Coffee and Conversation Event with Senator Ben Downing 10-24-2011

Massachusetts State Senator Ben Downing was questioned about his stance on the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act (WESRA) at an event he sponsored in Adams. This video is a portion of the Q&A and commentary.

For two years in a row, Senator Ben Downing supported WESRA. Our other Berkshire representatives opposed it, along with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and local environmental and sportsmen groups.

This year, Senator Downing is co-chair of the committee charged with allowing WESRA to go forward to the floor this year for a vote or not. As such he has repeatedly stated he will not let anyone know if he is supporting or not supporting WESRA. He needs to hear from you and everyone you know that you strongly oppose WESRA and we have the right to know how he stands on the issue.

WESRA would allow the state to override local decisions on the siting of industrial wind turbines along with the associated access roads, transmission lines, substations, and other infrastructure. A single appointed state board would make all the decisions - and it has never turned down a power plant application. It would be authorized to set aside all state laws and replace those with standards that it alone could apply or waive. Almost all traditional rights of appeal to the courts would be stripped from the public under this law. This would be a disastrous law for the Berkshires if it passed, and we need to rally everyone to oppose it.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• ben
• downing
• wind
• energy
• siting
• reform
• act
• wesra
• lenox
• mountain
• massachusetts
• adams