Reject wind turbine proposal
Bourne Courier, www.wickedlocal.com 3 December 2010
I live on Mirasol Drive in Bourne, approximately 1,200 feet away from one of the seven 492-foot turbines proposed for Bourne by New Generation Wind. As a tax-paying resident and a member of the Citizens for Responsible Wind Energy, I strongly oppose the project as it is currently proposed.
Our group supports renewable energy, supports efforts to control Global Warming, and the need for Bourne to build a broader economic base. We, however, advocate for a responsible approach based on scientific data, not based on public policy.
Responsible would be to consult scientific studies in Europe that link industrial wind turbine noise to annoyance, stress, and sleep disturbance at levels of 35 dBA to 40 dBA; New Generation Wind expects noise levels at people’s properties of up to 54 dBA. The human ear will experience that noise level as roughly three to four times as loud.
Responsible would be to adhere to guidelines for community noise developed by the World Health Organization. To avoid adverse health effects from sleep disturbance, the World Health Organization recommends that noise levels at night time be kept below 35 to 40 dBA, not 54 dBA.
Responsible would be to follow settled medical science that concludes that annoyance, stress, and sleep disturbance have very significant negative impacts on human health, ranging from headaches and migraines to vertigo, dizziness, and tinnitus. Recent scientific research from a pilot study in Maine found people exposed to wind turbine noise suffering from headaches, sleep deprivation, stress, anger, depression and a reduced quality of life.
Responsible would be to support the Cape Cod Commission Staff in its conclusions outlined in its report from Nov. 15, 2010. While the Cape Cod Commission has no standards for Wind Turbine Noise, the staff concluded that the project violates several minimum performance standards, including open space requirements.
Our opposition to this project has nothing to do with opposition to green technology or the economic development of the town of Bourne. Unfortunately, however, the proposed project to install seven 492 ft tall Wind Turbines within 800 ft of residences does not meet any of the criteria for responsible siting of wind turbines. This project is probably one of the most irresponsible proposals ever submitted for Cape Cod. We therefore must reject the project in its current form.
Hendrik Luecke
Bourne
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/12/03/reject-wind-turbine-proposal/