the Relevant Monitoring Location, ft. DcDc = Distance from the Acoustic Center of the Project to the Complainant Location, ft.

The acoustic center of the project isis essentially the geographic center of the turbine array -— where the

project could theoretically be combined into,into, and representedrepresented as, a single point source with respectrespect to {N} receiverreceiver positions locatedlocated thousands of feet away. The approximate acoustic center and the distances relevantrelevant to this complaint are illustratedillustrated below inin Figure l.I.

\»‘leiril)er:Vkrnbcr National": 39%197() Hessler Associates, Inc.Inc. CORSIJIIIUILS‘CUll\ulffl!1lS inin li‘ngineeringElIgin<'c'I'illg AAculistics caustics II

Complaint Location

Approx. Acoustic Center of Turbine Array

Figure 1 Aerial Photograph ofSiz‘ea/Site Area Sho'wz'ngShowing SM4 and the Complaint Location

Since the distance from the center of the project to each locationlocation isis simila1,similar, the distance correction from SM4 to the TTherien her'1en residence'residence isis extremely small at only +0.+0.33 dBA.

20 loglog (7100/6840)(71 00/6840) = 0.3 dBA

This adjustment isis inconsequentialinconsequential and would roundround off to zero so the resultsresults at SM4 may be directly transferred to the complaint location.location.

Although the L90 typical maximum and average interiorinterior levelslevels at SM4 of 15 and 7 dBA are probably closer to the true answer, the peak Leq value of 23 dBA may be taken as an extremely conservative basis for estimating the interiorinterior sound levellevel at the complaint location.location I. Because this aheadyalready conservative value isis well below the permissible limitlimit of 30 dBA, additional testing at the complaint locationlocation isis not warranted per the complaint test protocol, which requiresrequires testing only if the extrapolated value at the complaint locationlocation is within 3 dBA of the limit.limit.

Although the project sound levellevel isis evidently quite lowlow at SM4 and, by extension, at the complaint location,location, the test data do not purport to suggest that the project isis utterly inaudibleinaudible at all times at these locations,locations, but rather that the magnitude of the project sound levellevel isis well within the stipulated limit.limit.

'1 ItIt should be noted that the frequency spectrum ofvirtuallyof viliually any randomlyrandomly selected sample measured at SM4 was dominated by a very pronounced peak around 800 to 1000 Hz, which isis a very distinctive characteristic of highway (tire) noise. This resultresult strongly suggests that the overall A-weighted sound levelslevels at SM4, ratherrather than truly reflectingreflecting the project’sproject's sound emissions, were elevated and largelylargely dominated by traffic noise much of the time. Figure 1I shows the proximity of both SM4 and the complaint locationlocation to l~9l.1-91.

“him \1tm‘mlCouncil"i‘.-')\ctusiicai Consultants I 3 iSfﬂ' 160$ Sin-cc it)?'6 Hessler Associates, Inc.Inc. (7012351110a in ii'Izgineeritzg ricousiics II

Of course, please letlet me know ifif you have any questions on the above or if we can be of any further assistance on this matter. '

Sincerely, "ﬂail/L,

David M. Hessler, P.E. Principal Consultant Hessler Associates, Inc.Inc.

Member National Council of Acoustical Consultants ' 4 \\)\L (‘mziz‘ol Services $5120: 2976 [AttachmentIAttachment B:BI

From: Andrew Doak Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2012 3:30 PM To: ‘[email protected]''[email protected]' Subject: Sheffield Wind Farm -— Response to Noise Concerns

Mr. and Mrs. Therrien:

First Wind acknowledges the concerns you have expressed with respect to sound emanating from the th Sheffield Wind Project, based on a visit to your residence, which took place on May 8"“8 , 2012 with myself and Claude Cote. lI would like to explain our responsibilities under the VT PSB approved Noise Monitoring Plan (as revised May 26, 2010) for responding to your concerns.

Per the plan, we have completed our second of four required sound monitoring events by placing sound monitors at various locations around the Sheffield Project as specified by the noise monitoring plan and a subsequent map dated, January 13, 2012, which was sent to the VT PSB. The monitoring events occurred in late January, 2012 and late April-May,April—May, 2012 .. Per the sound monitoring plan, monitoring station SM#4 isis the closest location to your dwelling and isis located southwest of your house near a cabin off of Duck Pond Road. '

The recorded sound numbers from SM#4 indicatesindicates the interior noise level at a nearby dwelling would be within the sound compliance limit set by the VT PSB for the Sheffield Wind Project. The report, authored by a sound engineer, Hessler Associates, concludes that the Sheffield Wind Project isis in compliance with the PSB-established noise limits at all measurement locations during both rounds of sound monitoring.

Per the complaint monitoring section of the sound monitoring plan, Hessler Associates determined the extrapolated value of the highest peak noise level at your residence to be 23 dBA, based on itsits distance from the acoustical center of the Project. Mr. Hessler has concluded that the noise levelslevels are not within 3 dBA of the VT PSB sound standard of 30 dBA. InIn turn, under the sound monitoring plan your dwelling isis not eligible for additional sound monitoring.

Please acknowledge receipt of this explanation. IfIf you have any questions regarding this process please letlet me know. '

Regards,

Andy Doak Operations Manager Sheffield Wind farm

FIRST WINDWINO ENERGY, LLC 1868 New Duck Pond Rd. Sheffield, VT 05866 Work:Work:80Z-473-5083 8024736083 [email protected] www.firstwind.com 15 Great Falls Road SE Ambrose & Associates Windham, ME 04062 Acoustics, Environmental Sound tel/fax: 207.892.6691 & Industrial Noise Control email: [email protected]

July 16, 2012

Ms. Annette Smith, Executive Director Vermont for a Clean Environment, Inc. 789 Baker Brook Road Danby, VT 05739

Reference: Independent Review of Submittal for Vermont Wind, LLC

Project: Sheffield Wind Project

Dear Ms. Smith;

SE Ambrose & Associates - 1 - Acoustics, Environmental Sound & Industrial Noise Control Sheffield Wind Project Review July 13, 2012

My review recognized that both compliance reports contained fundamental acoustic measurement, analysis and errors. I will present the most obvious.

1) The same company prepared the NMP and performed the compliance test should raise questions about the quality and reliability of the test data.

2) The NMP does not require noise measurements during wind conditions where neighbors complain most . Compliance test performers did not listen and identify all audible sound sources contributing to the measured noise levels.

3) Sound level analysis should have been made on data that is most representative for the levels that provoke a human response. Humans respond rapidly to changes in their acoustic environment; level and frequency content. The severity of their response relates to the amount of increase above the background sound level; L90. The report s acknowledge that the L90 is not a good indicator for public response to a noise level that varies over time. Yet, major portions of the noise analysis comparisons were b ased on L90 ¶s and averaged data.

4) The placement of these instruments does not comply with good measurement practices or standards. Microphones must be positioned in open areas away from any surface that may block or reflect sound waves (ANSI/ASA S12.9-1993/Part 3, American National Standard, Quantities and Procedures for Description and Measurement of Environmental Sound. Part 3: Short -term measurements with an observer present) . This is also appropriate for all environmental sound measurements. The June 11, 2012 report show instruments mounted to trees and poles. Are there other inappropriate practices or standards?

R.-. Figure 2,211 H m In "ondﬂd 4r(a rm u hue/sir Momma». Road klngS «Pimlr- [mm "'lnlrr 33mm A 5) The prominent pure tone determination methodology required by the NMP; ANSI S12.9/Part 3 1993 is not appropriate for evaluating highly variable wind turbine sounds. This methodology is appropriate for steady-state tone levels; little variation in level. Wind turbine tones fluctuate rapidly in time from audible to inaudible. Averaging removes the higher peaks from consideration for determining audibility. More importantly, the performances of the low frequency ANSI filters are not able to respond to the rate of change detected by the human ear. ANSI S1.13-2005, Annex A, Identification and evaluation of prominent discrete tones would have been the appropriate standard to follow. This method does not use a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for evaluating human ear critical bandwidth responses.

I found the report to be o verly complex and difficult . I disagree with some of the technical discussions and conclusions and at times found them to be weak and at times mis leading. Unfortunately there was no requirement or interest to assess the acoustic environment for potential negative human response s; i.e. complaints. This greatly weakens the ability for regulating agencies to understand why people are complaining.

SE Ambrose & Associates - 2 - Acoustics, Environmental Sound & Industrial Noise Control Sheffield Wind Project Review July 13, 2012

For reference, I have attached an example of a community noise assessment method that may be helpful in understanding why neighbors are complaining. Please feel free to call me with any questions. Thank you,

Respectfully submitted,

%% Stephen Ambrose, INCE Bd. Cert. Principal Consultant

SE Ambrose & Associates - 3 - Acoustics, Environmental Sound & Industrial Noise Control Sheffield Wind Project Review July 13, 2012

Community Noise Assessment Methodology Based on USEPA Studies

Regulations should be enacted to protect the public and specific noise limits should be based on empirical and scientific studies . Adverse community reactions frequently occur when the background noise levels increase by more than 5 dBA. Annoyance includes; irritations, aggravation, bother , anger, provocation), sl eep disturbance, health and well -being problems. Strong low frequencies produce complaints relating dizziness, vertigo, nausea, lethargy and cognitive difficulties. Complaints are most prevalent in quiet residential environments during the night. The adverse reaction intensifies when wind turbine noise levels approach 45 dBA.

Community reaction to noise produced by wind turbine facility can be predicted based on WKH EDFNJURXQG QRLVH OHYHOV 7KH 86(3$ ³/HYHOV 'RFXPHQW´ HVWDEOLVKHG D methodology t hat is well understood. It uses an "ordinal response" method by predicting a range of community reaction responses based on the noise level increase caused by a wind WXUELQHIDFLOLW\7KLVPHWKRGRORJ\LVVXPPDUL]HGLQ)LJXUHDQGKDVEHHQ³QRUPDOL]HG´Ior wind turbines located in quiet environments; <30 dBA nighttime.

Figure 1. USEPA Community Noise Reaction (CNR) levels normalized to Leq for wind turbines in quiet rural areas.

Vigorous community 1+“ action Strong appeals to Stop Wise - EPA, Case studies, 550/974004, 1974. Widespread EPA reactions normalized to Leo for wind I . I: turbines in quiet rural areas as follows: comp amts - Leq (-6, steady level day-nightassumed) . — Year—round operation (0) Sporadlc .__._l_ — Quiet rural community (—10) complaints - No prior exposure to intruding noise (-5] - Pure tone or impulsive noise character (—5]

Err—1— I I I I I I I I I I l I No reaction | | Leq |I- itt dor measur | | I I 20253035404550556065707580 leq, dBA Chart @2011 RW.Rand& S‘EAmbrose, Members INCE All Rigits Reserved

The predicted community response for wind turbines producing noise levels of 35 dBA, 40 dBA, G%$DQGG%$UDQJLQJIURP³:LGHVSUHDGFRPSODLQWV´WR³Strong appeals to stop the noise´ to " Vigorous community reaction ", respectively. This is easy to understand and clearly shows that the re will be a negative response at 35 dBA and worsens with each few decibels of increase. Sound levels should be 33 dBA or less to have ³Sporatic complaints´ and less than 30 dBA for no reaction. Wind turbine noise levels quieter than 35 dBA have been confirmed by public response surveys.

SE Ambrose & Associates - 4 - Acoustics, Environmental Sound & Industrial Noise Control Wnnowhhr Lanna

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RETURN COMPLETED FORM To: ID #2 ﬂ lermont Department of Labor Date Issued: M 3 .O. Box 189, Montpelier VT 05601- 0189 Due Date: 011131 2915 =:ax (802) 828- 9191 lMEDICAL CERTIFICATION AND ABILITY & AVAILABILITY STATEMENU {CLAIMANT MUST COMPLETE ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTIONJ 1. Name: STEVEN C THERRIEN . Date of Birth: 0 1/18/1962 2. Last job title and job duties/requirements: M111 MITSPﬂ. 7L Mgr/Ml?“ 3. It authorized by my health care provider, I am able, available to accept and will actively seek employment In the following occupations: 4, Do you have experience and/ortraining in the occupations you listed above? DYes CINo - Please give examples of your training/experience: What days and hours are you able and available to work? What data did you start looking for work? What transportation will you use to get to and from work? in‘wnat to’wns/citieé‘éi’e you willing and able to work? What is the lowest starting wage you will accept? . Is there some reason why you cannot accept a full-time job immediately? If yes, explain:

Tereby authorize the release of my medical information to the Vermont Department of Labor for use in determining my eligibility receive Unemployment Insurance benefits.‘

laimant Signature: Date: iEALTH CARE PROVIDER MUST“ COMPLETE THIS SECTION—l 1e information requested herein is necessary to, and will serve as a basis for determining eligibility for Unemployment Insurance benefit:

What Is the nature of the illness or disability’ﬁﬁppég9M1“,l W90 INXUM N1A( W

Exclusive of thIsLv it 76m;that and last treatments of the claimant for the illness or disability stated above, were respectively: 70“ and In your opinion, COULD THIS INDIVIDUAL HAVE PERFORMED, on a FULL-TIME basis, the normal duties stated in Item 2 above? 1. asof 12/16/2012 DYes ﬁne (first date unable to work)

2. as of 1 3 0 / D Yes mitt: (effective date of claim) /

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Is it your 0 inion that thlﬂndividual can perform the duties required in the occupations listed under Item 3 above, on a FULL— TIME basis? Yes If "Yes", when? If "No", please explain.

Comments: (including statement of any work limitations)

For maternity cases olpected confinemen date Act i n e ”Kate: Providers Name (Past-h Maw/K ‘1 i?’ W—g———l‘I’, A Signature: V

Form completed b n w p h o n e z t e[i [321%

Health Care Provider" means a person, partnership, corporation, facility or institution, licensed or certfied or authorized by law to provide professional health care services in this State to an individual during that individual‘ 3 medical care, treatment or confinement. F-8 (10/06) A North Country Hospital ,..-—--—~ Where caring runs deep. Barton Clinic 488 Elm Street Barton, VT 05822 Phone: (802) 525-3539 Fax: (802) 525-3088

1/4/2013

To Whom It May Concern:

Steven C. Therrien has been under my care for the treatment of depression and PTSD. Recommend Mr. Therrien remain out of work until seen in follow up 1 Feb 2013. I do not feel that it is safe for Mr. Therrien to be working around machinery at this time.

Please call with any question.

WM ugh-c.

Patrick Heaney PA-C A.North Country Hospital I“ Where caring runs deep.

North Country Hospital 189 Prouty Drive Newport. VT 05855 (802) 334-7331 (802) 334—3227

2/ 1 8/201 3

Steven Therrien 2924 New Duck Pond Road PO Box 165 Barton, VT 05822 ’

To Whom It May Concern:

Steven C. Therrien has been under my care for the treatment of depression and hypertension. He is unable to look for employment at this time due to health problems.

”Nat llama Patrick Heaney PA-C A.North Country Hospital I”.Where caring runs deep. Orleans Family Medicine 30 East Street Orleans, VT 05860 Phone: (822) 754-2220 ax:

1/15/2013

To Whom It May Concern:

Luann M. Therrien has been under my care for the treatment of a Depressive Disorders, fatigue and sleep disturbance. She has had a signiﬁcant negative psychological status since the wind turbines went on line in Shefﬁeld .

Christie Aldrich FNP

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Page 1/ 1 K North Country Hospital ,.—-—---- Where caring runs deep. Orleans Family Medicine 30 East Street Orleans. VT 05860 Phone: (802) 754-2220 Fax:

2/18/2013

To Whom It May Concern:

Luann M. Therrien has been under my care for the treatment of Depression and Insomnia and is unable to look for employment at this time.

W 0mm FNP

Christie Aldrich FNP " "~i fie-L135

LAW OFFICES CHENEY SAUDEK & GRAYCK PC 159 State Street Montpelier, Vermont 05602 TELEPHONE 802-223-4000 - FAX 802-229-0370

KIMBERLY a. CHENEY HEATHER :4. JARVIS RICHARD H. SAUDEK ouusa. DAVID L. GRAYCK CHRISTOPHER J. SMART. c

March 11, 2013

Kathy Newland, Town Clerk . 7 y, .. . Town of Shefﬁeld P. 0. Box 165 Shefﬁeld, VT 05866

Re: ReqneltforlemertoFirstWitllVeunont

DearKathy:

I understand that the Town wants guidance on the following: A resident of the Town has asked for a copy of a letter that he believes the Town has sent to First Wind concerning noise from the Shefﬁeld wind project or compensation to him for noise at his home. Apparently, the Town has not written such a letter. I believe the Town would be ill-advised to do so.

As you know. the subject of noise and testing for noise has been covered by the Public Service Board'in great detail inhearings on the Shefﬁeld project. First Wind has conducted studies and made reports pursuant to the Board’s orders. In addition, the Department ofPublic Service arranged for its own tests. They expect a report in about a month.

This attention to noise with studies by both the Department and the developer is an example of the regulatory process working the way it was intended to work. Once the Department study is complete, the Department will decide what action to take - whether to inform the Board that the project generates unacceptable levels of noise at certain distances or not. If the information warrants Board action, I’m sure it will be taken.

In light ofthe above, there is no reason for the Town to get involved in this matter Ifthe study shows the noise to be too great and, alter hearings, the PSB agrees, the PSB has broad discretion to devise an appropriate remdy.

3' lyy .

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com TOWN OF SHEFFIELD PO BOX 165 37 DANE ROAD SHEFFIELD, VT. 05866 802-626-8862

Steve and Luann Therrien, March 15, 2013 2924 Old Duck Pond Road Shefﬁeld, Vt. 05866

Mailing address: PO Box 165 Barton, Vt. 05822

Steve and Luann,

Normally advice we receive from our attorney is kept conﬁdential but we see this letter as being pertinent in this particular issue.

Our attorney Richard Saudek advised us to send this on to you for your information.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions. s.....1.,a4/% 2%

Max Aldrich Chairman, Shefﬁeld Select Board.

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-! ‘v i“. ‘2; Page Six Letter to the editor

Governor Shurnlin: Please some experience wind turbine noise personally Editor, This letter was hand delivered to the Kevin McGrath Governor on August 5, 2013. Farm Road Dear Governor Peter Shumlin: Had land and camp since 1937 We the undersigned are families directly finished new home in 2010 impacted by the three large industrial wind projects in Vermont. Robbin and Steve Clark The signed are asking for a personal Lowell response. Lived there 26 years Please call us to get a better understanding of how we are being affected. Don and Shirley Nelson Call us, come for a visit. Stay for a while, Lowell have a cup of coffee and experience what we live aed for 45 years with on a daily basis. Don grew up here Reports can he read, data can be given and interpreted — all of that in the end really means Gordon Spencer nothing compared to first-hand experience. It is Lowell the only way to get an understanding of what Been there for 43 years others are dealing with. Thank you for your time. Gilbert and Linda Hill Sincerely Lowell Sheffield project: Lid there for 48 years been in Lowell 69 years Luann and Steve Therrien Sheffield Leonard and Marguerite Thompson Lived here for 1'? years, Albany in Steve’s family for 40+ years Been there 15 years

Paul & Carol Brouha Georgia project: Sutton family’s home since he was born in 1946 Scott and Melodie McLane Fairfax Lowell project: We have lived here for 23 years

Paul and Rita Martin Reggie Johnson and Shirley Phillips Albany Fairfax Lived here since 19-?4 — 39 years We have lived here for 42 years "*r.'.-'",,F:'I'1ll{;'-LJ}3-IF.' ‘ - Er}; '- u. r._

PETER SHUMLIN GoVernor

State of Vermont OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

August 13, 2.013

' " T. Themen PO Box 165 Barton, VT 05822—0165

Dear Luann,

My ofﬁce learned of your comment on VTDigger regarding a letter that I received in person on August 5th to which you had yet to receive a response. I'm sorry you did not feel response from my ofﬁce was timely. Given the volume of mail we receive it sometimes takes over a week to rCSpond.

I understand that you have been in close contact with the Vermont Department of Public Service regarding your concerns and I would encourage you to continue to work with them. I am also aware of the dockets before the Public Service Board related to wind energy generation and sound levels. Finally, I am hopeful that the work of the Energy Generation Siting Policy Commission, and the legislative commitee work building upon that report. will help resolve some of these issues moving forward as local communities take an active role in the energy planning process. My administration is closely monitoring all these deveIOpments and is aware of the perspective of those living in close proximity to wind projects.

I have forwarded your letter to Commissioner Chris Recchia at the Department of Public Service so that his ofﬁce remains up to date on your concerns. Thank you for your continued advocacy on this issue and will keep your concerns in mind as we move forward.

{Slew .

' " Q 'I‘HEPAVIUON o MONTPELIER v1 05609-0l01 o www vERMONTM mmnm911939129909 4; may on“; 919 aaan I. run. am. can an“ Letter from President Obama, Sept. 24, 2013

Dear Luann:

Thank you for writing. I have heard from many Americans concerned about environmental issues—from pollution reduction to the well-being of our national parks and wildlife. America’s natural resources and landscapes are among our most precious treasures, and we have an obligation to protect them for future generations.

That is why my Administration continues to take action to preserve and restore our land, water, and air. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we increased funding for hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure construction, and projects that improve our Nation’s parks and wildlife refuges. I also signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act—the most extensive expansion of land and water conservation in more than a generation. And my Administration has taken comprehensive action to ensure the integrity of the water sources Americans rely on every day for drinking, swimming, and fishing, and that support farming, tourism, and economic growth.

I have also been proud to designate nine national monuments for permanent protection, including Chimney Rock in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado; the San Juan Islands that are home to bald eagles, orca whales, and harbor seals in Puget Sound; and the Rio Grande del Norte, over 240,000 acres in New Mexico containing scenic stretches of the Rio Grande gorge and extinct volcanoes rising from the Taos Valley floor. These monuments open more opportunities for Americans to connect to the outdoors, provide jobs and economic benefits for local communities, preserve our heritage, and protect America’s special places for future generations to enjoy.

To safeguard our natural heritage and historic landmarks, I was also proud to launch the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Building on input from tens of thousands of people across our country, my Administration is joining with communities, landowners, sportsmen, businesses, and partners at every level of government to reconnect Americans with the natural world and lay the foundation for a more sustainable planet. We also established the first comprehensive National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes—ensuring healthy ocean and coastal resources for the many communities and economies that rely on and enjoy them.

We have also taken important steps to reduce the harmful emissions that contribute to climate change and pollute our water and air. For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. Its effects—including warmer temperatures, extreme weather, and sea level rise—are being felt across our Nation and around the world. Today, the United States is on the path to a cleaner and more secure energy future, and the dangerous carbon pollution emissions that threaten our communities have fallen to their lowest level in nearly two decades. We will continue to reduce air pollution through clean energy technology, energy efficiency measures for our buildings and appliances, and achievable pollution standards that are reducing toxic pollutants and saving lives. As part of our efforts, we set the first-ever national limits for mercury and other toxins from power plants, which will prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms each year.

Changing the way we produce and use energy is essential to protecting our environment for future generations. We established the toughest new fuel economy standards in history, which will double the fuel efficiency of our cars and light trucks by the middle of the next decade—saving American families money at the pump while slashing carbon pollution and oil consumption. We also established the first-ever national fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for commercial trucks, vans, and buses built in 2014-2018. Our Nation is becoming a global leader in advanced vehicles, and auto dealers are selling more hybrid vehicles than ever before. I am also calling on Congress to use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. The Trust will support research into a range of cost-effective technologies, including advanced vehicles that run on electricity and alternative fuels.

Thanks in part to my Administration’s investments in clean energy—the largest in American history—the United States has doubled renewable energy generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources. I have also set a goal to double renewable electricity production again by 2020 to build on our momentum and create tens of thousands of American jobs, while continuing to improve the health of our natural environment for all our children and grandchildren.

Thank you, again, for writing. We all share the responsibility to help protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land that supports and sustains us. My Administration remains committed to tackling these and other tough environmental problems—not only for the sake of our natural world, but also for the long-term wellbeing of our families and our economy. I encourage you to learn more about our efforts at www.WhiteHouse.gov/Environment. You can also find out more about the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative at AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama SE Ambrose & Associates Acoustics - Environmental Sound - Industrial Noise Control 15 Great Falls Road, Windham, ME 04062 Tel/Fax: 207.892.6691 - [email protected]

September 24, 2013

Vermont Legislature and Committee Members

Respected Legislators;

I am dismayed that after more than a year, Vermont has yet to seek and provide relief for neighbors being harmed by large industrial wind turbines. Vermont is a rural state, worthy of environmental view and soundscape protections. Vermont adopted a nighttime noise level of 45 dBA, which is the USEPA recommendation for nighttime urban areas. Vermont has very quiet nighttime noise levels in the low 20s and high teens. An increase of 20 dB to 45 dBA will cause vigorous public complaints.

As a professional noise control engineer, I strive to understand the causes for noise complaints. I recommend that my clients’ be a good acoustic neighbor. I am stunned by the lack of action by Vermont’s governmental agencies empowered to protect public health and wellbeing.

Large wind turbine, noise level investigations date back to the 1980’s, both upwind and downwind versions. N.D. Kelley and many others found that large wind turbines generate loud noise with low frequencies detectable at several kilometers, especially in quiet environments. They cautioned to position wind turbines away from neighbors by using a one-kilometer distance for determining adverse residential impacts. Wind turbines are much larger, thereby requiring an even greater setback distance.

Wind turbine noise assessments are easy; go out during strong nighttime winds, listen and measure when the wind turbine is operating at full power output. When with a neighbor, look at them and listen carefully to what they say. Neighbors are real witnesses to public harm.

In closing, a good acoustic investigator goes to the impacted community, lives as a neighbor and sleeps in their bed when there are strong nighttime winds. If you do not, you are unable to understand. Only a few acoustic professionals are able to speak to their experiences during properly performed acoustic investigations. Believe us, talk to us, we would gladly share what we have learned.

Profoundly disappointed,

MEM Stephen E. Ambrose, INCE Board Certified

- 1 - BE R NAR D SANDE RS .332 SENATE DIRK-SEN Orr-ice Bu: VERMONT _ WASHINGTON. DC 20510 (202) 224-5141 WMM'TTEER 1 CHURCH 513153.350 FLoc BUDGET % .. , BURLINGTON, VT 05401 (802) 362-0697 Rev: - AND NATURAL ResouREES I I n‘tm$t. ﬂtkﬁ $Enatz 1 (800) 339—9334 {IRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS www.5anders.senate.gov WASHINGTON. DC 20510-4504 ALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR. AND PENSIONS ETERANS' AFFAIRS. CHAIRMAN _ - o. c JOINT ECON MI November 7, 2013

Mrs. Luann Therrien PO Box 165 Barton, Vermont 05822

Dear Mrs. Therrien:

Thank you for contacting Senator Sanders regarding your housing struggle. We Can underStand your concern about this situation. The Senator has asked that I respond to your recent webrm su ' .r. " ." J. '_ ' ' ' atton’thatmay beof‘u'sé‘to Warm...”«wmmmm “WW.” .... mm-

Our officer could try to asSi’st you with the Social Security disability applications. If you want us to make an inquiry on your behalf with the disability office, please complete the enclosed Privacy Release Forms and return them to our office. In the meantime, because of the children in your family, _ you should be eligible for some assistance from the State of Vermont to meet basic needs like food and fuel. For assistance regarding state benefits, you can contact your local Community Action office.

You are correct that without income, lenders won’t be willing to lend you money for a home ‘ purchase. If you are found eligible for Social Security beneﬁts, you could then cheek with USDA Rural Development about possible home loans. If your present home needs health or safety repairs now, that ofﬁce may be able to assist you with those. Their number in Montpelier is 802-828-6080.

. Again, we are glad to assist with the Social Security cases. I am sorry that we cannot offer any direct assistance with the housingsituation. _ -

Sincerely,

_ 9‘? W " rm... _..:.. Alex m ' so"III-alm- .n.-mm- _ w -_;':4--'w4'..u~1-~'_-:Craven --—- .....;...... m4-..” . Staff Assistant

Enclosures /\°~\.VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Potential Impact on the Public’s Health from Sound Associated with Wind Turbine Facilities

October 15, 2010

Report Prepared by:

William Bress. PhD, Environmental Health and Toxicology Chief William mm, 800, CHP, Radiological Health Chief Austin Sumner, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist for Environmental Health

1 Potential Impact on the Public’s' Health from Sound Associated with Wind Turbine Facilities

October 15, 2010

Summary The Vermont Department of Health conducted a literature review of the potential human health effects from exposure to sound and vibration from wind-powered electrical generating facilities, as requested by the Vermont Department of Public Service.

To do this, we convened a panel of public health scientists who are experienced in reviewing the quality of the scientiﬁc literature on health protection, and in assessing the adequacy of the evidence that an exposure can cause, or contribute to, an adverse health outcome. The Health Department panel drew primarily upon the most recent and most comprehensive literature reviews conducted by other expert panels. These included citations for hundreds of primary research studies on the health effects of exposure to sound generally, and to wind turbine sound speciﬁcally.

From this extensive review, the Vermont Department of Health concludes that there is no direct health effect from sound associated with wind turbine facilities. However, there is sufﬁcient evidence of a secondary health effect from sleep disturbance due to excessive sound at night. The potential adverse health effects that can result from sleep disturbance include increased heart rate, sleep state changes and awakening, increased use of medications to aid sleep, increased body movements, insomnia, fatigue, accidents, reduced performance, cardiovascular illness and depression and other mental illness (WHO 1999). The 1999 WHO report also concludes that limiting sound exposure at night to reduce the probability of sleep disturbance can minimize these effects in the exposed population.

To protect public health, the Vermont Department of Health recommends that nighttime sound levels from wind turbines be limited 40 decibels or less, as measured at the exterior facade of the dwelling and averaged over 12 months of exposure. This is consistent with the most recent recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO 2009).

This review and conclusions are general in nature. No speciﬁc wind turbine facility has been assessed. Discussion

Sound from Wind Turbine Facilities ’ The frequency range of human hearing is between 20 and 20,000 hertz or Hz. Sounds from wind turbines may exist throughout that range, but are predominantly experienced at frequencies less than 1,000 Hz Roberts and Roberts 2009). In addition to frequency, the intensity of the sound at speciﬁc frequencies is important to human sensation. Sound intensity, or more exactly, sound pressure level, is measured in decibels (dB). The term dBA is used for sound pressure levels weighted to the range of human hearing.

The sound pressure level as measured in decibels (dB) for a whisper is 30 dB, and for the sound of rustling leaves or soft music is 45 dB. Very loud sounds above 90 dB may be experienced as painful. A gunshot or police siren 100 feet away could reach 140 dB. (Colby et al 2009, Roberts and Roberts 2009, WHO 1999, WHO 2009). For frequencies predominant at wind turbine facilities, the hearing threshold is about 25 dB (Roberts and Roberts 2009, Colby et al 2009, Minnesota Department of Health 2009).

“Infrasound” is sound below the normal frequency range of hearing unless experienced at high levels (Colby et a1 2009). Infrasound and other low frequency sound below 100 Hz travel farther than higher frequencies, penetrate physical barriers such as walls and windows with little attenuation, and are associated most oﬁen with sound-induced vibrations (Roberts and Roberts 2009, Colby et a] 2009, Minnesota Department of Health 2009).

Sounds emitted from wind turbines are generally classiﬁed as mechanical (from the movements of the physical components) and aerodynamic. Aerodynamic sound from the movement of air by the turbine rotors is the dominant source of sound from wind turbines, and is in the lower frequency range of audible sound at 500 to 1,000 Hz (Roberts and Roberts 2009). An inaudible spectrum of frequencies, or infrasound, is also generated. Mechanical sound is unlikely to exceed aerodynamic sound, except when the turbine is not ﬁmctioning properly (Minnesota Department of Health 2009). Possible Health Effects of Sound from Wind Turbine Facilities Given that the dominant source of sound from wind turbine facilities is low frequency, this review focused especially on the literature relating to health effects of low frequency sound and infrasound.

In a report for the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, Roberts and Roberts (2009) conducted a thorough review of this literature that included 156 articles. Of these, 99 dealt with low frequency sound and health effects, 16 with infrasound and health effects, 21. with wind turbines or wind power and sound, and 20 with wind turbines alone. They concluded that: The effects of low frequency noise and vibration have not been well characterized,[sic] objective body vibration results only from very high levels of low frequency noise. greater than those produced by wind turbines. Sleeplessness and insomnia have been associated with low frequency noise. but this ﬁnding has been poorly correlated and lacking in consistency. However the level of annoyance with low frequency noise was found to be correlated with insomnia.

In a review prepared for the American and Canadian Wind Energy Associations, Colby et al (2009) documented how low frequency sound and infrasound can only be heard at higher decibels compared to higher frequency and audible sound waves. They reviewed several studies that indicate wind turbine sound at typical distances of exposure are unlikely to be audible below 50 Hz. This review concluded that “the body of accumulated knowledge provides no evidence that the audible or subaudible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects.”

Colby er al rejected “annoyance” as a direct adverse physiological effect, but recognized that annoyance could undermine coping and progress in some individuals to result in stress-related effects. They noted that a predominant stress-related effect is sleep disturbance, and that this may lead to other health consequences. The authors wrote that audible low frequency sound is unlikely to disturb sleep until it is 10 to 15 dB greater than the hearing threshold. For low frequencies, predominant in wind turbine facility exposures, the hearing threshold starts in the 25 dB range (Roberts and Roberts 2009, Colby et al 2009, Minnesota Department of Health 2009). Therefore, sleep disturbance may occur at sound levels from wind turbine facilities as low as 35 to 40 dB.

The Minnesota Department of Health (2009) described studies that supported a sound limit outside the home. These studies describe the results from survey questionnaires indicating higher numbers of complaints or self-reported symptoms of exposure for populations in Sweden and the Netherlands. In the two Swedish studies, reported annoyance doubled when exposures were calculated to be greater than 40 dBA, compared to 30 to 40 dBA. In the Dutch study, annoyance rose from 2 percent of the respondents who were exposed to 30 dBA or less to 25 percent for those with calculated exposures greater than 45 dBA.

Guidelines for the ProtectiOn of Human Health The World Health Organization (WHO) published two reports, in 1999 and in 2009, on the protection of human health from all sources of sound exposure, but not speciﬁcally sound from wind turbines. These reports included comprehensive reviews of hundreds of scientiﬁc papers and set health protection guidelines.

In their 1999 report, Guidelines for Community Noise, an international expert panel established consensus guidelines for preventing interference with speech, hearing impairment, annoyance and sleep disturbance due to community noise. Their recommendations were also applied to various environments, including homes and schools both urban and rural. The report set guidelines for preventing sleep disturbance ‘ during the nighttime at 30 dBA in the bedroom averaged over eight hours, with a maximum of45 dB (WHO 1999). '

In 2009, the WHO published Night Noise Guidelines for Europe as an extension of its 1999 report. In this document, the expert panel identiﬁed 40 dB as the lowest observed level for adverse health effects. This recommended limit is for an average exposure for a 12 month period, where the sound is measured or modeled at the outside facade of a dwelling where a person lives and sleeps. As with the earlier WHO guidelines, this recommended limit is for the prevention of adverse effects due to sleep disturbance. In the 2009 report, the WHO stated that there was a causal relationship between nighttime noise-generated disturbance of sleep and adverse health effects. In the WHO 1999 report, these associations were described only as weak. Epidemiological ﬁndings collected after the 1999 report (see below) provided the WHO stronger evidence of causality.

In both the 1999 and 2009 reports, the WHO identified populations that are more vulnerable to adverse health effects from noise, and should be considered when developing regulations or recommendations. In its Large Analysis and Review of European housing and health Status final report (WHO LARES Final Report Noise Eficts and Morbidity 2004), the WHO presents data about the actual health experiences relative ' to noise for vulnerable populations, particularly 'children and the elderly. This report provides much of the epidemiological basis of the WHO 2009 conclusion that there is a causal relationship between sleep disturbance and adverse health effects. This relationship was especially the case for adverse effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal systems, and for depression.

The US. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) guidance published in 1974 is consistent with the more recent WHO 2009 40 dB nighttime yearly average guidelines. The EPA recommended that indoor day to night levels not exceed 45 dBA averaging over a 24-hour period, where 10 dB extra weight is given to nighttime sounds between 10 pm. and 7 a.m., to minimize sleep disruption (EPA 1974).

Conclusions The Vermont Department of Health concludes that there is no direct health effect from sound associated with wind turbine facilities. However, as determined in the 1999 WHO report, there is sufﬁcient evidence of a secondary health effect from sleep disturbance due to excessive sound at night. The potential adverse health effects that can result from sleep disturbance include increased heart rate, sleep state changes and awakening, increased use of medications to aid sleep, increased body movements, insomnia, fatigue, accidents, reduced performance, cardiovascular illness and depression and other mental illness (WHO 1999). The 1999 WHO report also concludes that limiting sound exposure at night to reduce the probability of sleep disturbance can minimize these effects in the exposed population.

To protect public health, the Vermont Department of Health recommends that nighttime sound levels from wind turbines be limited to 40 decibels or less, as measured at the exterior facade of the dwelling and averaged over 12 months of exposure. This is consistent with the most recent recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO 2009).

This review and conclusions are general in nature. No speciﬁc wind turbine facility has been assessed.

Note The scope of this literature review is limited as described above, and does not review or elaborate on potentlalhealth effects ﬁ-om very high level sounds associated with acoustic trauma or hearing loss that is not likely to result ﬁ-om public exposures to wind turbines (Colby er a1 2009; Minnesota Department of Health 2009; Roberts and Roberts 2009). The intensity of sound generally required for these effects are unlikely, except very near or inside a wind turbine as might be the case for occupational exposures at a wind turbine facility. This review is focused on protecting public health. Glossary

The following deﬁnitions are taken from the 1999 publication of the World Health Organization referenced in this report (1999):

Adverse «feet: A change in morphology and physiology of an organism which results in impairment of functional capacity or impairment of capacity to compensate for additional stress or increase in susceptibility to the harmful effects of other environmental inﬂuences. This deﬁnition includes any temporary or long-term lowering of physical, psychological or social functioning of humans or human organs.

Acoustic trauma: Injury to hearing by noise, especially loud noise.

A-weighting: A ﬁ'equency dependent correction that is applied to a measured or calculated sound of moderate intensity to mimic the varying sensitivity of the ear to sound for different frequencies.

Annoyance: A feeling of displeasure associated with any agent or condition known or believed by an individual or group to be adversely affecting them. '

Cardiovascular: Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.

Decibel (dB): Unit of level when the base of the logarithm in the tenth root often, and the quantities concerned are proportional to power.

(13.4: A weighted frequency spectrum in dB, see A—weighting.

Frequency: For a function periodic in time, the reciprocal of the period.

Hearing impairment, hearing loss: A decreased ability to perceive sounds as compared with what the individual or examiner would regard as normal.

Hertz: Unit of ﬁ-equency, the number of times a phenomenon repeats itself in one unit of time; abbreviated to Hz.

Mental health: In noise research, mental health covers a variety of symptoms, ranging ﬁ'om anxiety, emotional stress, nervous complaints, nausea, headaches, instability, argumentativeness, sexual impotency, changes in general mood and anxiety, and social conﬂicts, to more general psychiatric categories like neurosis, psychosis and hysteria.

Morphological: Pertaining to the science of structure and form of organisms without regard to function.

Noise: Undesired somd.

Stress: The sum of the biological reactions to any adverse stimulus, physical, mental or emotional, internal or external, that tends to disturb homeostasis. References

Colby et al. Wind Turbine Sound and Health Eﬂ’ects, An Expert Panel; Prepared for the American and Canadian Wind Energy Associations, December 2009.

Minnesota Department of Health, Public Health Impacts of Wind Turbines, Minnesota Department of Health Environmental Health Division, May 22, 2009.

Roberts, Mark and Jennifer Roberts. Evaluation of the Scientific Literature on the Health Ejﬁcts Associated with Wind Turbines and Low Frequency Sound, Report to Wisconsin Public Service Commission, October 2009.

World Health Organization, Guidelines for Community Noise. Geneva, 1999.

World Health Organization, WHO LARES Final Report Noise Eﬁects and Morbidity, Geneva, 2004.

World Health Organization, Night Noise Guidelines for Europe, Geneva, 2009.

US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1974. Information on Levels of _ Environmental Noise Requisite to Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety. EPA/ONACS 50/9-74-004, March 1974. THE WHITE HOUSE WA SHINGTGN

January 28, 2014 Dear Luann:

Thank you for writing. It sounds like you are going through a difficult stretch, and I appreciate that you took the time to share your story with me.

Please know that I will keep fighting for people like you every single day I hold this office. Here in Washington, we need to focus on what really matters: reversing the forces that have battered the middle class for decades and making this country work for working Americans again. The road ahead may be long, but with hope and persistence, I know we can make it.

Thank you, again, for writing. To find information about jobs, child care, health benefits, housing assistance, and other public resources, I encourage you to call 1‑800‑FED‑INFO or visit www.USA.gov.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

WWW.WHITEHUUSE.G DIV

/‘°°\ .VERMONT in State of Vermont FAX: 802-828-2342

I1 4,- - 'I'I'YVT: 800-734-8390 Mpartment of Public Service .- -_ -_ 1 W... ,,.. .. 112 State Street L’v’ - : :“ZJ L; :15 0 -3 email [email protected] MontpelierNT 05620-2601 http://publieservice..vermontgov/ TEL: 802-828-2811 February 27, 2014

‘ Susan M. Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701

Re: Docket 7156 - Shemeld Wind .' "

Dear Mrs. Hudson,

Enclosed for ﬁling in the above-referenced Docket, please ﬁnd the original and three (3) copies of the Response of the Department of Public Service Regarding the Motion to Intervene of Steve and Luann Therrien.

Thank you -for your time and attention to this matter. Please contact me With any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Aaron Kisicki Special Counsel

enclosure) -. 062 Docket 7156 Service List (w/

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com VVVVVVVV VVVVVVVV

STATE OF VERMONT PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD , ... .

Docket. No. 7156

Amended Petition of UPC Vermont Wind, LLC, for a Certificate of Public Good, pursuant to 30 V.S.A. '248, authorizing the construction and Operation of a40 MW wind electric generation facility, consisting of 16 wind turbines, and assoclated transmission and interconnection facilities, in Sheffield, Vermont, to be known the “Sheflield‘Wind Project-m" ' ’ -- ~ -' ,-

RESPONSE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE REGARDING THE MOTION TO INTERVENE OF STEVE AND LUANN THERRIEN

The Department of Public Service (“Deparnnenf’ or “DPS”), by and through undersigned

counsel, submits the following response to the Motion to Intervene of Steve and Luann Therrien,

received in the above-captioned docket proceeding on February 7, 2014. The Therriens seek intervention as of right pursuant to Board Rule 2.209(A) in order to address health impacts relatedtothe operation ofthe Shefﬁeld Wind Project.‘ ‘ '

The Department does not oppose the Board granting permissive intervention to the

Therriens under Board Rule 2.209(B). However, it questions what practical beneﬁt intervention

Board Rule 2.20903) instructs that interventionmay be granted “when the applicant by the outcome of the proceeding.” _ demonstrates a substantial interest which may be affected at this time, the outcome of the proceeding ' (Emphasis added). While the Docket remains open Wind has received a CPG to construct and Operate has by all accounts been determined: Vermont by the Board, and the Project is now the Project subject to certain conditions imposed by the interests are leﬁ to potentially be affected operational. It is unclear what, if any, unique

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com Docket 7156 DPS Responseto Intervention Motion February 27, 2014 Page 2 of 3

proceeding. The intervention motion does not identify any potential issues. Instead, the motion

only discusses an interest that “has been adversely affected.” Docket 7156, Thenien Motion for

intervention, dated February 6, 2014 at 2.

The beneﬁt of intervention may be further reduced by Board-recognized limitations

placed on parties seeking intervention late in a proceeding. The Board has determined that in

complex multi—party proceedings, as is the case here, parties seeking intervention late in the

process “should not be allowed to broadly reopen issues that have already been subject to

extensive examination,” but that limited participation is allowed. Docket 6860, Board Order

dated October 21, 2004 at 4.. In their motion,'the Therriens appear to raise concerns regarding the impact of Project noise on public health and safety, although the ﬁling only makes reference

to impacts on the Therrien family. The Project’s impact on public health and safety has been

thoroughly explored by the Board and the parties. That investigation resulted in Board ﬁndings

that the Project will not have any undue adverse eﬁ‘ects on public health and safety and a number

of CPG conditions related to noise from the Project. See Board Order, dated August 8, 2007 at

42-43 and 70-74; Board Order dated 0cotber l, 2007. Given the state of the proceeding and the factthattheTherrienswouldtaketheDocketasitstandsifgivenparty status, itisagainunclear Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com Docket 7156 DPS Response to Intervention Motion February 27, 2014 Page 3 of 3

to adding the Therriens to its service list if interested party status is granted to the Theniens by

the Board.

Based on the foregoing, the Department does not oppose permissive intervention of the

Then-iens in this proceeding pursuant to Board Rule 2.209(B)-

Datedat Montpelier,_Vgi-_rnogt this‘27thi day oflfebmary, 201_4 _ Respectfully submitted, ' VERMONT PUBLIC RVI DEPARTMENT

Aaron Kisicki Special Counsel

cc: Docket 7156 Service List

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com ’UhlI I 91 College Street. P050x545 Elizabeth H. Catlin Drew Ketvlck' Andrew Kelly D. H. Lowry ‘ Mark A. . 8..Burlington. 8000000 VT 05402-0545 I 08 0008008800 Brian0.8.0.8.... S. Dunkiel ’ . WNW. 80.0. paunders Erik e. Nielsen' IOTT I m, wow, I HAN n WW-dunkielmndm-oom Geoffrey H. Hand

February 21, 2014

By HandDelivery

Mrs. Susan Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 State Street, Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2701

Re: Docket No. 7156

Dear Mrs. Hudson,

Enclosed for filing please find Vermont Wind, LLC’: Worm to 1b: Tban'em’Petifion to Intervene in the above-referenced matter. ‘

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Regards.

g ' drew Raubvogel, Esq. Dunkiel Saunders Elliott

Cc: Service List (by ﬁrst class mail) Luann 8: Steve 'I'herrien

Enclosure

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com Drew Kennck . I Street. PO Box 545 Elizabeth H. Catlin D U n kiel- 91 College Burllngton. VT 05402-0545 Brian S. Dunkiel ° Kelly D. H. Lowry ‘ I Elliott - Justin W.McCabe. I saunders tel 802.860.1003 I fax 802.860.1206 Eileen I. LLlOT'r l RAueveL I HAND www.dunkleleeundora.com egofffey H. Hand Erik G. Nlelsen'

February 21, 2014

By HandDelivery

Mrs. Susan Hudson, Clerk Vermont Public Service Board 112 State Street, Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2701

Re: Docket No. 7156

Dear Mrs. Hudson,

Enclosed for ﬁling please ﬁnd Vemom‘ Wind, LLC’.r Rayon” to tbe Tbmims’Petilion to Inter in the above-referenced matter.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Regards, L...'.~ . drew Raubvogel, Esq. Dunkiel Saunders Elliott vogel & Hand, PLLC

CC: Service List (by ﬁrst class mail) Luann & Steve Therﬁen 1

Enclosure

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com STATE OF VERMONT PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD

Docket No. 7156

Amended Petition of UPC Vermont Wind, LLC for a Certificate of Public Good, pursuant to 30 V.S.A. § 248, authorizing the construction and operation of a 40 MW wind electric generation facility, consisting of 16 wind turbines, and associated transmission and interconnection facilities, in Sheffield and Sutton, Vermont, to be known as the “Sheffield Wind Project”

- ND ’8 RESPQNSE TQ fIfHEQIENS’ BEIITISm IQ INTER!" E NE

Vermont Wind, LLC, (“Vermont Wind”), by and through its attorneys, Dunkiel Saunders

Elliott Raubvogel & Hand, PLLC, hereby responds to Steve and Luann Therriens’ (the “'I'hertiens”)

Petition to Intervene (“Petition”, dated February 6, 2014).1

For the reasons discussed below, Vermont Wind respectfully submits that the Board should

not grant late intervention to the Therliens. Vermont Wind has always complied with its CPG and

responded fully to any complaints or concerns raised by members of the public concerning project

operations and sound levels. Given that the Board issued its ﬁnal order approving the Project over

six years ago and there are no pending compliance ﬁlings, there are no ongoing proceedings in this

matter. As such there is no basis for new parties to intervene. Moreover, the Therriens’ Petition does not satisfy the legal standard for intervention in a Board proceeding, and 'is untimely. 1. Laws!

On February 22, 2006—eight years ago—Vermont Wind ﬁled apetition with the Public

Service Board, pursuant to 30 V.S.A. § 248, to construct a wind generation facility in Shefﬁeld and

Sutton, Vermont (the “Shefﬁeld Wind Project” or “Project”). On that same day, Vermont Wind

' Received by Vermont Wind by First Class Mail on February 10, 2014.

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com PmVided notice to landowners of record of property adjoining the Project tract that it had ﬁled a

petition with the Board.2 As the Thertiens concede in their Petition, the record owner 01' the

property upon which the 'I'herriens now reside (and have resided sincel997) —- the Carolyn Judd

Revocable Trust — received notice of the project as one of the adjoining landowners.

The Board issued an order on April 13, 2006 setting a schedule in the docket; Among other

things, the Board required that Motions to Intervene be ﬁled by May 9, 2006. The Board speciﬁcally

set this deadline to ensure that interested parties would have sufﬁcient time to learn about the

proposed project and seek to intervene. Docket No. 7156, Pnbem'ng Covariance Memomndtm and Sebaduleﬁrtbe Docket, at 2 (April 13, 2006). Neither the Therriens nor the Carolyn Judd Revocable

Trust ﬁled a motion to intervene in the docket In addition, the Project received widespread

coverage in the local media and within the Town of Shefﬁeld and other sunounding towns as it

worked through the regulatory process.

On August 8, 2007, the Board issued a Certiﬁcate of Public Good (“CPG”) authorizing the

construction of the Project. Ridge Protectors, Inc. (“Ridge Protectors”), one of the intervenors in

the Docket, appealed the Board’s decision to the Vermont Supreme Court, which afﬁrmed the

Board’s issuance of a-CPG on February 6, 2009.

Condition 10 of the CPG required Vermont Wind to ﬁle a noise monitoring plan (including

a complaint response protocol) with the Board, which it did on March 31, 2010. Without the need

for further proceedings, the Board approved the noise monitoring plan by Order dated September

10, 2010. On October 26, 2011 the Shefﬁeld Wind Project became operational. 'Since that time

2 At the time the section 248 petition was ﬁled, Board Rule 5.400 did not exist and thus Vermont Wind was not required to notice adjoining landowners of the proposed project; it did so voluntarily.

2 Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com further Vermont Wind has made several additional compliance ﬁlings, none of which have required

proceedings by the Board.3

In response to a call from Mr. Therﬁen on or about May 2, 2012 concerning noise from the

Project, Vermont Wind personnel visited the Therriens on May 8, 2012 at their dwelling in an

attempt to understand their concerns. Vermont Wind personnel agreed that they would be in

contact with the Therriens after the second quarterly noise monitoring report was ﬁled with the Board in early June 2012. See Letter from Vermont Wind to Board re: Therrien Noise ComPhint (June 25, 2012). Vermont Wind submitted that report to the Board on June 11, 2012, and on that

same date the Therriens ﬁled a noise complaint with the Board. Vermont Wind responded to the

Therriens by letter dated June 25, 2012 (with copies to the Board); attached to that letter was an

assessment by Vermont Wind’s noise expert which concluded that, using very conservative

assumptions, the estimated project-related noise level within the Therriens’ residence would be 23

dBA. Applying the criteria contained in the Board-approved noise monitoring plan, the estimated

level was too low to qualify the Therﬁens for noise monitoring at their residence.

Notwithstanding Vermont Wind’s proper application of V the noise monitoring plan, the

Department of Public Service (“DPS”) elected to retain an independent consultant to conduct noise

monitoring over a three day period at the Therriens’ residence. Thereafter the DPS reported to the

Board that the noise measurements indiCated that “levels inside the [Therrien] residence were likely

below the 30 dBA limit outlined in Condition 8 of the CPG.” The DPS went on to state that while

there were limitations in the monitoring data that prevented it from making conclusive ﬁndings, the 1‘1e strongly suggests that the facility was operating within the CPG limits.” Letter from DPS to Board re: Noise Monitoring at 1—2 (June 18, 2013).

3 Vermont \Vm demonstrated d filed four quarterly sound monitoring reports during the first year of operations, all of which compliance with the noise limits specified in the CFO.

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com The Therriens’ Petition should not be granted because there are no ongoing proceedings to

intervene in, their Petition does not satisfy the legal standard for intervention, and it is untimely.

A. There are no ongoing proceedings in this Docket.

As a threshold matter, even if the Board were to conclude that the Theniens were entitled to

. intervention, there are no ongoing proceedings for them to intervene in. As discussed above, the

Board issued a CPG to Vermont Wind in 2007. In 2009 the Vermont Supreme Court afﬁrmed the

Board’s decision. At that point, the Board’s decision vested in Vermont Wind the right to install

and operate the Shefﬁeld Wind Project subject only to the conditions set out in the CPG; since that

time Vermont Wind has operated the Shefﬁeld Wind project in compliance with all terms of its I

CPG, and the Board has issued no ﬁndings or orders to the contrary. The on'ginal proceedings are

complete and ﬁnal.

Additionally, there is no ongoing proceeding related to Vermont Wind’s compliance with the

terms of its CPG. As discussed above, Vermont Wind (and the DPS) previously addressed the issue

of compliance with sound-related CPG conditions, and there is nothing pending. In circumstances ‘

where parties have, post-CPG, sought additional proceedings, the Board has held, “[t]o justify

further discovery or hearings regarding a compliance ﬁling, a‘party should demonstrate that the

compliance ﬁling raises a signiﬁcant issue that was not, and could not reasonably have been,

adequately addressed during the lore-certiﬁcation evidendary hearings.” Docket No. 7516, Order Re:

Power Purchase Agreements, at 5 (August 3, 2009) (quotations omitted; brackets in original). N0

such circumstances exist in this matter.

For example, Ridge Protectors sought in 2009 to conduct discovery and hearings concerning Vermont Wind’s compliance with Condition 3 of its CPG—which required, among other things, that Vermont Wind ﬁ le copies of purchase power agreements subject to Board Review. Id. The

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com Board refused this request: “Ridge Protectors has not-identified any specific or significant issues that

were not, and could not reasonably have been, raised and addressed in the pre—CPG hearings.”

Similarly, no party has identified any specific or significant issue related to the Sheffield Wind

Project’s noise compliance that could not reasonably have been raised and addressed in the pre-CPG

hearings, and thus there has never been any basis to reopen the proceedings on that ground.

Indeed, signiﬁcant noise issues were addressed by the Board before it issued Vermont Wind a CPG.‘

B. The Tbem‘ens do not qua/1'1}! for interventionpursuant to Board Rule 2.209.

The Thertiens argue that, “due to the noise of the turbines” they are entitled to intervene

here. The 'I'herriens seek intervention as of right pursuant to Board Rule 2.209(A) (3), which

requires a “#0q application" and:

(1) that the party requesting intervention has a substantial interest which may be adversely affected by the outcome of the proceeding; (2) that intervention is the exclusive means by which the party can protect that interest; and (3) that the movant’s interest is not adequately represented by other parties.

Docket No. 5835, Tar-{ﬂFiling 9f Central Vt. Pub. Sac. Com, Procedural Order Re: Motions to

Intervene, at 2 (June 6, 1996). The Board “strictly interpret[s]” this rule, placing “emphasis on

whether the standard of substantial interest and exclusive means can be met by the movant.” Id. It

is the movant’s burden to demonstrate “that it has a substantial, direct interest in the transaction

before the Board.” Id. The Therriens do not satisfy this standard.

First, as noted above, there is no “transaction before. the board” at this time. The Therriens

argue that they have a “‘substantial interest’ that but been adversely affected” by the proceedings

related to sound from the turbines. (Emphasis added.) But the language of Rule 2.209 is in the

‘ The Board denied a request by Ridge Protectors to reconsider Board its order approving the "0i“ monitoring determined that Ridge Protectors’ motion to alter its order related plan. The motion to the noise monitoring plan was in reality a that sought to “relitigate issues previously decided," Order Denying and thus denied did! request ‘0 d0 50- Docket Motion to Alter webmary 11, 2011). No 7156 . ,

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com -—--— mm- .. wuww “... uwuu w mm Luau um lucmcns nave a substantial interested which my be adversely affected by the outcome of the proceedings. The proceedings in this Docket resulted in the issuance of a CPG to Vermont Wind to construct and operate the Shefﬁeld Wind Project, with conditions. A number of the CPG conditions concerned noise from the Facility. See Docket No.

7156, CPG, Condition 8 (requiring the project to achieve intenor sound levels at surrounding

residences below 30 dBA); Condition 9 (requiring Vermont Wind to bring the project into (

compliance should noise exceed maximum allowable levels); Condition 10 (requiring Vermont Wind

to submit a noise monitoring plan to the Board for its review and approval). The proceedings,

insofar as they may impact an interest of the 'I'herriens, are thus no longer prospective but have

concluded. The Therriens’ opportunity to participate formally in the Shefﬁeld Wind Project

permitting process has passed, but that is not to say that the Therriens do not have a continuing

opportunity to submit public comments and complaints concerning noise to the Board, the DPS,

and to Vermont Wind itself pursuant to the terms of the Board-approved noise monitoring plan, as

discussed below.

Vermont Wind also notes that the Therriens have not demonstrated that their interests have

been or may be adversely affected here. The Therriens have complained to the Board, the DPS, and

to Vermont Wind about noise issues at the Shefﬁeld Wind Project. As noted above, the Therriens’

residence did not qualify for supplemental noise monitoring under the Board-approved noise

monitoring plan, because estimated noise levels at their residence were too low relative to the 30

dBA interior noise limit. The DPS also responded to the Therriens by engaging its 0‘”n independent consultant to conduct noise monitoring at the Therriens’ residence; the DPS concluded

that noise levels from the Project were likely below the 30 dBA limit inside the Therriens’ residence-

AddiﬁonanY: all of the ﬁrst year quarterly sound monitoring results conducted by Vermont Wind

conﬁrmed that the Project is °P€rating within the CPG’s noise limits. There are thus 11° grounds

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com for the Board to ﬁnd that the 'I‘hernens have a substantial interest which may be, or has been,

adversely affected by the proceedings here.

Moreover,.fonnal participation in the Docket as an intervenor is not the exclusive means by

which the Thertiens can protect the interest they have identiﬁed. To the contrary, participation in

this Docket at this late stage in the proceedings (e.g., after a CPG has been issued), would not afford

the Therriens any more of a means to protect their interest than they cunenﬂy have.

Section 4.0 of the Board-approved noise monitoring plan addresses complaint monitoring

and establishes a process for logging complaints with Vermont Wind. In addition, this section

requires that:

If it is found that the Project sound level at any permanent residence . . . is above the allowable limit, Vermont Wind will take all remedial steps necessary to bring the sound levels produced by the turbine(s) into compliance with allowable levels, as required by CPG Condition 9. However, if the Project sound level at any permanent residence . . . is below the allowable limit, then the location will be determined to be compliant. ‘

As noted above, the Therriens have logged complaints with Vermont Wind and the Board itself.

Vermont Wind has engaged its consultant to investigate those complaints, who has determined that

Vermont Wind is in compliance with all project noise standards. The DPS has also engaged an

independent consultant who provided a report that was not inconsistent with the conclusions of

‘ Vermont Wind’s consultant. It is this apparent that participation in Board proceedings is not the

exclusive means by which the Then-lens can protect their interest here. Moreover, it is unclear

exactly how participation in the Docket as an intervenor at this late stage would provide any

protection to the interest the Therriens have identiﬁed, let alone an exclusive means.

In addition, the Therriens’ interest is adequately protected by other parties in this docket.

The Thernens assert that none of the other parties to this proceeding “have advocated for our

specxﬁc “Items“ before the Board.” The Then-lens are mistaken. As noted, the DPS—the

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com ratepayer advocacy agency—hired an independent consultant to conduct noise monitoring at the

Tbem'm’ midemr, who in turn provided the results of that monitoring to the Board. Based on the

results of that monitoring, the DPS concluded that the Shefﬁeld Wind Project was likely in

compliance with the 30 dBA interior noise standard at the Therriens’ residence. The Therriens’

disagreement with the outcome of that moniton'ng does not mean that their interests are not-

adequately protected by other parties here.

, Finally, Vermont Wind notes that the Therriens’ Petitionis nearly 8 years too late, and is

thus not a “timely application” for intervention, as required by Rule 2.209.5

ncl i

For the reasons stated above, Vermont Wind respectfully requests that the Board deny the

Therriens’ Petition to intervene. Vermont Wind remains committed to continuing to respond to

noise complaintsby both parties and non-parties alike, consistent with the terms of its CPG.“ DATED at Burlington, Vermont, this 21" day of February, 2014.

DUNKIEL SAUNDERS LLIOTI‘ RAUBVOGEL & HAND PILC

By: CLL. Andrew Raubvogel, 13%: ‘ Dunkiel Saunders Ellio ubvogel & Hand PILC 91 College Street . PO Box 545 Burlington, VT 05402-0545 (802) 860-1003, ext. 107 [email protected]

5 While the Therriens have not sought to intervene permissively, should the Board decide to review the Therriens’ Petition under Rule 2.209(B), the Board should deny such intervention for the same reasons it should deny them Intervention as of right. With respect to subsection 2.209(B)(3), allowing the 'I'hern'ens' pennissive intervention pretu ce will Vermont Wind because the proceedings in this docket have been largely concluded Vermont Wind for a number of years, and has an established a record of compliance with the CPG. 6 Vermont Wind has no can receive Board-ismedob lecn to the Board adding the Therriens to its interested persons list, so that the Thcnicns memoranda and orders. Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com