March 19, 2014
Australia
Australia
Residents’ group rejects AMA’s wind farm stance
By Sam Burgess | ABC News | 19 March 2014 | www.abc.net.au
By Sam Burgess | ABC News | 19 March 2014 | www.abc.net.au
A South Burnett residents’ group says the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has made sweeping generalisations about the health effects of wind farms.
The AMA has released a position statement saying it has no concerns about the health effects of wind farms.
The Cooranga North Concerned Citizens Group is fighting energy company AGL’s plans to build a 115-turbine wind farm at Coopers Gap near the Bunya Mountains.
Spokesman Bryan Lyons says the AMA has not taken into account the individual circumstances of each wind farm project.
He says he believes the AMA’s conclusion is based on general information.
“It’s misleading the community, that’s probably the biggest concern,” he said.
“As we know with any noise, if it’s close enough, if it’s loud enough, if it exceeds the 30dba [decibels] indoors as recommended by the World Health Organisation, then it is going to cause health issues.”
The AMA says its stance is based on credible Australian and international studies.
Vice-president professor Geoffrey Dobb says people living near wind farms may be unduly worried or incorrectly attributing unrelated health problems to wind turbine noise.
“The evidence is that any adverse health effects come from anxiety that there might be adverse effects from living near wind farms,” he said.
“There is nothing out there to link wind farms with adverse health effects.”
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/03/19/residents-group-rejects-amas-wind-farm-stance/