Letter: Rebuttal on ‘no evidence turbines impact health’
Jim Mueller | Fond du Lac Reporter | April 15, 2016 | www.fdlreporter.com
Jim Mueller | Fond du Lac Reporter | April 15, 2016 | www.fdlreporter.com
Fond du Lac Public Health Officer Kim Mueller is correct that for the last three years she has been stating that there is no evidence wind turbines cause health issues. But in the last three years studies have been done around the world stating otherwise. We even have the wind turbines in Brown County.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission was involved in this study. Four acousticians tested and one of them became ill while testing. A quote from the report says: “The four investigating firms are of the opinion that enough evidence and hypotheses have been given herein to classify [low frequency noise] and infrasound as a serious issue, possibly affecting the future of the industry,” it said. The Brown County Board of Health declared the Shirley Wind in Brown County a “Human Health Hazard.”
Mueller had worked with Brown County health officer Chua Xiong who also made the same statement. Chua Xiong resigned about two months later. It was found in open records that Xiong had e-mailed her intern Carolyn Harvey: “Carolyn the times I have been out there by the Wind Turbines, I get such migraine headaches. I think I should take some preventative Tylenol before I head out there.”
The findings Mueller presented from the Public Service Commission were released by staff members. There were no names of those who did the research. Were they experts such as acousticians, engineers and medical doctors? Only 6 out of 1,238 dwellings in the Health Canada Study presented were above 45dBA and homes were as far as 6.2 miles away. Twenty percent of the homes were near wind turbines. How many homes were within a mile, 2 miles, 3 miles, 4 miles etc.? How many homes were in areas with 30dBA, 35dBA, 40dBA? Compare this to the town of Marshfield and Calumet where most turbines are within a half mile and can have a 50dBA level and still be in compliance. Sound intensity corresponds to doubling every 3 dBA. Sound pressures correspond to doubling every 6 dBA. Comparing the study to our real life situation is past being realistic.
Mueller states the study does find casual annoyance. Annoyance affects a person’s quality of life. It causes sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. This develops into people having headaches, ringing of ears, earaches, vertigo, loss of concentration, stress, nausea and extreme fatigue. Sound familiar?
We attended the Fond du Lac County Board of Health meeting April 5 where Kim presented the Wisconsin Public Service Study. We want to thank the board for the time we were allowed to speak. We were originally allowed 20 minutes, but spoke for an hour. There are a couple of concerns. At the prior health board meeting we presented a large amount of information for all the members to read. There was nothing on the April 5 agenda to even discuss the information that was presented. Also the agenda presented at the last two board meetings only allows Fond du Lac County citizens to speak. We are not allowed to have experts behalf speak on our behalf. Why can such a study from staff members of the Wisconsin Public Service be presented to the health board, but not allow experts that reside outside Fond du Lac County?
Mueller is correct in stating she can’t make the appropriate decision with the information they have. She is the health officer, not an acoustician, medical doctor or an engineer. This should be more than her decision. If she can’t make an appropriate decision why does Mueller present herself, stating there is no evidence of wind turbines causing health issues and being on the front page of the Fond du Lac Reporter?
The sad part of this are the people being affected. Many do not know who to speak to about their health issues and are afraid of the repercussions if they do speak of it. If you are having problems let people know. After almost eight years none of us would be attending meetings and researching if we weren’t having these health issues.
To learn more about health issues and wind turbines go to: www.wind-watch.org.
Jim Mueller of St. Cloud is with the Concerned Citizens of Fond du Lac County.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/04/16/letter-rebuttal-on-no-evidence-turbines-impact-health/