49.0°F Fair [Forecast] :: Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Vacation Info Wedding Info Kids/Parents NEW! Pets

Cape & Islands News

The ideal newspaper should be "irreverent, rash, feisty, and really care." - Jim Bellows

Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors:

TreeScapes Cape Cod, Inc.
Fully licensed and insured arborist providing expert affordable tree removal and services including trimming, disease control, fertilizing and planting. Over 20 years experience on Cape Cod. (Barnstable)

Atlantic Coast Academy of Dance
Under the artistic leadership of Mrs. Vincent, the Atlantic Coast Academy of Dance is dedicated to teaching children enthusiasm for classical ballet. We offer class levels that meet from once a week for the beginner to every day for the advanced student. (Barnstable)

Delahunt flip flops over MMR wind farm

06/13/07 · 6:17 am :: posted by CCToday

Congressman covers his tracks on renewable energy
The major congressional obstacle becomes an advocate

By Margot Russell

The Congressman was so concerned, in fact, he'd disregarded several studies, including one conducted by the United States Air Force Space Command and another by the Federal Aviation AdministrationA June 6, 2007 article in the Falmouth Enterprise titled "Bill Delahunt Pushing for Energy Independence at Military Base," may have taken some Cape residents by surprise. We'd become accustomed to headlines touting the Congressman's concerns about possible radar disruption at the Massachusetts Military Reservation if the proposed wind farm were to be built in Nantucket Sound.

The Congressman was so concerned, in fact, he'd disregarded several studies, including one conducted by the United States Air Force Space Command and another by the Federal Aviation Administration, which concluded that the proposed wind turbines for Nantucket Sound would not be tall enough to interfere with operations. The Air Force report was referred to as "overly simplified and technically flawed," by the Department of Defense, and Delahunt called on them for a more comprehensive review.

The question is, what happened to that study?

No one seems to know.

The Department of Defense was slated to release the study sometime this spring, and by all accounts, it seems to have fallen off the proverbial radar screen.

In an article in the February 14, 2007 edition of the Yarmouth Register, Craig Salters reports:

"... wind farm opponents, specifically the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, point to a larger study now being undertaken by the Department of Defense, one which won’t be available until spring. That study, says the Alliance, will be more comprehensive and was itself prompted by issues with the Air Force’s initial analysis."

"I want it done in a way that's transparent, that once and for all sets the record straight"
- DelahuntIn March 2006, Delahunt personally hand delivered a letter to the panel chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security in which he called for a more exhaustive study on the matter. "What I'm after really is a full exposition of the potential adverse consequence to national security and homeland defense," said Delahunt. "I want it done in a way that's transparent, that once and for all sets the record straight."

Where is the comprehensive report that sets the record straight? And is Delahunt's sudden interest in the Massachusetts Military Reservation as a potential site for renewable energy an answer to that question? What does he know that we don't?

One man's mitigation is another man's flip-flop

Delahunt is now calling for a wind farm on the Massachusetts Military Reservation, although the eagerly-awaited report by the Department of Defense has yet to be releasedAccording to Delahunt spokesman Mark Forest, in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, any concerns about the base "have been mitigated." Interesting, since last we heard, Delahunt, along with the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, were eagerly awaiting the results of the second Department of Defense study. According to Alliance President and CEO Charles Vinick, the organization is still "looking forward to further clarification from the Department of Defense."

"The Defense Department has consistently said that wind turbines provide a level of radar interruption for missile defense," said Vinick, in an interview Tuesday. "That's what they said in their 2006 report, and we're still awaiting further reports."

The report Vinick is referring to is the 2006 report released by the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, undertaken at the request of U.S. Rep. William Delahunt. The 62-page report concluded that large, industrial wind turbines such as those proposed for Nantucket Sound can interfere with military radar systems if built in the radar's line of sight. Officials asked for more analysis on an "expedited basis."

Congressman Delahunt is now calling for a wind farm on the Massachusetts Military Reservation, although the eagerly-awaited report by the Department of Defense has yet to be released. Since the Congressman spearheaded efforts for further study, it seems reasonable that he would have waited until the results of that study were released before encouraging the idea of green energy on the base.

That was then, this is now

"It has national implications," Delahunt said in his 2006 letter to Homeland Security regarding the proposed risk of radar interruptus. "We need answers. ... Otherwise we put the country at risk and air travel at risk."

For one reason or another, Delahunt is no longer concerned.

2 comments
Blog posts and comments are entirely the thoughts and ideas of the people who write them and in no way represent the views of CapeCodToday.com, eCape, Inc., or its employees or owners.

06/13/07 @ 11:15 am

SM [Member] writes:

It would take three times as many wind turbines at MMR to generate the same amount of electricity that Cape Wind will in Nantucket Sound. Does anyone really think that the Congressman is advocating 390 wind mills at the base? And if his objection Cape Wind was radar interference, won't windmills at the base interfere with radar? Now he wants to fund a study for Tuckernuck Island? (off Nantucket) as an alternative sight for a wind farm.
Sounds like the real goal is anywhere but Horseshoe Shoals.

[ Show all comments by this user ]

06/13/07 @ 11:24 am

bittersweet [Member] writes:

They are so transparent, it's almost laughable.

[ Show all comments by this user ]

Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors:

Bourque Heating & Cooling, Inc.
Family owned and operated company serving the Cape Cod area. We service all makes of residential and commercial air conditioning and warm air heating, as well as commercial refrigeration for our HVAC clients. 24 hour emergency service. (Hyannis)

Judy Keenan, Professional Kitchen Designer
Judy's goal is to design kitchens and baths for her customers that reflect their desires, fit their budgets and enhance the value of their homes. Please call or email to schedule a free consultation to discuss your ideas for your "dream" kitchen. (Hyannis)

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR COMMENTORS & BLOGGERS: CapeCodToday now requires a one-time validation of your account email. When logging in or registering for the first time, you will be emailed a link to click that will validate your email and complete your login. The link in the email must be clicked in the same session when you are logged into the site for security purposes (i.e. retrieve the email right away and do not close your web browser).

This is a one-time-only process (or if you change the email on your account), and will help CCToday keep out the spammers. If you cannot validate your email because it is invalid, and you are a legitimate user, feel free to contact us and we will update your account to your current email.

Please Login or Register to leave a comment. There are 3,190 registered commenters!

CapeCodToday requires readers register an account with us in order to post comments. Become a trusted commenter and receive the benefits of posting instantly throughout the site. It's quick and easy!

Please note: If you are a CapeCodToday registered blogger, you can use your blogger login. Your login for the blogs is separate from your CapeCodToday main site login (if you have one).

Previous/Next posts in this blog

« Cape's Soundkeeper falls short

23 wounds to Beth in Nantucket murder »

About This Blog

These stories about Cape Cod and Islands are written by our staff. You are invited to comment on any story. Your opinion will appear on our front page immediately, and it will be archived and available on this site at any time at no charge by using the search element of the top of every page.
►Walter Brooks, Editor & Publisher
►Maggie Kulbokas, Editor

Last comments

CCT Blog List

Blogs with posts in the past 60 days are listed here in order of newest posts. For a list of all blogs, visit Blogs A to Z

CCT Blog Tools

Lost Password?

Become a CapeCodToday Blogger!

Are you passionate about your community? Do you blog or at least harbor thoughts of doing so?

If so, CapeCodToday.com would like to host your blog on our CapeCodToday weblog publishing platform.

Click here to find out more!

Blog Newsfeed

CapeCodToday uses standard web "newsfeeds" (RSS) to automatically update the latest blog entries in your browser or newsreader.

Use any of the links below in your newsreader or web browser to get "Cape & Islands News" postings delivered to you, or use the RSS icon in your browser's address bar.

Advertise With Us About Us Contact Us/Feedback Subscribe