Bog Wind developer Glen Berkowitz presented a scaled-back project to the Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday, September 22, arguing that legitimate concerns raised by those opposed to the project could be mitigated by technology to make the project successful.

Berkowitz announced that two of the eight proposed turbines - turbine #7 that was proposed on the Eagle Holt bog near Blackmore Pond, and turbine #2 which was proposed on the Parker Mills North bog near Charge Pond Road - had been withdrawn due to concerns from neighbors about the proposed turbines' impact.

"There were no deals made, for all the conspiracy theorists out there," Berkowitz joked before resuming seriousness. "We were confident that we met and exceeded the bylaw requirements, but did this because we felt it was the right thing to do."

Attorney Christopher Senie, who is representing a group of residents who directly abut the proposed sites or are in neighborhoods near the proposed sites, said in a conversation the following Tuesday that his clients were very pleased with the news, particularly that one of the turbines near Blackmore Pond was being withdrawn.  However, they still believe that the turbines, at 492 feet tall from the base to the tip of the tallest blade, were inappropriate for Wareham.

"I hadn't thought that going in, that the proponent would pull two turbines at the first appearance before the Zoning Board of Appeals," Senie said.  However, "we think that these turbines are just too large for a Massachusetts neighborhood."

In a partnership among private cranberry bog owners in Wareham and wind developers from Beaufort Windpower LLC, of Boston, the Bog Wind Power Cooperative Project had proposed constructing eight wind turbines on five cranberry bogs beginning this December.  The goal is to provide nearly 40 million kilowatt hours per year of electricity for Massachusetts (enough to power two-thirds of Wareham's households) and an alternative source of income for bog owners.

But while resistance was near absent throughout much of the application process, a group of residents has organized in opposition to the project.

Senie presented the group's concerns about noise and the possible negative impacts on their property values' to the Selectmen at the Board's September 14 meeting.    These concerns sparked a heavy turnout at the Zoning Board meeting - even Walmart didn't attract such a large crowd when they presented a proposal for a new store in West Wareham last month - and provided much of the basis for Berkowitz' at-times heated presentation against what he repeatedly characterized as "disingenuous" and even "simply untrue" information about the potential noise impacts.

A  2006 German study found that areas with high wind shear (or different wind speeds at different altitudes, a condition which Bogwind's developers have measured at the proposed bog sites) caused the sound produced by the turbines to basically echo off the wind.  Berkowitz described the resultant noise as a "whoomp" more similar to his hitting a table at the presentation rather than the "whoosh" of turbines.

He said that contrary to Attorney Senie's insinuations, however, this was not certain to result.

"We agree with Attorney Senie that the turbines could cause amplitude modulation," Berkowitz said.  "We disagree that the extent of amplitude modulation is as severe as he implies."

Berkowitz noted several issues with what he called the study's "theories."  He mentioned that the study involved a string of turbines, which is not what Bog Wind is proposing, and that subsequent studies have found differences in wind direction rather than wind speed to have more impact on the noise.

He also said that Senie failed to mention that the study concluded that the the noise can be stopped by making technical changes such as shutting off or readjusting the turbines in certain wind conditions.  Due to their calculations, these conditions would occur approximately between 2 to 2.5% of the year, and he suggested that the Board of Appeals add stipulations that the turbines employ extra noise-reduction technology (that wasn't available in 2006) to mitigate the problem.

After the meeting (which concluded with a considerably reduced crowd nearly three hours later), Senie said that he was surprised that the developer had decided to reduce the project, but didn't comment on whether it would ease concerns.

Barry Cosgrove, a seasonal resident on Blackmore Pond who Berkowitz several times called out for leading the resistance to the project and inciting "fear-mongering" among citizens to discredit the project as a "Wall Street" "scam," said that he would offer his team's response to the presentation at the next meeting, scheduled for November 10 at 6:30 p.m.