Category Archives: Health

Adverse Health Effects, Children Affected, Direct Effects, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Ontario Wind

Medical Officer of Health- Authority to Stop Noxious Wind Turbines in Question

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Medical Officer of Health does not have the authority to stop noxious wind turbines

Posted on 05/16/2017

Just in case we thought the wind turbines would be ordered to be mitigated or shut down  if health problems were noticed in the Huron County Health study – nope that’s not gonna happen. Read the correspondence below and you will realize that it is all just ‘process’, with no action to ‘correct’ on the horizon. Basically more people are just being used as test subjects. That’s it. And that’s flat out unacceptable.

Thanks to Richard Mann, Associate Professor  Department of Computer Science; University of Waterloo for this.

From: Erica Clark
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2017 3:44 PM
Subject: Ability of MOH to write orders against wind turbines under section 13 of HPPA

Hello,

One of the issues the University of Waterloo ethics committee asked us to address was the hope residents had that, at some time, the Medical Officer of Health would be able to write an order curtailing or shutting down the wind turbines. We had already stated in the recruitment materials that the study would not generate sufficient evidence to prove wind turbines cause health problems (establishing causality) but the ethics committee questioned whether we were providing enough information on the limits of the Medical Officer of Health’s authority. To address that concern, we have spoken with individuals experienced in interpreting the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) specifically, sections 11 (investigating health hazards) and 13 (writing orders). They provided us with the attached documents that outline the limits on the MOH’s authority to write orders.

The first document (Pelletier v Northwestern Health Unit) is the proceedings from an Ontario Health Services Appeal and Review Board and the second (Court File 2006-01-04) is a judicial review of the appeal hearing by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Essentially, these documents state that when the Legislature places the authority to regulate with one organization, such as municipal councils or the Ministry of the Environment, the courts do not accept that there was an intention to give the same authority to the MOH under section 13 of the HPPA. The rulings were made when the Northwestern Health Unit MOH wrote orders prohibiting exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (second hand smoke) in several bars and restaurants. At the time the orders were written, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was (and still is) deemed a health hazard.

Since the Legislature assigned the duty to regulate wind turbines to the Ministry of the Environment and not the health units, the courts will not recognize the authority of the MOH under section 13 of the HPPA to write an order curtailing or shutting down the wind turbines.

I will be putting these documents on the health unit website soon, however, I wanted you to have a chance to read them first. The documents are publicly available at

Thanks

Erica

____________________________________
Erica Clark, PhD
Epidemiologist, APHEO Secretary
Huron County Health Unit
77722B London Rd., RR #5
Clinton, ON N0M 1L0
519.482.3416 ext. 2022
Toll-free 1.877.837.6143
http://www.huronhealthunit.ca
eclark@huroncounty.ca

Reposted from: Ontario Wind Resistance

Adverse Health Effects, Health, Noise, Ontario Wind

Catching The Breeze. The Local Sound Experience

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MAWT Logo Narrow

&  WLGWAG logo

Would like to welcome all residents to an action packed community meeting.

Catching The Breeze

The Local Sound Experience

Sounds that you cannot hear and their risk of health effects on the human body

Guest Speaker:  Mr. Andy Metelka

President/Acoustics Expert of

Sound & Vibration Solutions Canada Inc.

Thursday, May 18, 2017  Doors open @ 6:30pm

Covenant Christian School, Gymnasium, 6470 Niagara Reg Rd 14, Smithville, ON  L0R 2A0

Exhibits with valuable resources & information

Refreshments  

Connect & reconnect with neighbours

wind energy 1

 May 18, 2017 The Local Sound Experience

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Wind Turbines Never Considered in Property Assessment

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Dave Hemingway of Huron County has been battling the powers that be over impacts of wind turbines in relationship to his property’s assessment.  His ongoing battle has taken years and has hit many roadblocks.  One major barrier he claims is the failure of  MPAC to consider impacts of wind facility infrastructure by instructing its assessors not to consider how close the wind turbines  are when making an assessment.

MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation)  has continued to hold fast to its official line that industrial wind turbines have no measureable impacts on the values for properties in close proximity to wind turbines. It uses several reports to bolster its current stance.

image

Huron Resident Wants Turbines Considered In His Property Assessment

BY MAY 4, 2017 4:14AM

A Goderich Township residents says a hearing over his right to challenge his assessment that has gone on for about six years, could have been resolved much sooner.

Dave Hemmingway outlined his position Wednesday at a hearing in Clinton.

He said his main contentions include the fact that proximity to wind turbines was never considered in his assessment.

Hemmingway added he has recorded testimony that assessment officers were specifically told not to consider proximity to wind turbines.  He also contends that assessment officers did not have the proper training to do their jobs.

Hemmingway questioned the legality of much of the written material turned over by MPAC because there is no signature on it.  He also stated the chair of one board actually signed a document six months after she had left the board.

Following the Clinton hearing, Hemmingway said he doesn’t know when he’ll get a ruling.

READ ARTICLE

Adverse Health Effects, Direct Effects, fighting big wind., Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Shadow Flicker, Turbines & Property Devalue

Shadow Flicker

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You have to see it to believe it.  You have to see it to understand the intrusive severe nature of trespass for residents whose homes are now adjacent to industrial wind turbines.  You have to see it to gain an idea of the damaging effects of being exposed to strobing shadow flicker in the most private of places your home.

““As it stands, shadow flicker is annoying and annoyance is a serious health issue under the World Health Organization.”

Wind facilities are NOT good neighbours.

Dashwood couple’s problem with shadow flicker raises ire

By Lynda Hillman-Rapley, Postmedia Network

Friday, May 5, 2017 5:06:39 EDT PM

Matt Metzgar’s video has gone viral.

Filmed April 28 and then uploaded, the video of the shadow flicker his parents live with at their RR 1, Dashwood home has been viewed over 44,000 times and has been shared 740 times.

Metzgar filmed and then shared the video to draw attention to the conditions in which his parents have had to endure from a nearby wind turbine. The turbine is placed 667 metres away from their home, but the shadows from the rotating blades reach their home on County Rd. 83 in Huron County.

“Most people admire a beautiful sunset, my parents not so much,” Metzgar says in the video.

The video has drawn comments from around the globe, but more importantly for Metzgar, it’s also drawn the attention of Northland Power, which owns and operates that wind turbine and others. Northland has promised to investigate, and has even offered to provide some blinds for the occupants “until a permanent solution” can be found.

The senior Metzgar have lived with the flicker problem – without complaint – since the turbine became operational in 2016. They didn’t want to be interviewed about the situation.

But their son believes the flicker needs to be corrected. Indeed, he said his parents can’t watch television without their viewing being interfered by the movement of the turbine blades.

“My parents have never been complainers,” Metzgar said. “And they don’t wish to be seen as such. They don’t have any hope that complaining will get them any results. I, however, have heard them mention the shadow flicker numerous times but never experienced it until last month. I was under the impression that the flicker is the same as what I’m experiencing at my home. That flicker lasts for about 45 minutes, and since we are not using the east part of my house in the morning for prolonged times, I just took notice of their complaints and never thought it was this extreme.”

READ REST OF ARTICLE

Adverse Health Effects, Children Affected, Health, Noise, Ontario Wind

No One Should Have to Suffer

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MPP Lisa Thompson called upon Minister of Environment to meet family adversely impacted by wind turbine noise. She calls out new  Ontario Noise Guidelines for Industrial Wind Turbines as failing to “cut it” by not taking into account tonal qualities  of exposure in a home.  Facts matter.  No ONE should have to suffer.

Adverse Health Effects, fighting big wind., Green Energy, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Ireland Wind, legal challenges

Damages & Costs for families forced to abandoned their homes

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Ireland’s wind industry has been put on notice.  Damages and costs will be decided for the families adversely harmed by the noise emitted from wind turbines.  The implications for the industry will no doubt reverberate worldwide. (Read prior court ruling by following link below)

Enercon Admits Liability in High Court Ireland

Court Case Has “Serious Implications” For Wind Farms – Local Campaigner

The future of wind farms in Ireland could be called into question this week.

Seven families from Cork, who claim they had to leave their homes five years ago due to noise levels, will have damages and costs decided by the High Court tomorrow.

It is the first action of its kind in this country and may open industrial wind developers to further legal challenges.

Laois woman Paula Byrne, PRO of Wind Aware Ireland, outlines the significance of the case.

Listen here: http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/court-case-serious-implications-wind-farms-local-campaigner/

enercon turbines

Adverse Health Effects, Direct Effects, Health, Noise

Study first to demonstrate infrasound near hearing range may induce brain changes

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Altered cortical and subcortical connectivity due to infrasound administered near the hearing threshold – Evidence from fMRI

PLOS

  • Published: April 12, 2017
  • https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174420

    Abstract

    In the present study, the brain’s response towards near- and supra-threshold infrasound (IS) stimulation (sound frequency < 20 Hz) was investigated under resting-state fMRI conditions. The study involved two consecutive sessions. In the first session, 14 healthy participants underwent a hearing threshold—as well as a categorical loudness scaling measurement in which the individual loudness perception for IS was assessed across different sound pressure levels (SPL). In the second session, these participants underwent three resting-state acquisitions, one without auditory stimulation (no-tone), one with a monaurally presented 12-Hz IS tone (near-threshold) and one with a similar tone above the individual hearing threshold corresponding to a ‘medium loud’ hearing sensation (supra-threshold). Data analysis mainly focused on local connectivity measures by means of regional homogeneity (ReHo), but also involved independent component analysis (ICA) to investigate inter-regional connectivity. ReHo analysis revealed significantly higher local connectivity in right superior temporal gyrus (STG) adjacent to primary auditory cortex, in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and, when allowing smaller cluster sizes, also in the right amygdala (rAmyg) during the near-threshold, compared to both the supra-threshold and the no-tone condition. Additional independent component analysis (ICA) revealed large-scale changes of functional connectivity, reflected in a stronger activation of the right amygdala (rAmyg) in the opposite contrast (no-tone > near-threshold) as well as the right superior frontal gyrus (rSFG) during the near-threshold condition. In summary, this study is the first to demonstrate that infrasound near the hearing threshold may induce changes of neural activity across several brain regions, some of which are known to be involved in auditory processing, while others are regarded as keyplayers in emotional and autonomic control. These findings thus allow us to speculate on how continuous exposure to (sub-)liminal IS could exert a pathogenic influence on the organism, yet further (especially longitudinal) studies are required in order to substantialize these findings.

    journal.pone.0174420.g002

Adverse Health Effects, Destruction from turbines, Direct Effects, fighting big wind., Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Ontario Wind

Shut them down! Turbines Exceed Noise Regulations

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Ontario has had years to respond to the knowledge that industrial wind turbines are exceeding noise limits. Regulations that the wind industry lobbied for.

In Huron-Bruce county residents continue to battle government to enforce existing regulations to protect and preserve health from intrusive noise of industrial wind turbines.  The document below is just one example of many submitted to Ontario from adversely impacted residents:

The pressure continues to mount on the MOECC (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change). The turbines are emitting noise above regulated limits with tonal qualities. Ontario on their own admission and as on the public record- will use the ‘law’ to enforce protections.  Do the right thing.

SHUT DOWN THE TURBINES NOW!

Tests Find Some Huron Bruce Turbines Exceed Noise Regulations

BY APRIL 12, 2017 4:18PM

The MPP for Huron Bruce has called on the province to shut down all industrial wind turbines that fail to comply with noise regulations.

Lisa Thompson says test results released April 7 indicate that the noise levels of turbines near two Huron Bruce residences exceed Ministry of Environment noise guidelines.

The results also acknowledged the possibility that tonal noises are being produced.

However, instead of agreeing to shut down the turbines, Environment Minister Glen Murray claimed the law is being enforced and complaints are being dealt with quickly.

“It has taken two years get these results. The next round of testing could take at least another year and a half,” says Thompson. “I don’t know what this minister thinks quick means, but suffering for three and a half years before anything gets done doesn’t sound quick to me.”

“The Black and Stachura families as well as other families across Ontario have been suffering for far too long from the impacts of IWTs which were built too close to their homes.” said Thompson. “The Minister needs to acknowledge the test results and once and for all do right by the people of Ontario affected by industrial wind turbines.”

She calls on the Minister to acknowledge the test results, and do the right thing.

READ AT: http://blackburnnews.com/midwestern-ontario/midwestern-ontario-news/2017/04/12/tests-find-huron-bruce-turbines-exceed-noise-regulations/

Adverse Health Effects, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Environment, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Turbines & Property Devalue, world Health Organization

8 years later, nothing has changed.

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ontariwoe's avatarontario wind turbines

 

The following is a letter to the Standing Committee on the Green Energy and Economy Act in back in April, 2009. It could have been written a month ago. Clearly the “Economy” target of the Liberals Act took precedence over health and safety as billions have been funneled out of the tax coffers to the owners of these projects. Thousands of complaints have been suppressed. Untold number of families have been impacted. Most irreparably.

“The windmills started up at the end of November/early December 2008 and it was only after they started them up full time that we started having problems. They were so loud we could not sleep. It was aggravating and exhausting. The one closest to us is 456 metres behind us to the west and the next is just less than 700 metres to the east. We can hear them equally well and they cause terrible noise…

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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