May 11, 2012
Australia, Letters

Test for bad vibrations

The Australian, 11 May 2012

Kane Thornton (“Anti-wind farm blowhards threaten rural incomes”, 9/5) should persuade the large energy companies to properly assess the noise pollution which their wind turbines emit, rather than denigrating rural residents and others who are concerned about the growing number of “wind farm refugees”, driven out by noise and vibration.

Infrasound and low-frequency noise from any source have long been known to be unhealthy if the exposure is long enough and the dose high enough. A court in Ontario last year found that wind turbines can cause health problems if turbines are too close to homes.

Why do wind developers and regulatory authorities refuse to conduct full sound spectrum acoustic monitoring, including frequencies below 200Hz, measured inside homes?

This is not about liking wind turbines or about political allegiances. It is about noise pollution, which needs to be properly measured and regulated to protect human health and about well-informed planning laws, so that structures do not cause a noise nuisance to neighbours.

Sarah Laurie, South Melbourne, Vic


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/11/test-for-bad-vibrations/