LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

News Watch Home

Counties seek state study of wind power, health 

Credit:  Doug Schneider, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | January 20, 2016 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com ~~

Brown and Kewaunee counties are asking the state Legislature to follow through on an initiative from the governor and fund a study of the potential human-health impact of industrial wind turbines.

Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach and Kewaunee County Board Chairman Ron Heuer plan to ask their respective boards to sign on in support of a request that the state either fund a study, or cede control of wind-turbine siting regulations to the counties – which would then presumably require greater distances between wind turbines and residences than is presently required.

After approval by the boards, the request would then be sent to the Legislature, with a request to act before session’s end.

In his biennial budget, Gov. Scott Walker had proposed spending $250,000 for a study of the connection between turbines and health. But state lawmakers removed that. Brown County, in its 2016 budget, did not budget to fund a study.

Streckenbach on Wednesday said he isn’t sure how much a study would cost. He said he and Heuer will ask Fond du Lac County – home to a large wind farm – and other counties to join the call for funding a study.

Southern Brown County is home to the Shirley Wind farm, an eight turbine development that went on-line in 2010. A number of area residents have reported illnesses, which they believe are related to low-frequency noise emitted by the turbines. There are also wind turbines in Kewaunee County.The Brown County Board of Health in 2014 had declared low-frequency noise from the turbines at Shirley Wind, in Glenmore and Morrison, can endanger health. That’s believed to be the first time a board of health has issued such a ruling. But Health Director Chua Xiong last month ruled that insufficient evidence exists to link wind turbines to illnesses suffered by people who live near them.

Wind-farm opponents have long insisted the turbines can harm people, livestock and, indirectly, farm crops. Those complaints echo claims by some scientists that windmills can produce sleep disturbances, low-frequency noise, stray voltage and a phenomenon called “shadow flicker” that is linked to motion sickness.

Some livestock owners have said their animals stopped reproducing after turbines began operating. And turbines are said to affect migratory routes of some birds, which can have a harmful effect on nearby farms because there are fewer birds to prey on insects.

Source:  Doug Schneider, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | January 20, 2016 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon