Community Corner
AG Martha Coakley Vs BCK Law & Cape Light Compact
AG Martha Coakley Vs BCK Law & Cape Light Compact http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140625/NEWS/406250334/-1/NEWS01 These are truncated quotes due to possible copyright from a local news Cape Cod newspaper Attorney General Martha Coakley: Attorney General Martha Coakley's office is questioning whether a charge paid by electricity ratepayers on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard is an illegal tax rather than a fee.
The pointed query from the state's top lawyer comes as part of an ongoing review by the state Department of Public Utilities of an update to the Cape Light Compact's founding document.
BCK LAW :"It's completely faulty," said Jeffrey Bernstein of BCK Law, which represents the compact and cooperative. "It's specious."
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Bernstein said the compact has no problem providing the attorney general with information but the requests don't fall within the scope of the DPU's review of the aggregation plan.
The attorney general has made similar arguments in the DPU's review of other recently proposed aggregation plans and the DPU has rejected them, Bernstein said.
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
CLC : "Compact Administrator Margaret Downey said the compact will do whatever the DPU requires but that it has been allowed to collect the additional charge since its formation."
In addition to the newspaper article today here is some additional information on renewable energy the general public may not be aware of :
BCK Law stands for Bernstein, Cushner & Kimmell, P.C., Former Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ken Kimmell was a former law partner in BCK Law.
The Massachusetts DEP has taken little action or none to enforce the noise regulations where commercial wind turbines have been sited too close to residential homes. The state noise regulations are (310 CMR 7.10). Towns such as Falmouth & Fairhaven have wind turbines that exceed the Massachusetts regulatory regulations. The wind turbine victims describe the noise as a type of torture which includes an inability to sleep.
Falmouth & Fairhaven residents have complained for four years over noise issues. There are more questions than answers.