Wind farm opposition not just about scenery
Kokomo Tribune | Dec. 18, 2012 | kokomotribune.com
Recent comments from area farmers would seem to imply that opponents of the Prairie Breeze Wind Farm are only concerned about the pretty picture outside our windows.
Such comments trivialize the very real concerns of residents in the wind farm zone.
Will we be able to sleep at night with lights flashing outside our windows?
Will we suffer health issues like those reported by others living in wind farms?
Will our local volunteer fire departments be able to control a fire if a wind turbine ignites, as they sometimes do?
Will an emergency medical helicopter be able to land in the wind farm area for a serious auto accident?
Will weather radar indicate storms accurately in our area if the turbines cause distortion?
Will we be able to watch television, listen to the radio or use our cell phones. The National Association of Broadcasters say that will be a problem for some.
Will those driving in the area be so distracted by looking up at the wind turbines they fail to see a child riding a bike, a farmer loading his grain or a stop sign?
If we decide we can’t take it anymore, will we be able sell our house – the largest financial investment most of us have ever made? Or will we find no one else who wants to live here? If those who are pro-wind farm learned they could lose 25 percent, 50 percent or all of their financial investment, I’m sure they would come up for air as well.
If the Prairie Breeze Wind Farm is going to be so wonderful for Tipton County, why haven’t we heard about it before the past three weeks? Why weren’t supporters shouting it from the rooftops three or four years ago, when they first started signing their land leases with juwi? I would think they would be proud of this contribution to the community.
Should we not be suspicious when a project with such a major impact on our community is kept under wraps for years, only to become public within a few weeks of its finalization – the few weeks leading up to Christmas, when most of us are busy?
The impact of the U.S. 31 bypass on northern Tipton County was publicized in such a way that those affected knew where it was going and whose homes would be impacted.
I have yet to see a map indicating where each wind turbine will be.
Those are just some of the concerns of the opponents of the wind farm. And yes, we would also appreciate a nice view, since that is what many of us were paying for when we invested in Tipton County.
I hope everyone will bring their concerns to the Tipton County Council meeting at 7 p.m. today at Tri-Central High School auditorium.
Emily and John West, Sharpsville
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/18/wind-farm-opposition-not-just-about-scenery/