“Do Wind Turbines Make People Sick?”
Is Now a Rhetorical Question (Part II)
By Sherri Lange
Excerpts and reflections from the letter from NA-PAW (North American Platform Against Wind Power) to Sound and Vibration, continued:
Steven Cooper’s now famous 7 questions, one more important question: where is the cost benefit analysis?
It was the first time a wind developer, Pacific Hydro, had cooperated to turn off turbines in order to provide a blind study. Residents living between 650 meters and 1.6 km of the turbines were asked to document effects, headaches, pressure, ringing ears, heart racing, or sensations of “heaviness.”
When the results were tabulated with overwhelming and clear evidence of the cause of their sensations, victims quickly expressed relief: more study of the residents’ experiences at the Cape Bridgewater survey site, can be viewed here.
“It is an absolute relief, like an epiphany to have him (Mr Cooper) say I was not crazy (that) when I am doing the dishes I feel nausea and have to get out of the house.”
“Another participant, Jo Kermond, said the findings had been ‘both disturbing and confirmation of the level of severity we were and are enduring while being ridiculed by our own community and society’.”
Later, Mr. Cooper advised NA-PAW of seven questions that might help communities avoid industrial energy complexes. We added our own, question eight.
Questions to ask developers and policy makers:
The authors of your piece invite questions for further study. We offer these questions from Mr. Cooper and one from ourselves: Questions to ask developers and policy makers. We find these to be germinal. These are the questions we would ask to protect communities.
Question One: Please provide the studies upon which the wind turbine project guidelines have been developed.
Question Two: Please identify the noise source(s) that have been used in the studies related to question one.
Question Three: Please provide the dose-response data related to wind turbines and installations upon which the guidelines/acoustic criteria are based.
Question Four: The most common complaint from residents relates to sleep disturbance. Please provide the studies on wind turbine installation noise that identify the noise level (in any relevant acoustic index) that gives rise to sleep disturbance.
Question Five: Please provide the studies of wind turbine noise that identify the noise level (in any relevant acoustic index) that will not give rise to sleep disturbance.
Question Six: Please provide the studies of wind installation noise that identify the noise level that will protect the acoustic amenity of residents in proximity to wind factories/farms.
Question Seven: In light of the above, please identify who would be liable for the consequences of adverse impacts arising from the operation of wind turbines/installations, in any Class Action for a wind turbine installation satisfying permit conditions imposed by…..
Question Eight from NA-PAW: Where are the feasibility studies, and where is the cost benefit/performance study?
This industry has long touted “social benefits,” benefits to the environment, and to long term world health, while admittedly having to break a few eggs. It has never provided answers to the Cooper and other questions, nor provided regular expected safety checks as required of other industries, nor suitable compliance testing, nor even the admission of the uniqueness of wind turbine “sounds, ILFN and pressures.” Just more convenient denial. Repeating something a thousand times does not make it so: enter the difficulty of real people, reporting real time symptoms and grief. Many, daily, for years.
Here is the full North American Platform Against Wind Power letter to S and V (Sound and Vibration)
Thank you for posting this Sherri. And- this does not mention the shadow flicker, known to drive many people out of their homes permanently, unable to escape the visual assault. Sadly, the wind industry DOES NOT CARE. Their only motivation is financial, and they will do whatever it takes to “money grab”, then sell the project and move on to the next victim community. As long as they have the money and people continue to choose to believe the symbolic, feel good lies of the industry, as long as the wind developers have political power, as long as our federal government is allowed to dole out our tax dollars like penny candy, THIS HEINOUS INJUSTICE WILL CONTINUE.