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A group of Vermont legislators has introduced a bill (H.677) requiring the following setbacks and noise/vibration limits for wind turbines exceeding 0.49 MW.  Click here for the full text of the bill.

Setbacks.  At a minimum, a wind turbine shall be set back horizontally: 

1. One and one-quarter miles from 1 an occupied building, if the elevation change between the wind turbine and the occupied building is equal to or less than 500 feet.
2. Two miles from an occupied building, if the elevation change between the wind turbine and the occupied building exceeds 500 feet.
3. One-half mile from the closest boundary of the parcel on which the wind turbine will be located.
4. One-third of a mile from any public highway or right-of-way and from any above-ground utility line or facility.  However, this subdivision shall not apply to an electric line that directly connects a wind turbine to a substation or other utility facility.

Sound limits.  At a minimum, a plant subject to this section shall comply with each of the following:

1. Audible sound limit.  No plant shall be located so as to generate postconstruction sound levels that exceed preconstruction background sound levels by more then 5 dBA.
2. Low frequency sound limit.  The LCeq and LC90 sound levels from a wind turbine at the receiving property shall not exceed the lower of either:
   1. An LCeq-LA90 greater than 20 dB outside any occupied building; or
   2. A sound level of 50 dBC (LC90) from 1 a wind turbine, without other ambient sounds, for a parcel the closest boundary of which is located one mile or more from a state highway or Class 1 or 2 town highway, or of 55 dBC (LC90) for a parcel with a boundary closer than one mile to such a highway.
3. General sound limit.  Sound from a plant subject to this section shall not exceed 35 dBA within 30 meters of any occupied building.
4. Demontrating compliance with sound limits.  Use of the Kamperman-James Guidelines shall be required in demonstrating compliance with the sound limits of this subsection.

Dr. Pierpont has been joined by Dr. F. Owen Black (Neurotologist:  regarding the vestibular symptoms of Wind Turbine Syndrome), Dr. Joel F. Lehrer (Otolaryngologist:  likewise regarding vestibular symptoms of WTS), and Dr. Stanley M. Shapiro (Cardiologist:  regarding the cardiac repercussions of sleep deprivation associated with WTS) in supporting this proposed legislation.  They have been joined by nationally-ranked noise engineer, George Kamperman. 

Click here for the full text of their letter of support.