Island family abandons home because of wind farm
Dwayne Bailey has some simple advice for Gulf Shore residents fighting a proposed wind farm in their area, don’t give up the fight because they may regret the consequences.
Bailey recently abandoned his Elmira, P.E.I., home because noise from a nearby wind farm was becoming intolerable. It kept the family awake at night and impacted their health with headaches and vision problems.
“Don’t let them put up the windfarm, it’s way too close to the houses. It chased us out of our house and it could happen to someone else. We didn’t have much a choice and it resulted in us leaving our home,” Bailey said, adding his parents also abandoned their home.
The nearest turbine to Bailey’s former home is about a kilometre away. Still, the noise generated was similar to a washing machine whose load is off to one side. He said it also sounded like the propellor of a small aircraft.
Gulf Shore residents are fighting a proposed development by Atlantic Wind Power Corporation that will see between 20 and 27 100-metre high turbines constructed between the Gulf Shore Road and the Irishtown Road.
“It was not pleasant living there,” said Bailey, who moved his family to another home 25 kilometres aways. “They’re very loud. You could hear them over the cars on the road or if you’re having a conversation with someone.”
The P.E.I. Energy Corporation responded to Bailey’s complaints last winter by hiring Jacques Whitford to assess the wind farm noise level. Bailey has been told of the study’s results but isn’t buying the findings because he thinks the testing was flawed.
Corporation CEO Wayne MacQuarrie did not respond to a call for comment.
By Darrell Cole
13 July 2007
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Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
