MARS HILL, Maine – The windmills atop Mars Hill Mountain have divided residents of this central Aroostook County community pretty much down the middle – those who have accepted them with open arms, praising their beauty and ability to produce clean energy; and those who find them a nuisance, ruining the view and disturbing the once-quiet area the windmills now stand on.
On Jan. 29, the Mars Hill Town Council met before a packed room, with many attendees airing their concerns over the noise being emitted from the windmills and asking what could be done about it. Town officials indicated they would be looking into the matter. Andy Perkins, chief engineer of the project, attended and said more data would be collected and looked at with regard to the noise issue.
“We met with a number of citizens who were concerned about the noise created by the windmills. The complaints are predominantly from the north end of the mountain. We’ve met with the DEP and with officials from Evergreen Wind Power, LLC, and its parent company, UPC Wind Management, to see what can be done to determine if the windmills exceed noise guidelines,” said Town Manager Ray Mersereau.
East Ridge Road resident Charles Radell lives just a few hundred feet from the northernmost windmills. Radell indicated that he’s noticed a noise coming from their direction since they became operational earlier this winter.
“I’ve noticed a noise coming from them throughout the day. But it’s especially noticeable to me at night. I’ve had them wake me up from a sound sleep before,” said Radell. “There’s definitely a difference from before they were put up and now.”
Residents report the sound “drives them crazy” and that something should be done about it. But first, officials must pinpoint where the noise is coming from and go from there.
“We’ve received several complaints and are putting together a process of evaluating each (complaint). The company met all license requirements when erecting the windmills. Now it’s a formal process of the DEP, in cooperation with the company, of ensuring the company is in compliance with laws pertaining to noise levels,” said Nick Archer, regional director of the DEP.
Under DEP specifications, the towers can operate at noise levels up to 45 decibels. While tests were done earlier and determined to meet guidelines, residents have indicated they would have liked to have seen more frequent testing and under varying conditions.
Michael Alvarez, chief operating officer of UPC Wind Management, which owns Evergreen Wind Power, said studies will be done in coming weeks, once all towers are operational.
“At this point, almost all are operational. We want to determine if the windmills are making noise, which ones are and if it might be a particular part on them causing a problem,” said Alvarez.
Alvarez indicated the turbines were manufactured by GE and come with sound specifications.
“We’ll be testing each windmill to verify if they’re within guidelines as specified by the manufacturer. If they’re not, we could have a warranty issue,” said Alvarez.
UPC is in contact with DEP officials on a weekly basis.
“They (DEP) know what we’re doing and approve of our protocol,” said Alvarez.
Alvarez said testing will take into consideration certain variables and weather conditions.
“It’s up to the weather and consultants when we can begin the process. If it’s snowing or too windy, tests can’t be done. So the weather will play a major factor,” said Alvarez. “We’re conducting testing of the turbines themselves to ensure they’re in compliance with warranties, conducting testing in the field with consultants pursuant to protocol with the DEP to confirm the wind farm is operating consistently with the sound levels projected when we applied for our permit.
“Results of those test should be available later this spring,” he said.
