Pittsfield solar and battery bylaw

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Janet Sinclair

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May 13, 2026, 1:26:14 PM (9 days ago) May 13
to responsible solar
Hello All, 

resending this.

Pittsfield solar and battery bylaw

I think I am reading this right

no lithium ion batteries.

 batteries over 10 MW in some districts. 

  1.  
  1. To provide regulatory guidelines for the responsible and intentional location, construction and operation of Battery Energy Storage Systems and Battery Energy Storage System Facilities in the Battery …


Dean Huggins

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May 13, 2026, 3:11:34 PM (9 days ago) May 13
to 'Janet Sinclair' via ResponsibleSolarMA
hi janet, on another issue: are you aware of any good by laws prohibiting outdoor wood burners to heat water for indoor furnaces? I know Holliston passed one, banning them, and requiring any existing ones to be dismantled. They are so dirty. We are unfortunately living next to one, like smoking a pack of cigarettes each night in winter.
thank you kindly,
bev

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Janet Sinclair

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May 13, 2026, 5:02:40 PM (9 days ago) May 13
to 'Dean Huggins' via ResponsibleSolarMA
there is a state law that is very weak. you can ask the board of health to enforce the public nuisance law and the dep air pollution regs. boards can do this.

the boh can pass their own regs, though you really don't need them.

I really feel for you. I fought for Clean air where I live related to wood stoves. it was a horrible process. and I lost every effort. but there us more awareness now about the health effects ..as if thar is hard to figure out.

if the boh won't help you can try dep or dph..though none if them helped me. if they all refuse you can go to housing court. a judge should shut it down if all else fails.

going to court is the only thing I did not do because there were so many people burning in my neighborhood. i was the most hated person in my town because I tried to protect myself. and people would have installed and burned wood just to retaliate. no exaggeration.

i also offered to pay people s heating bill. one person took me up on my offer to buy them a tank of oil.

this was a profound difficult effort and people were so so so disappointing. a very hard bunch of lessons. 

I know you can get this done for yourself. the health effects are really that bad. 


Dean Huggins

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May 13, 2026, 7:38:14 PM (9 days ago) May 13
to 'Janet Sinclair' via ResponsibleSolarMA
hi janet, yes, talked with BOH and they talked with him. He admitted he was using green wood. So he stopped. Yes, DEP also Michelle Somebody, she went over and talked with him also, but even though we are on three acres we are too close and down wind of him. my house smells like tar. I have thought of going to court to get a temp restraining order or sue him for negligent infliction of emotional distress, but at least it had stopped for the summer.
And yes, the health effects are bad. I start coughing, wheezing and sometimes just go to bed because I can shut the door and put on the air purifier.
But, Holliston has a really good by law. I need to get a copy, get it in front of the BOH and then town meeting in the fall. we will see what happens. 
Why the state does not outlaw them, with their extreme focus on the climate and clean air, just baffles me!
thank you again...the fight goes on.
bev

Janet Sinclair

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May 13, 2026, 7:51:06 PM (9 days ago) May 13
to 'Dean Huggins' via ResponsibleSolarMA
the boh can do their own reg as far as I know.


hmmm. please send me the Holliston thing.

please don't minimize the health effects. they are so so bad. sounds like you are not. 



Dean Huggins

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May 14, 2026, 8:07:35 AM (8 days ago) May 14
to 'Janet Sinclair' via ResponsibleSolarMA
will do, as soon as I find it again. I agree and am not minimizing the health affects, though the state DEP seems completely uninterested. I asked for an air monitor and they said, both DEP and BOH, would get me one, but in the meantime, i got an indoor one, and so far shows minimal levels of particulate etc, but you can still smell it. I have my downstairs wrapped in plastic!
at least the better weather is here, and he stopped burning. This is, of course, the same guy who is trying to install a battery storage facility in our back yard and in our residentail neighborhood. Unbelievable.
take good care,
bev

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