October 17, 2007
France
France
Is the wind turning for turbines? The Finistère prefecture decided to halt the operation of the Plouvien (Finistère) wind energy park. Reason: the operator, Nuevas Energias de Occidente (NEO), hasn’t acted on noise measures in the prescribed time.
At the end of September, the administration addressed a demand to the operator, giving them three weeks to begin its measures. NEO indicated that a study office had been established. But nothing more was done. “We are waiting for a window of favorable weather”, said a representative of the operator at the end of last week.
Obviously, the authorities are showing more sensitivity to complaints of sound nuisance from wind turbine neighbors. Recently, the operator of wind turbines in Cast, as in Finistère, had to halt operations at night by order of the prefecture.
The prefecture had demanded the operator to proceed with studies and measures. But that was not, it appears, sufficient to reduce the sound nuisance.
The Plouvien wind energy park has been operating since last June. Even if the prefecture claims there is no link, the decision to stop takes effect immediately after an unexpected incident last Thursday. One of the turbines lost an inspection door 50 cm in diameter and weighing 5 kg. It fell from a height of 70 meters, not far from a hunter.
Ouest-France
17 octobre 2007
[translation by National Wind Watch]
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/17/prefecture-stops-wind-turbines/