Recent developments on wind turbine noise and health

Source: Stockyardhill Community Guardians | Australia, Health, Newsletters, Noise

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Our understanding of the clinical patterns of illness and the acoustics of wind turbine noise has increased significantly over the last year.

We now understand that much of the pathology being reported by residents is related to chronic sleep deprivation and chronic physiological stress, in addition to the vestibular disorder symptoms which have been called “wind turbine syndrome” and include nausea, vertigo, balance disorders, ear pressure, and headaches.

Recent work by Professor Con Doolan at Waterloo wind development in South Australia has shown that episodes of “annoyance” which included some of the symptoms above, are DIRECTLY correlating with particular low frequencies at certain “doses” of sound energy. This is evidence of a direct causal relationship.

Unfortunately despite the residents in these acoustic surveys being very clear that these symptoms were correlating with operating wind turbines, because the wind developer TRU Energy (now Energy Australia) refused to cooperate with Professor Con Doolan he could not definitively determine that the noise frequencies being measured came from the wind turbines and not from some other source.

A recent literature review conducted by two public health medical practitioners in Ontario has found that not one of the peer reviewed published studies showed NO effect from the wind turbines – in other words, all the studies showed there WAS an effect on “human distress” which included sleep deprivation. Three of the studies showed a dose response effect, and the studies by Dr Michael Nissenbaum and Dr Daniel Shepherd were both described as being of excellent or robust quality.

In the Australian Cherry Tree case currently before VCAT, the two commissioners made some remarks on Wednesday 6th March, 2013, which included the following:

“The Tribunal finds itself in a position where there is some direct evidence and much anecdotal evidence that people living in proximity to wind farms experience deleterious health effects, and those effects are of the same type, being sleep disturbance, increased anxiety, headaches, and pressure at the base of the neck. There is clearly an association between wind farms and the symptoms that have been described. The question is whether there is a causal link.”

Professor Con Doolan’s unique research has shown evidence of a direct causal link, between sound energies and symptoms, and it is research of this type, directly in the field measuring the sound energy present at the same time as symptoms are being recorded, which is so desperately needed to identify why some people out to 10km from larger wind turbines are getting the characteristic body vibrations and distressing sleep disturbance, which we know is so damaging for long term health.

Origin Energy; Disrespect, Divide and Damage.

Stockyardhill Community Guardians Newsletter #1 March 2013 [part 3]
syhcg@bigpond.com
PO BOX 55, SKIPTON 3361
www.stopthesethings.com.au

Stockyardhill Community Guardians is a volunteer group representing over 100 local members that share grave concerns regarding the Stockyardhill Wind Farm development. Established 6 years ago, the group focuses on empowering people with independent information that is not wind industry funded, in order to be able to make educated decisions and remain community orientated. The Stockyardhill Community Guardians joins the global network that is fighting for justice, independent health research and fairer outcomes for rural people regarding wind industrialisation of regional areas.

BE INFORMED & EDUCATED. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. WATCH THIS SPACE.

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