August 28, 2013
Iowa, Letters

Has concerns about wind turbines

The Messenger | August 28, 2013 | www.messengernews.net

Reading the article about 109 turbines will be placed in Webster County sure paints a rosy picture money wise, a win-win for everyone in the county. That is all that is spoken of in the article, money and a few jobs. There has been no acknowledgement in the paper now or in the past, that I know of, that speaks to the downside of 109 turbines concentrated in an area. To quote an article by Tom Zeller Jr. in the New York Times, “Lawsuits and complaints about turbine noise, vibrations and subsequent lost property value have cropped up in Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, among other states. … In one case in DeKalb County, Illinois, at least 38 families have sued to have 100 turbines removed from a wind farm there. A judge rejected a motion to dismiss the case in June.” Also, “Similar conflicts are arising in Canada, Britain and other countries. An appeals court in Rennes, France, recently ordered an eight-turbine wind farm to shut down between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. so residents could get some sleep.”

As with all things some people are more affected by noise than others. However, complaints caused by ultra-low-frequency sound and vibrations, I don’t think should be taken lightly. People have complained of nausea, vomiting, migraines, rapid heart beats, and unable to sleep, symptoms that started after the turbines were installed. Ultra-low-frequency noise can disrupt the flow of information in your inner ear to your brain which in turn can cause these symptoms. For those that think this is nonsense, then why is the military developing low frequency weapons? The military’s one hang up with this type of weapon is that it affects everyone in the area, not just the enemy, but they are still working on developing this type of weapon.

What is MidAmerican doing to address these problems?

If you are affected as a homeowner and need to move, will MidAmerican buy your property?

Or will you have to abandon your property as some have done?

Will MidAmerican pay your medical bills? Will they shut the turbines off from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. at a loss?

Priscilla Jerome

Lehigh


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/08/28/has-concerns-about-wind-turbines/