BOSTON State environmental officials are considering new regulations that would require state review to determine if proposed wind turbines would be too noisy in generating power.
The Boston Globe reported Monday that state officials might also conduct sound studies in Fairhaven and Kingston, where residents have complained about noise from existing turbines. Last week, officials in Falmouth shut down a town-owned turbine after the state Department of Environmental Protection found it made too much noise at a nearby residence.
DEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell said the Falmouth measurements, plus a previous recommendation in favor of such testing from an independent panel, have the state giving serious consideration to implementing additional procedures to limit noise impacts.
He said the possible new regulations could require manufacturers to report the expected noise levels to turbine operators. The state could then use computer models to predict their noise at various distances, Kimmell said.
Such modeling is standard practice for facilities that generate a lot of noise, such as power plants that use fossil fuels, Kimmell said. But he said the state, to date, has mainly left such testing to local permitting boards.
Portland waters searched for Harvard student
PORTLAND, Maine Divers on Monday recovered some clothing belonging to a Massachusetts man who disappeared after he was asked to leave a pub while celebrating his upcoming graduation from Harvard Business School, police said.
Nathan Bihlmaier, 31, of Cambridge, was celebrating with two classmates when a worker at the waterfront pub asked him to leave at 12:20 a.m. Saturday because he was visibly intoxicated, Police Chief Michael Sauschuck said. Bihlmaier failed to return to his hotel and was reported missing on Sunday.
Divers on Monday found an article of clothing belonging to Bihlmaier and planned to return to harbor waters on Tuesday. A sonar device was brought in for the search.
But Sauschuck said Monday that investigators continue to look at all scenarios not just the possibility that Bihlmaier fell into the water late Saturday.
Bihlmaier, whose wife is pregnant with their first child, is due to graduate with his classmates on Thursday.
After being asked to leave the Ri Ra Irish Pub near the Maine State Pier, Bihlmaier called his friends several times from his cell phone up until 1 a.m., when the calls stopped. He appeared to be lost and was naming landmarks in hopes that he could rendezvous with his friends, the chief said.
Medical society opposes medical marijuana
BOSTON The states largest doctors organization is taking a stand against a proposed ballot question that would allow marijuana use for medical reasons.
The Massachusetts Medical Society approved a resolution at its annual meeting this past weekend opposing legalization of medicinal marijuana without scientific studies proving it would be safe and effective.
The organizations House of Delegates also backed a second resolution opposing any legislation that would involve doctors prescribing marijuana to patients except for scientific studies or clinical trials.
The group representing about 24,000 doctors did call on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana to permit more studies on its possible medical benefits.
The question proposed for the November state ballot would allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to get permission from their doctors to use marijuana.
Dental chain chief surrenders licence in NH
CONCORD, N.H. The president of a bankrupt dental chain that abruptly closed offices in 13 states last year has surrendered his license to practice dentistry in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire authorities received more than 140 complaints from patients, after Allcare Dental shut down its two offices in New Hampshire and dozens more in other states, including Massachusetts. Many had had their teeth extracted and were waiting for permanent dentures they never received.
Though he never worked in New Hampshire, Allcare president Robert Bates faced a disciplinary hearing in the state. Instead, he agreed to surrender his license and acknowledged that neither he nor Allcare informed patients about the closing or helped them afterward.
App allows MBTA riders to report suspicions
BOSTON A new smartphone app allows MBTA riders to instantly alert transit police to any suspicious activity they witness.
The free, downloadable iPhone app, unveiled Monday, provides two options for contacting authorities. A button called Report a Problem on the apps home screen allows riders to send text messages or photos to MBTA police.
A separate, Call Transit Police button allows users to speak directly to police.
The app is part of the Ts See Something, Say Something program that encourages riders to report suspicious packages or any activity that seems out of line.
Customers can also sign up to receive notifications from the T about service delays or disruptions.
Ex-officer faces trial in death of teen bicyclist
HARTFORD Jury selection has begun in the manslaughter trial of a former Windsor Locks police officer charged in an off-duty accident that killed a teenager on a bicycle.
The prosecution and defense in the case of Michael Koistinen, 26, began choosing jurors Monday in Hartford Superior Court after a lawyer for Koistinen entered a not guilty plea.
Police say Koistinen struck Henry Dang, 15, in Windsor Locks on the night of Oct. 30, 2010. Authorities say Koistinen had been drinking and was speeding when he hit the Windsor Locks High School sophomore.
Koistinen was later fired. His father, former Windsor Locks police Sgt. Robert Koistinen, also was fired and awaits trial on a charge of hindering the investigation.
From Associated Press reports
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