September 16, 2014
Pennsylvania

Residents say wind turbines cause heartache

Posted on Sep 13, 2014 | by Elaine Blaisdell | Cumberland Times-News | www.times-news.com

GLENCOE, Pa. – Tammy and Joe McKenzie believe they live in the “dark, deep depths of hell” beneath the shadow flicker, high- and low-frequency sounds emitting from wind turbines that are part of the EverPower Twin Ridges Wind Farm.

The wind farm is located on the Big Savage Ridge area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border.

Some of the 68 wind turbines that are part of the farm can be seen from Cumberland when looking through the Narrows and from Frostburg and Mount Savage.

The project went into operation in late 2012.

“It causes a lot of problems because I’m not leaving here,” said Tammy McKenzie, who was visibly upset during a recent interview at her home. “This is our dream (home) and we should not have to give it up … We have lost the enjoyment of our home and our property  – something we have worked our entire life on.”

The sound of the wind turbines causes Joe McKenzie to feel pressure in his head and he can sense whether the turbines are turned on without looking due to ringing in his ears, Tammy McKenzie said.

The McKenzies say they measured decibel readings as high as 87 but were told those results aren’t accurate because they didn’t use a professional meter.

The company’s engineer who conducts the noise abatement analysis uses a meter that filters out background noises and measures just the sound of the wind turbines, said Michael Speerschneider, chief permitting and public policy officer with EverPower.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/09/16/residents-say-wind-turbines-cause-heartache/