Cape Wind Receives Notice of Presumed Hazard From FAA

The BOS Chairman Chose to Place His Political Agenda Above Public Safety

The Chairman of the Board of Selectman has chosen to not place a critical an FAA Notice of Presumed Hazard on the BOS agenda. On February 13th, the FAA issued their notice. Since then, there have been numerous requests for the Town to respond to this public safety issue. Since the Chairman is in favor of Cape Winds 130 Turbines in Nantucket Sound, the requests have been ignored.

The response from the town is due this Friday, March 20. The FAA notice was published February 13th. The BOS elected to not act because it was not on the agenda. The Chairman controls the agenda.


The following is a draft letter that the Selectmen refused to consider within the required deadline:

Dear Sirs,

In contrast to the Cape Wind Energy Project FEIS produced by Mineral's Management Services, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently issued a Notice of Presumed Hazard for the Cape Wind project, stating that each of the 130 structures exceeds obstruction standards and would have an adverse effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation facilities. This FAA report has heightened our concerns about the Cape Wind project. Many other issues may be mitigated, but our primary concern is of course the safety of Nantucket residents and visitors.

Radar is critical to the safety of Nantucketers, perhaps more so than anywhere else in New England, as the island is located thirty miles at sea and is dependent on air transportation for the delivery of people and the necessities of life, which travel across Nantucket Sound. As one of the most easterly airports in the United States, radar on Nantucket is also relied upon for Homeland Security.

Nantucket Island has one of the busiest airports in New England with as many as 604,322 passengers arriving and departing on commercial flights annually and as many as 170,367 planes taking off and landing at Nantucket Memorial Airport in a single year. Our economy relies heavily on tourism brought by air travel. Our year-round residents are dependent on airplane and ferry transportation as their lifelines to reach the mainland for travel, services and goods. Nantucket Memorial Airport received 2,823,227 pounds of air-freight to the Island in 2008.

As part of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard Auxiliary Nantucket Flotilla flies missions up and down the New England Coast twice per week. More than 100 missions per year depart from Nantucket and use Cape Approach radar for flight following, and other radar systems as they monitor their route.

As the Town of Nantucket is proceeding through the process of developing municipal land-based wind energy on the Island, we know well the implications of radar interference. After seeing the results of aviation studies for a sight we chose at Nantucket's Wastewater Treatment Facility, we mitigated that problem by choosing a different location for wind turbines, due to radar interference.

Thank you for taking our concerns into consideration prior to issuing a record of decision on the proposed Cape Wind project.

Signature
Town of Nantucket


The following is the FAA Notice:

** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C., Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:

Structure: Wind Turbine 4A-HSS
Location: Cotuit, MA
Latitude: 41-30-55.77N NAD 83
Longitude: 70-23-48.35W
Heights: 440 feet above ground level (AGL)
440 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)

Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air navigation.

See Attachment for Additional information.
Further study has been initiated by the FAA.

NOTE: PENDING RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE(S) DESCRIBED ABOVE, THE STRUCTURE IS PRESUMED TO BE A HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION. THIS LETTER DOES NOT AUTHORIZE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STRUCTURE EVEN AT A REDUCED HEIGHT. ANY RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE(S) DESCRIBED ABOVE MUST BE COMMUNICATED TO THE FAA SO THAT A FAVORABLE DETERMINATION CAN SUBSEQUENTLY BE ISSUED.

IF MORE THAN 60 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS LETTER HAS ELAPSED WITHOUT ATTEMPTED RESOLUTION, IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR YOU TO REACTIVATE THE STUDY BY FILING A NEW FAA FORM 7460-1, NOTICE OF PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OR ALTERATION.

If we can be of further assistance, please contact our office at (816) 329-2525. On any future correspondence concerning this matter, please refer to Aeronautical Study Number 2009-WTE-332-OE.

Signature Control No: 107807735-108228745 ( NPH -WT )
Donna O'Neill
Specialist
Attachment(s)
Additional Information