May 18, 2007
Letters, U.K.

Wary of claims made by turbine promoters

I am compelled to challenge statements made by David Taylor of Novera Energy (Review, April 19).

As an HSE consultant and householder in the area, I am very concerned at Novera Energy’s lack of transparency.

That a 360o noise survey has been conducted is misleading. Readings were taken over a short period from only four points, two of which were upwind of the prevailing wind; one which was sheltered on the downwind edge of Rossie Wood and suffered exceptional background noise due to heavy excavations and one which was more than a kilometer distant and which belongs to a land owner named on the planning application.

Besides the apparent inadequacy of the survey, it appears no seismic testing has been done. This testing is necessary to ascertain the noise levels transmitted through bedrock which at Rossie is only a few inches below the surface.

Noise can be amplified by geological strata and carry long distance. There are many instances worldwide of moat construction around wind-farm sites, filled with water, designed to attenuate/change generated frequencies.

Novera Energy will not comment on their intentions to monitor noise post-installation of the turbines.

Legislation which governs noise from wind farms is far less rigorous than that which regulates say, “workshop noise”, is outdated, being based upon older smaller turbines and is toothless – being both imprecise and unenforceable.

Thus we have situations such as Mrs Davis’s ( Review, April 19) where noise peaks of 60Db+ are tolerated under this government preferred recommendation.

I wish to review the noise survey in detail but, despite several requests to Novera Energy to supply me with data obtained by their “independent” assessors, they have ignored my pleas entirely, not even having the courtesy to acknowledge receipt of any of my correspondence.

Novera Energy continue to make magnanimous statements as to the care and attention they are giving the local populace and environment and I am concerned that the public are being fooled by how “green” and “serene” turbines are.

By all means, we should spend money to save the environment, but not on inefficient wind energy that simply lines developers’ pockets whilst destroying the local environment.

Yours etc
Roy A Napier
The Cairt Shed
Mountboy Steadings
Montrose

montrosereview.co.uk

3 May 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/05/18/wary-of-claims-made-by-turbine-promoters/