Category Archives: Health effects from wind turbines

Adverse Health Effects, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Media stories..., Noise, Ontario Wind

Couple’s home unlivable since wind turbines switched on in 2009

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NORMA-SCHMIDT-WHOSE-HEALTH-BEEN-AFFECTED-BY-TURBINES
Norma Schmidt of Kincardine is no longer able to live at home due to health effects suffered after the wind turbines became operational.

The Schmidts of Kincardine in Ontario left their home in 2009 when debilitating health symptoms occurred after the wind turbines of an Enbridge project became operational.  They are currently pressuring the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to undertake noise testing in a full sound spectrum including infrasound (inaudible) measurements.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Couple seeks help on wind turbine concerns.

Kincardine | by Craig Power  

Kincardine residents want new tests done on Enbridge project.

A Kincardine couple is seeking Council support in their quest to have the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to investigate noise emissions from the Enbridge Wind turbines on Concession 6.

Norma and Ron Schmidt have had to move from their home due to health related issues they say are associated with infrasound from the nearby wind turbines.

Rachel Thompson, spokesperson for the Central Bruce-Grey Wind Concerns Group, says the project began in 2009 and they still don’t know if Enbridge is in compliance.

So far the Ministry has only done testing on the ‘audible’ noise emissions but they have not yet tested the ‘inaudible’ or ‘infrasound’ emissions which are known to cause adverse heath effects.

A noise modelling report conducted by Valcoustics Canada Incorporated showed an asterisk beside 6 properties within what they refer to as ‘ground zero’ for noise emissions, with the Schmidt home among them.

Thompson says “the report also stated that we cannot be certain that these 6 homes will not fall within the safe range of audible noise.”

At the April 5th meeting, Kincardine Council voted to support the Schmidt’s letter of request for further investigation by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

The pressure is being applied to the Owen Sound Office of the MOE with hope that testing will be conducted and answers reached.

READ AT: http://www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=92392 

Adverse Health Effects, Direct Effects, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Lack of municipal power in planning, Noise, The problem with Wind Turbines, Turbines & Property Devalue

Don’t throw turbine neighbours under the bus

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thrown_under_the_busHuron Daily Tribune

Wednesday April 5, 2017

To the editor:

You’ve heard that wind turbines are no louder than refrigerators at 40 decibels? That measurement is taken a foot or two away from the bottom of the refrigerator.

If 40 decibels is acceptable to you, then maybe refrigerators should be installed on your night stand next to your bed. Please make sure the refrigerator is set to turn on and off, on and off every two seconds to simulate the wind turbine blade’s movement. Do you really think that two-second intermittent noise all night long will lull you to sleep?

The scientific studies referred to by wind energy companies are often wind energy-funded studies. And when recent studies from many independent researchers are published that comment on audible noise, pulsation/vibration, and shadow flicker affecting nearby residents, the wind faction is quick to dismiss, trivialize, debunk, and simply ignore that information.

Michigan State University has been promoting sample zoning for wind energy systems that was highly permissive toward wind development and darn near hostile to neighbors of wind turbines. The animosity created in communities with unsafe wind development favoring wind developers may take years to disappear.

It’s a brand new ball game because, on March 6, MSU released its new wind energy sample zoning regulations. MSU researchers don’t condone prohibiting turbines. They condone safe setbacks.

The study informs the uninformed about wind development and reasonable land use regulations. These new recommendations are extremely important and confirm all of the things so many people in Michigan have worked so hard for.

Here are some highlights of the MSU recommendations:

Sound Level — On-site use wind energy systems shall not exceed 40 dB(A) at the property line closest to the wind energy system. This sound pressure level may be briefly exceeded during short term events such as utility outages and/or severe wind storms.

One MSU recommendation is a turbine setback of 2,500 feet from the property line of any parcel which is not receiving compensation for the Utility Grid Wind Energy System.

And, to show how wind energy is losing its grip in Michigan, here is a recent straw poll: In Ingersoll Township, Michigan (just south of Midland), board officials took a poll of 88 people at their March 22 board meeting. Results?

• 75 against wind development in township

• 3 for wind development in township

• 10 undecided

The money a community can make and the money a large landholder can make certainly is important. But, it’s the only bullet the pro wind faction has. However, to allow so many large landholders a financial gain is to throw the neighbors of wind turbines under the bus.

Norm Stephens

Caro

WindTurbinesComparision_BySchindler

New wind energy resource for planning commissions; Michigan State University

Adverse Health Effects, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Turbines & Property Devalue

“I can’t enjoy outside anymore”

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Kory Feick is no longer able to work in her garden or spend much time outside because the wind turbines cause her severe nausea and headache.

“3.3 Motion sickness from oscillations
International ISO standard 9996:2000 defines motion sickness from exposure to actual or perceived oscillatory motion; “motion sickness is a commonly experienced and sometimes severe but reversible (i. e. physiological) disorder specifically associated with exposure to actual or perceived oscillatory motion in the frequency range 0,1 to 1 Hz. One or more of a constellation of symptoms (with or without frank vomiting) may affect the sufferer. ”……

Blade pass frequencies observed in spectrogram analysis at homes near the vicinity of the Golden West Wind Facility fall within 0.2 to 0.85 Hz, within the range associated to motion sickness.”

Preliminary Field Report 
Independent Infrasonic Investigations:
Vicinity of Golden West Wind Facility, El Paso County, CO

By Robert W. Rand, ASA, INCE
Rand Acoustics, Boulder
January 29, 2016

Summary

Differential acoustic pressure measurements were acquired and logged at three homes in the vicinity of the Golden West Wind Facility in El Paso County, Colorado during December 2015 and January 2016. A week of data was analyzed for each of the three homes and daily spectrograms produced which are attached. Each day’s data consisted of approximately 4.3 million differential pressure samples with a week comprised of some 30.5 million samples.

Preliminary investigation confirmed the presence of recurring acoustic pressure oscillations at 0.2 to 0.85 Hz (the “blade pass frequency” or BPF) which are associated to the Golden West wind turbine rotations. At times multiple oscillation frequencies were observed, consistent with multiple turbines operating at different rotation rates. Oscillations appeared to be more pronounced when the turbines are more upwind rather than downwind. Neighbors reported they are mostly downwind due to turbine location relative to home location and for the prevailing winds in the region.

Typical BPF total acoustic power were computed for example portions of the differential pressure data sets. Crest factors (the ratio of RMS to peak levels) were also computed for segments dominated by wind turbine rotation and uncontaminated by other noise, with typical crest factors of 13-19 dB. Totalized BPF RMS levels ranged from 56 to 70 dB re 20µPA, with peak levels from 71 to 89 dB. The RMS and peak levels are similar to those found at other sites with appeals to stop the noise, legal action, and homes abandoned.

It is understood from neighbors that they have experienced disturbance since the turbines started operating whereas prior to turbine operation there was no similar disturbance. It is understood that neighbors report improvement when turbines are shut down (not rotating) or when they remove themselves physically away from the Facility a distance of several miles.

El Paso County noise regulations define “Sound” as oscillations in pressure (or other physical parameter) at any frequency, and, prohibits noise disturbance due to acoustic oscillations.

The analysis is far from complete in that numerous segments of each day at each monitoring location could be analyzed and associated to journal entries and/or medical data. The reported association of proximity to the operating facility to disturbance in health and quality of life appears supported by the acoustic data acquired for this preliminary investigation. These preliminary investigations suggest that there is a condition of noise disturbance due to very low frequency acoustic pressure oscillations in the vicinity of the Golden West Wind Facility when it is operating, with more severe impacts downwind.

Source: Friends Against Wind

Adverse Health Effects, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise

Noise and sleep disturbance. What does the data show?

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HAF wind projectInteresting paper that challenges  the conclusions published using the data collected for a study concerning sleep disturbance and wind turbine noise from a wind project located in West Lincoln, Ontario.  Turbines up, documented acoustical environmental changes, sleep disturbances.  Does the data support and validate the conclusions published  in “The impact of psychological factors on self-reported sleep disturbance among people living in the vicinity of wind turbines,” by Leila Jalali, Mohammad-Reza Nezhad-Ahmadi, Mahmood Gohari, Philip Bigelow, & Stephen McColl, published in environmental research, volume 148, July 2016, 401–410″?   Not everyone agrees.

READ A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.12.022 

Adverse Health Effects, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Children Affected, Direct Effects, Fighting the NRWC Wind Project, Government Misrepresentation, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Property Rights

Niagara Wind Turbines & Battle for Rights

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1My project is the Niagara Region Wind, which consists of 77, 3.0 MW 124m height, plus the blade length which is 101m tip to tip. These turbines exceeds the span of a Boeing 747. In my backyard. I live in Haldimand County.

It is very hard to post everything about the projects, from noise, visual pollution, a community driven apart and divided, to human health, environmental health, the corruption uncovered, the rights you no longer have and the push backs from every single level of government there is. Not one single level of government will converse with you, they have a standard response they give to everyone.

I have one IWT 680m from my home, 417m to my property line. I have one 1022m from my home, another 1322m from my home and a transfer station is 900m to my home. Within 3km’s of my home there is at least 20+ turbines.

I live remotely, dead end street with 23 beautiful acres.
It’s a very different life. There is no more quiet space. There isn’t any quiet time anywhere. They are enormous, unsightly. Visually distracting, Visually disturbing, night and day. At night I have blinking red lights that penetrate our home.

I am on a prescription for vertigo, cabin pressure and motion sickness. This is a way of life I have never dreamed of living, nor thought would ever happen. This is MY new life, not chosen by me, but rammed down my throat by the incompetent greedy corrupt liberals. Yes, the prescription helps to lessen the symptoms and at times debilitating pain, but I am on a DRUG to remain in my home most days (forced out some days).

Let me explain something. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Both of which I do not medicate or take any scribe for. I manage with a healthy lifestyle and staying active. Now, in order to not be hospitalized for violent episodes of vertigo, balance loss and vomiting, I MUST remain on a prescription.

I can not convey my anger at this situation correctly. I can not convey to those who do not have turbines exactly what it is like to live with them. It is an experience that goes beyond ones ability to express correctly.

How do you tell people, the turbines haunt you 24/7. How do you explain to people the turbines and the IFS and LFS keep you awake all night.

I continue to battle for my rights. The same rights given to every Canadian and the same rights laid out in the constitution. But when you learn the GEA 2009 has over ridden rights, over ridden by-laws, abolished the MOECC, MNR rights and so on, you know you don’t live in Kansas anymore.

I am more than willing to discuss this on an ongoing basis.
Later I will post videos of the noise, the view from my living room and explain that as a mother how your FIGHT mode is triggered when a minor in your home is adversely affected. How you quietly retreat to your room to cry in overwhelming shame; Shame you can not provide a safe home for your family and yourself.

I truly am a different person than I was 7 months ago.

With each write to the government and agencies, I remind them I did not give up my rights, I did not consent to be a human trial project and their blatant disregard for human health will have consequences.

Lastly, I’d like to mention I have a fantastic Doctor. Most GP’s think its all in your head. My doctor understands LF’s and IFS. Due to the immense cabin pressure in my ears he acknowledges it’s time to start tracking nerve damage seeing as we are at the early stages, nerve damage which will cause hearing loss. I will be going for extensive hearing tests until further notice.
There is so much more to write….

Sandy Max,  Haldimand County
March 2017

Niagara Wind turbines came online November 2016: http://www.nrwf.ca/ 

Adverse Health Effects, Animals and turbines, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Ontario Wind

Noise from Wind Turbines cause residents to vacate their home

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adelaide wind turbineSuncor wind turbines located in Adelaide Metcalfe, Ontario have generated another documented case of residents forced to abandon their home due to wind turbine noise. The letter from James and Heather Dymond reaches out to Mayor and Council demanding they find a solution. If you are also impacted it is important no matter what they say or what you are told know this- you are not alone.  Please continue to speak up and send in your letters to those who are mandated to protect us.

February 15, 2016

I’m writing today to ask Adelaide Metcalfe council to find a solution to the issues surrounding Suncor wind turbines, that are causing us to have to vacate our house at night, as well as some days – since April 2015. We pay taxes to the township for a home that we can no longer enjoy. We have to leave at night to get a break from the incessant infrasound emitted from the turbines. It is a sound that one can feel more than hear.

I am suffering from nausea, vertigo, and at times extreme headaches, wherein I have to leave the house immediately to get any relief. I’ve spent countless hours in the searing sun in the summer, because I couldn’t stay in the house without feeling like vomiting. I am now on prescription meds for vertigo which I have never experienced before. The meds help somewhat, but don’t eliminate the problem. My work is livestock based on the property, and I have noticed negative effects on my livestock as well.

Suncor has been contacted, and has informed me that I am the only one with any problems and that the turbines are running within guidelines. We have not signed a contract with any wind company, yet are forced to live with the problems they create.

Since the family of Mary Ann Hendrikx has approximately six wind turbine contracts with Suncor, I have not included her on this email as it is a conflict of interest.

Sincerely,
James Dymond

Cost Benefit, Environment, Green Energy, Health effects from wind turbines, Property Rights

There is good money and there is bad

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siemens-indiana-672x372To the Editor:

The proposed industrial wind turbine “farm” is not welcomed by the majority of the people. It will inhibit our view of the sky, cause health problems for people and animals, and cost this community, and surrounding communities a fortune in lost property values and revenue.

At a recent town hall meeting in Hopkinton, one of the contract holders stated, “Where is National Grid based?” This was in response to the issue of Iberdrola being out of Spain. Well, this was the most pathetic attempt at drawing a parallel that I’ve heard, so far.

Dear Mr. Contract Holder, National Grid does not require me to erect anything on my property that robs my neighbors of their health and property values. National Grid does not sneak into our community, like a snake in the grass, to pit me against my neighbors to further their subsidy mining. National Grid is providing a necessary evil, I’d love to be off grid.

I could go on, but I want to tell you about the woman who spoke before him. She stood up to tell us how she needed this contract to pay her taxes. Her tax burden was too heavy. She went on to talk about how the house across the road from her had been on the market for three years and hadn’t sold.

Maybe it’s because her property, directly across the road is contracted to house industrial wind turbines? And that’s part of disclosure to potential buyers. Could she possibly have her Iberdrola blinders on too tight? There are a lot of elderly people in our community. They will be passing on, who’s going to buy their properties with industrial wind turbines hulking over them? And you, Mr. and Mrs. contract holder, what if no one wants to buy or inherit your property when you pass on. God willing, my husband and I will be alive for another 50 years or more.

We don’t want to deal with your shortsightedness. Some of you are very near the end of your lives, at least statistically. When you’re gone, people will either lament your passing, or want to forget what you did to our community. Will your families want to be associated with the so and so’s of Hopkinton/Parishville, who destroyed the quality of life for an entire community, to make a buck?

Finally I’d like to state that we don’t hate people for their mistakes, and implore the same from you. If you’re a contract holder, you have most assuredly made a mistake. Iberdrola is a $44 billion company. Blindsided, you were no match for them. It’s a mistake we may have made, if we were in your shoes. We have seven children, five still living at home. Money is important, and fun! But there’s good money and bad money.

Whether God allows this project to come to completion or not, all of us need to put our differences on this matter aside and rise above the mess that Iberdrola has brought to our community.

Jim and Angela Spear

Parishville, New York

Published- North County Now– March 16, 2017:  http://northcountrynow.com/letters/opinion-put-differences-aside-wind-tower-matter-say-parishville-couple-0194077

Adverse Health Effects, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise

STOP the CAW Wind Turbine

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unifor wind turbine aCouncil Deputation – March 13, 2017

Council thank you for the opportunity to once again speak on behalf of the local residents’ advocacy group S.T.O.P. whose resident members continue to be tortured, and I don’t use that word lightly, in their homes and on their properties by the audible and inaudible emissions from Unifor’s for profit wind turbine. Tonite you will consider a motion to conduct testing of the noise compliance of this turbine at the same time as Unifor’s upcoming test.

This 35 story industrial machine located in the cottage resort area of Gobles Grove has no noise safety setbacks to homes as do virtually all turbines in Ontario. After record numbers of noise and health complaints and recognizing the failure of approving this machine in this neighbourhood so close to homes, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change actually changed its laws making this Unifor turbine illegal to build today without the 550 m noise safety setback to surrounding homes.

Besides no setback protection the MOECC allowed this Gobles Grove cottage residential area to be incorrectly classified as urban, like downtown Toronto, while their own measurements showed nighttime background noise levels the same as would be found on local farms. This incorrect urban vs rural label allowed the Unifor wind turbine to emit much louder levels of noise than allowed by turbines in the country and without the setback protection.

Saugeen Shores residents have the perfect storm. Nights as quite as those on farms but being exposed to 45 dB city noise levels much louder than the 40 dB of rural residents. And living without the 550 m sound reducing setbacks for their homes.

Despite residents demonstrating evidence of harm and the municipality calling for the turbine to cease operating, the Unifor wind turbine has been allowed to operate four years without ever even being officially tested for legal noise compliance.

Further salt in the affected residents’ wounds is the fact that the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change’s Wind Turbine Approvals Director, the head of the noise police, promised the town and residents in writing on approving the turbine, that the turbine would be tested for noise compliance during its first two years of operations. Then CAW president Ken Lewenza did the same going even further to allay residents’ fears by promising open sharing of this required noise testing.

There are now approximately 350 official complaints filed with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change( MOECC ). Numerous noise tests showing apparent non compliant readings have been conducted by Unifor staff and by MOECC field staff using the same hand held noise meter.

On April 27, 28, 29 in 2014 the CAW’s acoustic engineer Martin Ince set up to perform the required Section D audit noise test in full knowledge of the MOECC. On April 27 at 10 pm within 15 minutes of the turbine test start up the engineer recorded a maximum allowable noise level of 45 dB for 20 minutes. The next night at the same time with the wind blowing at 1 m/sec or just 3.6 km/hr faster than the previous night, the CAW engineer measured 57 dB for 20 minutes with peaks of 74 dB. On both nights the test was called off due to call in complaints. Residents obtained these facts from a 2,000 page Freedom of Information search as all requests for noise test data from our own MOECC local office was refused. Unifor have refused to do any further official noise audit compliance testing since those two nights in April 2014.

The MOECC now informs the community that Jade Acoustics, Unifor’s acoustic engineering company used in the CAW OMB hearing to oppose the town has been hired to do a Section D audit test this spring. Will it be done before noise interfering leaves appear on trees? No one yet knows.

Jade Acoustics have been doing “pre audit testing“ according to MOECC for the past year and have reported to the MOECC no good data was measured in this extensive period due to poor wind conditions and that further testing would have to occur in spring 2017.

The upcoming noise audit tests are long awaited by the community and the municipality. Given the four year history of noise impacts on residents these tests must be done with the utmost in community co operation, integrity, openness and utilizing the latest in noise testing equipment and methods.

After being denied the results of noise compliance testing for 4 years the residents trust has been broken. We are looking to the municipality to perform independent, parallel audit noise testing at the same time as Unifor. This simultaneous joint testing has been done on other wind energy projects most notably the Shirley Wisconsin project where 4 separate testers co operated to obtain and share results.

The benefit to all parties is the trust created that assures the integrity of the noise compliance measurements collected. All parties will benefit by knowing all the collected data will be evaluated for compliance to government standards. The local MOECC office has voiced no objection to parallel testing. There are no guarantees that weather conditions will occur to measure the highest noise levels possible during the test period. Measurements meeting the test criterion in the period will be used to determine conformity.

The MOECC criterion of choosing a tester is that they be experienced at noise testing. This tester could be an engineering company or an individual both of whom would need be familiar and capable of performing the test according to the MOECC protocol. The cost can range from $12,000 upwards depending on the tester with the determinant factors being the agreed upon duration of the test and number of locations tested. In 2014 Saugeen Shores residents used an environmental engineering company to test 3 homes for 3 weeks charging less than $15,000.

S.T.O.P. will undertake to share information with staff on testing entities as well as discuss cost sharing in excess of amounts already allocated. We will endeavour to obtain our members’ approvals to test on their properties. Assuming council approves the initiative it is our hope that staff discussions with Unifor to conduct parallel testing will lead to a transparent effort to establish noise level compliance.

Thank you,
S.T.O.P. ( Saugeen Shores Turbine Operation Policy )

caw shame on you

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoptheCawWindTurbine/ 

Adverse Health Effects, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Property Rights, Protecting our children

Saugeen Shores Turbine Noise Testing

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unifor wind turbineThe Unifor wind turbine continues to generate ongoing noise complaints and the residents are fed up with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change failure to act. 100’s of complaints and counting. The industrial wind turbine is located adjacent to at least 100 homes within 550 metres of proximity and no independent third party noise audit completed to date.  Turbines and their noise do not make good neighbours.

Saugeen Shores wind turbine testing

Credit:  By Jordan MacKinnon | Blackburn News | March 14, 2017 | blackburnnews.com ~~

Saugeen Shores council is once again taking aim at the Unifor wind turbine.

Council passed a resolution seeking to hire a third-party to conduct parallel testing when the union carries out an acoustic audit this spring of its wind turbine, located at its family education centre at the south end of Port Elgin.

Mayor Mike Smith says there’s ongoing frustration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change over inaction toward the turbine, pointing hundreds of complaints have been filed and preliminary data suggests the turbine has operated outside of its noise regulations in the past.

The acoustic audit of the Unifor wind turbine had been slated to be completed last year, but was delayed on several occasions and is now scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

Smith says they are fed up with the Ministry of Environment.

The delays in completing the acoustic audit prompted Saugeen Shores council to file a complaint with the Ontario Ombudsman’s office this past October and Smith says he recently received confirmation that the ombudsman is still investigating the complaint.

About 100 homes and cottages are located within the 550-metre setback typically required for industrial wind turbines.

READ AT: http://blackburnnews.com/midwestern-ontario/midwestern-ontario-news/2017/03/14/saugeen-shores-wind-turbine-testing/