LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Judge dismisses Bourne taxpayers’ lawsuit against town 

Credit:  Judge dismisses Bourne taxpayers' lawsuit over Plymouth turbines | By Ethan Genter | Cape Cod Times | Sep. 9, 2016 | www.capecodtimes.com ~~

BARNSTABLE – A Barnstable Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Bourne officials accused of filing a suit challenging a set of Plymouth wind turbines that the town did not intend to fight.

A group of taxpayers in Bourne filed the lawsuit against the town administrator, selectmen, town counsel, and the Board of Health in March. Bourne officials had sued Future Generation Wind, which was also included in the taxpayer’s lawsuit, for not following the town’s bylaws when it built four wind turbines just over the border in Plymouth.

The taxpayers accused the town of acting outside of its legal authority and of trying to silence its own Board of Health and residents.

“There is an overarching defect in the complaint,” Judge Gary Nickerson wrote in his order, which was dated Aug. 24 and sent to the parties on Thursday.

The taxpayer group framed its complaint as a “10 taxpayer” suit.

In such a lawsuit, a group of at least 10 taxpayers has the right to sue under state law when town boards raise or spend money or take on tasks that are beyond the board’s legal power, Nickerson wrote.

“Nothing in the present action comes within the purview of” that law, according to Nickerson. “In other counts the plaintiffs seek relief that belongs, if at all, to the Board of Health and its members.”

The town’s lawsuit against Future Generation Wind was dismissed in June because Bourne has no jurisdiction over turbines located in Plymouth. But the court allowed an avenue for future recourse if the turbines become a nuisance to Bourne residents.

“Nevertheless, a Board of Health has broad powers to regulate and prevent nuisances that affect the public health,” Nickerson wrote in the order dismissing the town’s lawsuit. “It remains to be seen as to whether the operation of the wind turbines will constitute a nuisance which affects the health of inhabitants of Bourne, and, if so, whether the Board takes lawful action thereon.”

Although the taxpayer lawsuit has been struck down, lead plaintiff Ian Davies plans to continue to fight the turbines. He pointed to the town of Falmouth, where residents fighting the operation of their town’s turbines recently gained ground after battling them for years.

The group of taxpayers involved has grown to about 50 members since the lawsuit was filed, Davies said, and they have talked about other possible avenues to stop the turbines in Plymouth from spinning.

“We may have lost the battle, but we have not lost the war,” Davies said.

Source:  Judge dismisses Bourne taxpayers' lawsuit over Plymouth turbines | By Ethan Genter | Cape Cod Times | Sep. 9, 2016 | www.capecodtimes.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon