Category Archives: Health effects from wind turbines

Health effects from wind turbines, How to Fight Big Wind..., Noise

Finally the truth about health impacts from industrial wind turbines are being exposed!

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Finally the truth about health impacts from industrial wind turbines are being exposed!

DUKE ENERGY’s Shirley Wind Turbines Declared a “HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD”

It seems the neighbors who are too close may not be crazy or making things up after all. Finally a governing body with the courage to acknowledge what the neighbors have been saying all along. We are suffering in various ways from Hoosac Wind, along with EVERY community in Massachusetts, indeed the World that has IWT’s located too close to neighbors. It’s been almost 2 years, or about 725 days have passed from when Hoosac Wind fired up and we are still missing freedom to enjoy our properties and quality as life before Hoosac Wind.

Here in Massachusetts most of the studies so far have been sound monitoring that has been a farce at best (including inappropriately placed monitoring equipment). With limited monitoring IWT’s have been found to be substantially out compliance at Hoosac Wind, yet the neighbors are still suffering. The responses so far from you you have been few and far between. Don’t you care, or please explain why we haven’t heard from you very much? You may be busy or maybe it’s not your responsibility, yet this is important to the neighbors. I feel it’s hopeless that any of you have sympathy enough to reach out personally, or maybe you don’t believe us or believe we should have sympathy? I’ve been informed by MassDEP personnel, some are fearful of loosing their jobs if not careful. I’m sorry, but the neighbors lost far more, and through no fault of our own. Sooner or later the facts will be known by more than just the neighbors, and I hope we will ALL be able to sleep. How are you all sleeping?

According experts advising us, the proposal to serrate the edges of the turbine blades will still have the neighbors of Crum Hill being pummeled by NOISE and infra sound.That modification typically only lowers sound levels by 1-2 dBa. Additionally, will not lower noise levels by the 7 dBa that Hoosac Wind was documented above state regulation, and maybe propaganda to make it seem that Iberdrola is concerned about the neighbors. We are informed the only realistic way for the Hoosac Wind to comply would be to curtail operations when the project is too loud and that continuous monitoring is necessary. The neighbors don’t have official evidence as yet, but we are aware of that even higher sound levels are bombarding our neighborhoods from the project. Seemingly the neighbors of Bakke Mountain side of the project are hopeless as MassDEP informed us there is no evidence Hoosac Wind is out of compliance and no plans to monitor. How will facts be known if no measurement is taking place? Iberdrola is receiving millions of taxpayers subsidies for this project yet and we are left to pick up the broken pieces on our own. Health and quality of life are some of the things taken from the neighbors because of Hoosac Wind.

For your reference a list of impacts the neighbors are experiencing. Sleep loss is the most common complaint from the neighbors resulting in various symptoms, and it’s well known to negatively affect health. Other symptoms reported, anxiety and feelings of stress, headaches, sinus issues, tinnitus, ear aches, numbness, irritability, palpitations of the heart, increase in blood pressure, fatigue, and lapse of memory. This list is in no particular order and by no means complete. Additional complaints from the neighbors, property value loss, wells not providing same quantities of water before blasting of the ridges, silting and addition of mineral materials in wells, and stream flows disrupted on properties. Many of us no longer enjoy being outside our homes when the turbines are noisy or in them for that matter. Indeed it’s beautiful in this area and not being able to enjoy our yards has no value limits. We just want to enjoy what’s legally our right, to pursue happiness in our homes and properties and not be subjected to human health hazards and other impacts from the nearby wind turbines at Hoosac Wind.

Sincerely Larry Lorusso
Clarksburg MA

PS I’m not the only one!

sourse FB: https://www.facebook.com/HoosacWindWatch?hc_location=timeline

Health effects from wind turbines

Falmouth Town Meeting Member Notice

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Wind turbine noise : Regulatory, nuisance, human annoyance, infra-sound and low frequency

October 29, 2014

545107cbc6044How much longer before Falmouth Town Meeting Members figure out they have never been told the truth about wind turbine studies that included noise warnings from Vestas wind company , contractors and noise studies that referenced 99 homes prior to the installation of Falmouth Wind I ? The town went forward with the installation of Falmouth Wind II after all the problems with Wind I .

It is becoming clear that town officials had always known about the wind turbine noise. The State of Wisconsin is taking action against the wind turbines now.

How much more information before you understand your hurting your neighbors and friends

Brown County, Wisconsin Board of Health Declares Wind Turbines Health Hazard

“Brown County health officials have declared wind turbines a public health risk, but they haven’t determined how to put their declaration into action.”

“The county’s Health Board this month declared the Shirley Wind Farm operated by Duke Energy Renewables poses a health risk to its neighbors in the town of Glenmore. Three families have moved out of their homes rather than endure physical illness they blame on the low-frequency noise the wind turbines generate, according to Audrey Murphy, president of the board that oversees the Brown County Health Department.”

By Frank Haggerty (Open Post) Updated October 29, 2014

[truncated due to possible copyright] click on link to keep reading

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/2014/10/26/health-officials-weigh-next-step-wind-turbine-battle/17967875/

Health effects from wind turbines, The UN Committee Against Torture

Media Release: Public Officials Risk Criminal Charges For Torture

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MEDIA RELEASE 27 October, 2014

PUBLIC OFFICIALS RISK CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR TORTURE  

The Waubra Foundation has issued a Public Statement to educate and warn public officials that they run the risk of being charged with torture under the Criminal Code Act 1995 if they continue to ignore and acquiesce in persistent sleep deprivation caused by excessive environmental noise.

“The UN Committee Against Torture have clearly stated that sleep deprivation used for prolonged periods is a breach of the Convention” said Waubra Foundation CEO, Sarah Laurie. The UNCommittee went on to say: 

“Sleep deprivation can cause impaired memory and cognitive functioning, decreased short term memory, speech impairment, hallucinations, psychosis, lowered immunity, headaches, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stress, anxiety and depression” 

Chronic sleep deprivation is the most common complaint from residents living near industrial noise polluting developments in Australia and around the world, and was identified in the limited research considered by the recent National Health and Medical Research Council’s commissioned systematic literature review.

Recent developments nationally and internationally have reinforced the Foundation’s advice in June 2011 that there are serious adverse health effects including prolonged sleep deprivation, resulting from chronic exposure to wind turbine acoustic emissions including excessive audible low frequency noise out to 10km from existing wind turbines. This acoustic “zone of impact” distance will inevitably increase as wind turbine power generation capacity increases with larger, more powerful wind turbines with longer blades. 

The recent declaration by the Brown County Town Health Board USA that wind turbines constitute a “Human Health Hazard” for “residents, workers, visitors and sensitive passersby” is a significant development, and we expect more such declarations to follow.

Litigation to prevent wind turbines from continuing to operate, in order to prevent additional harm to physical and psychological health, has been successful in the USA (Falmouth), Portugal and other European countries. 

“All responsible authorities and public officials in Australia need to be aware that under the terms of section 274 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995, torture is expressly prohibited. There is therefore no legal excuse available for any public official who is currently allowing torture from sleep deprivation from excessive environmental noise to continue” stated Dr Michael Crawford, Waubra Foundation Director. 

The Public Statement can be viewed and downloaded here:http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/public-officials-at-risk-criminal-charges-for-torture-public-statement/

For further information please contact: Sarah Laurie 0474 050 463 or Michael Crawford, 0408 673 506

Download the Media Release →

Health, Health effects from wind turbines

Action Alert October 2014 – Human Health Hazard Letter

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This is a notice to any official in Ontario or at the federal level charged with  protecting your health that as of October 14, 2014 wind turbines are now deemed a hazard to health.

We suggest you send the announcement below to:

Prime Minister Harperpm@pm.gc.ca

Minister of Health Rona Ambrose Minister_Ministre@hc-sc.gc.ca  

Dr David Michaud, Health Canada david.michaud@hc-sc.gc.ca 

Premier Kathleen Wynne 

 kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org,  kwynne.mpp@liberal.ola.org   

Ontario Minister of Health Eric Hoskins,  ehoskins.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org  eric@erichoskins.ca  

Dr Ray Copes, Chief Environmental and Occupational Health Ray.Copes@oahpp.ca   

Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robin Williams CMOH@ontario.ca  

Also send to your MP; MPP; and your local Medical Officer of Health.

You could also include your local municipal officials. And your proponent! 

For Immediate Release

USA  Wind farm declared a human health hazard.

Wisconsin’s Brown County Board of Health approves motion:

Brown County, Wisconsin// On October 14, 2014 Dr. Jay Tibbetts, member of the Brown County Board of Health states that the Brown Co. Board of Health’s meeting of 10-14-14 unanimously approved a motion to declare the Shirley Wind turbines to be a human health hazard.

“To declare the Industrial Wind Turbines at Shirley Wind Project in the Town of Glenmore, Brown County, WI. A Human Health Hazard for all people (residents, workers, visitors, and sensitive passersby) who are exposed to Infrasound/Low Frequency Noise and other emissions potentially harmful to human health.

This news is being welcomed globally by those who have been reporting adverse health impacts to health authorities for many years because their health and lives have been seriously impacted by turbines. Many residents from Ontario and from other parts of the country have advised all levels of government, local Boards of Health or a Medical Officer of Health about their debilitating health effects from a wind project and requested assistance.

The Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act defines a health hazard:

“health hazard” means,

(a) a condition of a premises,

(b) a substance, thing, plant or animal other than man, or

(c) a solid, liquid, gas or combination of any of them,

that has or that is likely to have an adverse effect on the health of any person; (“risque pour la santé”)

The Act also states:

Complaint re health hazard related to occupational or environmental health

11. (1) Where a complaint is made to a board of health or a medical officer of health that a health hazard related to occupational or environmental health exists in the health unit served by the board of health or the medical officer of health, the medical officer of health shall notify the ministry of the Government of Ontario that has primary responsibility in the matter and, in consultation with the ministry, the medical officer of health shall investigate the complaint to determine whether the health hazard exists or does not exist. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 11 (1).

Provision of information to M.O.H.

(2) The Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Labour or a municipality shall provide to a medical officer of health such information in respect of any matter related to occupational or environmental health as is requested by the medical officer of health, is in the possession of the ministry or municipality and the ministry or municipality is not prohibited by law from disclosing. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 12 (2); 2006, c. 19, Sched. L, s. 11 (3).

Order by M.O.H. or public health inspector re health hazard

13. (1) A medical officer of health or a public health inspector, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (2), by a written order may require a person to take or to refrain from taking any action that is specified in the order in respect of a health hazard. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 13 (1).

Condition precedent to order

(2) A medical officer of health or a public health inspector may make an order under this section where he or she is of the opinion, upon reasonable and probable grounds,

(a) that a health hazard exists in the health unit served by him or her; and

b) that the requirements specified in the order are necessary in order to decrease the effect of or to eliminate the health hazard. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 13 (2).

It is urgent that the Province of Ontario start acting immediately in response to the continuing health complaints from Ontario citizens. These Ontario citizens can no longer by trivialized and excluded based on any government policy priorities as has been the case with industrial wind facilities. The Ontario Health Protection Act must be enforced to protect everyone.

Wind turbine impacts are not confined to within Wisconsin borders but their board of health acknowledges the impacts. Based on the history of complaints in Ontario, our Medical Officer of Health and Minister of Health must do that same.

fighting big wind., Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Ontario Wind, Shadow Flicker

Plymptom Wyoming, Ontario, Mayor, Council, Issue Groundbreaking New Wind Turbine Noise By Law

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turbine noise Canada Free Press,  By Guest Column Sherri Lange  October 18, 2014

Mayor Lonny Napper of Plympton Wyoming, Ontario, with his Chief Administrative Officer, Kyle Pratt, led his council to a “game changer” bylaw last week.  The wind turbine noise bylaw crafted by council and vetted with Toronto lawyer, Eric Gillespie, references Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise (ILFN) and pulsing barometric pressure changes that are now recognized to damage health around the world.

The bylaw references charging fees to developers if ILFN causes residents problems.  Common effects are from chronic unrelenting noise, sleep disorders, hormone level disruption, increased risk of disease, diabetes, hypertension, depression, heart arrhythmias, and possibly even cancer. (Carmen Krogh and Dr Robert McMurtry, both of Ontario,  recently published a case definition that accepts inner ear disruption, sleep disorders, hypertension, mood disorders, nausea, tinnitus, as part of the presenting complaints combined with proximity to wind turbines.)

In  Plympton Wyoming, complaints will lead to investigations and hefty fines. This is the first bylaw directly referencing ILFN and demanding fines of between $500 to $10,000 per day, and which may be, the bylaw states, in excess of $100,000.
While over 80 Ontario municipalities have called for a moratorium, declared themselves unwilling hosts, and have called for the resignation of the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Arlene King, as well as variously creating new bylaws for longer setbacks and decommissioning costs, the Green Energy and Green Economy Act 2009 (GEA), subjugates most Ontario law under its wings, leaving communities scrambling to find ways to protect themselves.  Mayor Napper and his council have likely found the idea remedy: one that is not subsumed into the GEA.  Health issues cannot be found to be contrary to the GEA or “frustrate” the efforts of the laws to perpetuate wind turbine factories, or so-called “renewable energy platforms.”

“When I took an oath to protect my community, I took it very seriously,” continues Mayor Napper.  “The information about what other communities are suffering, disruption, noise, degradation of precious landscapes, seriously divided communities, and to see that this possible devastation is in my full view, for my residents, something has to give.”

Thank you Mayor Napper and Plymptom Wyoming council. Read the rest of the article here.

Health effects from wind turbines

Health Board Says the Shirley Wind Project is a Health Hazard

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By Eric Crest. CREATED Oct 17, 2014

27788650.sfGLENMORE, WIS- This week the Brown County Health Board went on record declaring that wind turbines “are a human health hazard.”

Folks living in the Glenmore area near the Shirley Wind Project have been saying this for years though, and now they have the health department on their side. By state statute wind turbines can be within 1250 feet of a home. The Brown County Board of Health says that’s too close for comfort. But Duke Energy, the company that owns the Shirley Wind farm disagrees.

Glenmore farmers won’t touch this topic with a ten foot pole. But Audrey Murphy the Chairman of the Brown County Board of Health says it’s her duty. “We didn’t take this lightly this was a serious thing and we all struggled with it,” says Murphy.

Potential lawsuits and good neighbor agreements signed with Duke Energy is keeping most people silent around the wind farm. So Brown County is doing the talking for them. “It’s not so much that we’re trying to get information out there we’re trying to help those citizens because they’re impacted by wind turbines,” says Murphy.

After several local and national studies the health board made one of the first decisions of its kind in the country. They have declared that the Shirley Wind Project is a human health hazard. “Ear pain, ear pressure, headaches, nausea, many are suffering from sleep deprivation,” adds Murphy. Today Duke Energy released this statement saying: “A third party scientific test has already determined… That they could not document any link between turbine noise and adverse health impacts.”

The Brown County Health Board alleges however that these turbines are emitting acoustical energy too close to homes. They are waiting for the next step when the Director of the Health Department makes an appointment with the corporate council to decide how to proceed from here.

NBC News

Animals and turbines, Canada Wind, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Corruption, Direct Effects, Environment, fighting big wind., Health effects from wind turbines, Ontario Wind, Protecting our children, The problem with Wind Turbines, Turbines run on Subsidies, Uncategorized

Big Wind – Proposal for a one hour television documentary

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DOCUMENTARY
BIG WIND  By Rico Michel

http://www.dliproductions.ca/films/big-wind/
Margaret Welcome to the wacky world of green power, where misguided governments have sparked a massive corporate feeding frenzy (at taxpayers’ expense) to achieve little or nothing of any social benefit. — Margaret Wente, Globe & Mail

unnamed (2)It has taken decades for us all to understand the pressing urgency of protecting the Earth’s environment by finding alternatives to fossil fuels. At last, the development of a green energy industry is presenting the opportunity to heal the environment… along with the opportunity to exploit it further. For politicians, going green provides a convincing election platform. For business, it offers the chance to make hundreds of billions of dollars. Green energy is the future and those who get in there first will benefit greatly. But not only honest players are championing this new industry. And nowhere is this more evident than in the massive development of industrial wind power.

Big Wind is a surprising and compelling documentary about the unprecedented rush to develop industrial wind turbines and how this is transforming the landscape in Canada and the world. The film investigates why governments are spending billions on wind power without first conducting health and environmental studies, why corporations are grabbing up precious farmland to put up hundreds of thousands of enormous industrial wind turbines, why people living near the turbines are falling ill, losing their animals and their farms, and whether these new “green” wind turbines are actually helping our environmental aims.

The rush to go green is pitting corporations against residents, government against citizens, neighbour against neighbour. Through the process the people are being stripped of their due democratic process.

Big Wind is a story of unethical political systems, corporate greed, and ordinary citizens who have had enough and are standing up to big government and big business. They are part of a growing revolution in rural communities in Southern Ontario and around the globe– people fighting to defend their homes, their way of life and the environment against Big Wind. It is a battle that will profoundly impact the green movement, as well as the well being of citizens in Canada and citizens worldwide for years to come.

Preview Link Here

Health effects from wind turbines

Wind Development a “Hazard to Human Health” Declares Board of Health

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The Brown County Board of Health voted tonight to declare the Shirley Wind Turbine Development a Human Health Hazard.

The decision was based on a report of a year-long study conducted by the Enz family with assistance from Mr Rick James to document acoustic emissions from the wind turbines including infrasound and low frequency noise, inside homes within a radius of 6 miles of the Shirley Wind turbines.

The wording of the motion was as follows:

“To declare the Industrial Wind Turbines in the Town of Glenmore, Brown County. WI. a Human Health Hazard for all people (residents, workers, visitors, and sensitive passersby) who are exposed to Infrasound/Low Frequency Noise and other emissions potentially harmful to human health.”

The context is in reference to Brown County Code 38.01 in the Brown County Ordinances, in Chapter 38, relating to Public Health Nuisance (section (b) Human Health Hazard).

“Human Health Hazard” means a substance, activity or condition that is known to have the potential to cause acute or chronic illness or death if exposure to the substance, activity or condition is not abated.

The vote to declare it a Human Health Hazard now puts Duke Energy’s Shirley Wind Development on the defensive to prove to the Board they are not the cause of the health complaints documented in the study, and could result in a shut down order.

Read the Brown County Ordinances Brown County Code of Ordinances

To Read More: Waurba Foundation, Oct 14 2014

Children Affected, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Ontario Wind, Protecting our children, Shadow Flicker, Stray Voltage

Diagnostic criteria for adverse health effects in the environs of wind turbines

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Summary:

In an effort to address climate change, governments have pursued policies that seek to reduce greenhouse gases.  alternative energy including wind power, has been proposed by some as the preferred approach.  Few would debate the need to reduce air pollution, but the reduction is important not only for efficiency but also for health protection.  The topic of adverse health effects is the environs of Industrial Wind Turbines (AHE/IWT) has proven to be controversial and can present physicians with challenges regarding the management of an exposure to IWT.  Rural physicians in particular must be aware of the possibility of people presenting to their practices with a variety of sometimes confusing complainants.  An earlier version of the diagnostic criteria for AHE/IWT was published in Aug 2011.  A revised case definition and a model for a study to establish a confirmed diagnosis is proposed. 

[The healthcare practitioner applying the criteria must be licensed to take a medical or health history and to make a diagnosis.  Physicians should consider that children are also affected but in ways sufficiently different from adults}

Read the entire report here:

Diagnostic criteria for adverse health effects in the everons of wind turbines..

Health, Health effects from wind turbines

Low-frequency sound affects active micromechanics in the human inner ear

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Conclusion

The results of this study clearly indicate that there is a pronounced discrepancy between the unobtrusive perception of LF sound, reflected in their low sensation levels and the physiological responses of the cochlea following the LF sound exposure. To the best of our knowledge, perception has been the only measure available in humans to assess inner ear responses to very LF sound, but, as the current data show, severely underestimates cochlear and, especially OHC, sensitivity. Direct quantifications of inner ear active amplification, as measured in this study, are much better suited to assess the risk potential of LF sound.

follow link to read full research paper. Low-frequency sound affects active micromechanics in the human inner ear

Related in the news:

Living close to wind farms could cause hearing damage

New research published by the Royal Society warns of the possible danger posed by low frequency noise like that emitted by wind turbines

Living close to wind farms may lead to severe hearing damage or even deafness, according to new research which warns of the possible danger posed by low frequency noise.

The physical composition of inner ear was “drastically” altered following exposure to low frequency noise, like that emitted by wind turbines, a study has found.

The research will delight critics of wind farms, who have long complained of their detrimental effects on the health of those who live nearby.

Published today by the Royal Society in their new journal Open Science, the research was carried out by a team of scientists from the University of Munich.

read more: The Telegraph, Camilla Turner, 01 Oct 2014